Great Power Long Sky

Li Lu was fast asleep, but all the units under the Air Force headquarters of the military region that were responsible for supporting this reconnaissance operation were in an uproar.

These units routinely support the flights of the coastal air force, and encountering emergencies is commonplace for them. However, this is the first time they have encountered a situation where a planned operation was gradually affected by external factors and gradually evolved into an emergency.

First of all, before the operation, no one was sure if they could find the USS Kitty Hawk. In fact, after the first sortie, not only did they find the USS Kitty Hawk, but the aircraft carrying out the mission also circled around its core air defense zone.

Secondly, during the emergency landing, the weather changed suddenly. After the meteorological station discovered this change, Li Lu had no more fuel left and had no choice but to make an emergency landing.

Running out of fuel or having to make an emergency landing due to insufficient fuel is extremely rare, perhaps only once every eight or ten years. For aircrew and ground crew, this is the most basic and utterly insignificant mistake.

If this happened under normal circumstances, the on-duty commander, pilots, and ground support personnel would all be criticized.

The military's assets, worth tens of millions, cannot be used so recklessly.

However, today's situation is very special. From the moment Li Lu was intercepted by an F-14 to the forced landing on the unfinished runway of Hudong Airport, every key point in this process was pushed forward by unexpected events.

There was no plan for low-altitude penetration during the reconnaissance operation, but the opportunity was there, and it would be a shame not to seize it.

This is the first time for the People's Air Force, and it is of great significance.

Even a brief appearance above the Kitty Hawk, even if it does nothing, is of great significance.

I didn't use missiles to hit the aircraft carrier, but don't forget that I and my fighter jets can be turned into weapons at any time!

In this situation, with Li Lu's successful forced landing, every single unit responsible for supporting the reconnaissance operation has at least reached the threshold of a collective third-class merit.

Li Lu, fast asleep, wasn't carefree; his emotions were perfectly calm. He was simply exhausted and sleepy. High-intensity flights are extremely taxing on a pilot's energy and physical strength; flying for two or three hours is more tiring than a long-haul flight.

The J-6 is a second-generation fighter jet, a copy of the Soviet MiG-19. Its flight control transmission system is a rigid mechanical transmission with hydraulic power assist, which can be understood as an early truck steering control system.

This flight control transmission system is extremely simple, and its advantages are naturally stability and reliability, being purely mechanical.

The disadvantages are also obvious: there is no stability augmentation or automatic trim. During flight, as the airspeed changes, the pilot needs to frequently use the stick and rudder to manually trim, which is extremely physically demanding for the pilot.

Pilots of that era possessed remarkable strength in their arms and legs; without sufficient strength, they simply couldn't move the control stick or push the rudder.

Moreover, the J-6 only has one hydraulic system and no backup hydraulic system. Fortunately, the hydraulic system is working properly. If it were broken, the control stick would be so heavy that you would have to use all your strength to move it even a fraction of an inch.

Li Lu performed numerous stunts along the way, which not only required skill but also an immense amount of strength.

Xiong Guangming did not notice that Li Lu's hands were trembling slightly while drinking the ginger soup, which was a sign of exhaustion.

The flight control transmission systems of second-generation aircraft are basically all like this. The most obvious improvement of third-generation aircraft compared to second-generation aircraft is the adoption of fly-by-wire flight control, which makes flight control easier and more precise.

Whether or not a fighter jet possesses fly-by-wire flight control is also a new technology that defines whether a fighter jet has reached the third-generation technology standard.

The most important intelligence at present is in the flight data of J-6 modified No. 101 and the camera that Li Lu carries close to his body.

The People's Liberation Army Air Force's first close-up photograph of an enemy aircraft carrier, even if it's just a blurry one, would be extremely beneficial for propaganda purposes, not to mention that Li Lu used an entire box of film to take the picture!

The nearest naval aviation regiment, the 16th Regiment, was ordered to send someone to pick up Li Lu. Li Lu, who had slept for more than an hour, was full of energy.

Upon learning that the leaders of the East China Sea Command Post were on their way, Li Lu decided to wait and offer some suggestions.

The East China Sea Command Post is a military command post, also known as a regional command post. It is responsible for commanding air operations in the entire eastern coastal area and is a unit at the corps level.

The superior authority of the 7th Air Regiment is the 3rd Air Division, which was previously a certain air force corps. In the late 1980s, the air force corps was abolished and replaced by the East China Sea Command Post, and the 3rd Air Division was then directly led by the military region's air force.

Upon arrival, the leaders of the East China Sea Command Center warmly received Li Lu.

Because the runway is only a few hundred meters long, the aircraft was refueled with enough fuel to fly back to the Donghai airfield, plus 15 percent of the fuel as a reserve, in order to reduce the takeoff weight.

The 16th Regiment of the Naval Aviation brought over a set of mobile ground take-off and landing support equipment and set up a simple ground control tower on the construction site.

As evening fell, J-6 modified aircraft number 101 was towed to the takeoff position. Li Lu climbed onto the aircraft using a bamboo ladder and carefully completed the pre-flight checks.

After receiving the clearance to take off, he slammed on the brakes, pushed the accelerator to the floor, and engaged afterburner.

Li Lu only released the brakes when he felt he was about to lose control.

The plane roared as it accelerated, and just before the front landing gear wheel was about to run off the runway, Li Lu lifted the wheel. The rear landing gear wheel even skidded along the unfinished runway for a short distance.

J-6 modified No. 101 continued to climb, made a beautiful turn and flew towards the East China Sea airfield. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

It was already dark when Li Lu landed at the Donghai airfield. Xu Hailiang and all the pilots who were at home were waiting to greet him at the outer airfield.

More details of the reconnaissance operation were presented to the leaders of the Air Force headquarters of the military region, and it was a foregone conclusion that Li Lurong would be awarded a first-class merit.

The fact that the plane was successfully made to land is enough to warrant a first-class merit award.

Seeing Li Lu, who was exhausted but still looked energetic, Xu Hailiang immediately relayed a message: "The Chief of Staff is coming; he'll arrive tomorrow morning."

Li Lu asked, "Which chief of staff?"

Xu Hailiang said, "Air Force Chief of Staff Wang Yong, Deputy Chief of the General Staff Zhang from the headquarters, and Deputy Commander Chen from the military region will also be coming."

These are the same three leaders again; they've clearly come for reconnaissance.

"First, let's get a clear picture of the operation. Can we handle it?" Xu Hailiang asked.

Li Lu laughed and said, "No problem, this level of intensity is nothing."

When the leaders arrive, the first thing to do is to hear their reports. All three leaders are decisive and efficient, and they are all leaders in charge of air force operations. They dislike formalism and want to hear practical information.