Zhou Zhihan had never met Zhou Zhirou before, but on the way here, Colonel Mao Bangchu had told him that Lieutenant General Zhou Zhirou, commander-in-chief of the Air Force, would also be at the test flight site in person today.
None of the nine Martin 139WC bombers bought from the United States can fly yet. Principal Jiang asked Zhou Zhirou several times about this matter.
Zhou Zhirou was also very anxious and had been eagerly waiting for Zhou Zhihan to return home ten days ago.
Everyone knows that Zhou Zhihan is a disciple of Major General Pat Plouffe at the Randolph Air Force Academy and will definitely fly this bomber.
Previously, China had not had such a large heavy bomber. Due to careful safety considerations, the Air Force Ministry believed that existing pilots could not fly the Martin 139 WC bomber at will without receiving training.
These nine heavy bombers are too important to the Chinese Air Force, and these bombers were purchased with private funds. They are of great significance and must not make any mistakes.
After Zhou Zhihan became a student of Principal Pat Plouffe, he was deeply loved by the principal. Not only did he fly all the planes in Randolph Aviation School, but the principal also personally took him to the army to fly various fighter planes, including Including Martin 139WC heavy bomber!
On the way here just now, as the deputy commander of the Air Force who was highly valued by President Jiang, Mao Bangchu told Zhou Zhihan that in the early morning after the July 7th Incident, the Chairman had decided to go to war with the Japanese. Therefore, these nine heavy bombers were very important for preparing and The Nationalist Government Air Force, which fought the Japanese devils to the bitter end, is of great significance.
The principal Jiang once asked Mao Bangchu if China and Japan went to war, could the Chinese Air Force eat up all the Japanese Marines stationed in Shanghai?
Although he had never met Zhou Zhirou, Zhou Zhihan recognized the medium-sized and smiling lieutenant general at first glance as Zhou Zhirou.
"My top student, I've been waiting for you for so long, I'm finally waiting for you!" Zhou Zhirou walked towards Zhou Zhihan with a smile on his face. He stretched out the index finger of his right hand, using a very kind gesture that was only used between old friends. Zhou Zhihan repeatedly pointed out, "Our bombers have arrived a long time ago, and everything is ready now. All we need is your strong east wind!"
Zhou Zhirou's words and actions made Zhou Zhihan a little flattered. Zhou Zhirou, commander-in-chief of the Air Force of the Chinese National Revolutionary Army, personally came to greet him. This level of reception was something Zhou Zhihan had never imagined before.
Seeing Zhou Zhirou saying "my top student" to Zhou Zhihan, Mao Bangchu, who was standing aside calmly, twitched the corner of his mouth.
When the Air Force was first formed, Mao Bang initially thought that President Chiang would give him the position of Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force. Who knew that the position of Commander-in-Chief was eventually taken by Zhou Zhirou, who was affiliated with the Army, and he only got a deputy commander, which made him very unhappy. .
When Zhou Zhirou first arrived, he was just a major general in the army and knew nothing about the air force. One year after arriving at the Air Force Ministry, he was promoted to lieutenant general, which made Mao Bangchu even more depressed.
However, after the July 7th Incident, Principal Jiang told Mao Bangchu the secret of his decision to declare war on Japan first, instead of Zhou Zhirou, which allowed Mao Bangchu to find his psychological balance again.
"General!"
Zhou Zhihan paid a military salute to Zhou Zhirou.
Zhou Zhirou returned the favor, then held Zhou Zhihan's hand cordially, turned to the air force officers behind him and asked, "Zhihan's name is one letter different from mine. Do you think he looks like my little brother?"
The corner of Mao Bangchu's mouth twitched again, Lieutenant General Zhou Zhirou, your method of winning over people is so clever!
Seeing the lieutenant general asking such questions, the school officers naturally knew how to answer.
"The commander-in-chief and the top student became a family 500 years ago!"
"The commander is mighty and strict, and the top student is handsome and majestic. When you two stand together, you really feel like a family!"
"..."
"..."
If you want to go smoothly in the national army or officialdom, who can't say a few nice words?
Since the commander of the Air Force said that Zhou Zhihan was his little brother, then everyone must agree that Zhou Zhihan was the commander's little brother.
"Zhihan!" Mao Bangchu stepped forward and said, "I heard Ambassador Hu Shi say that since you became the proud disciple of President Pat Plouffe of the Randolph Air Force Academy, you have flown almost all the military aircraft of the US military. I will pick you up today. , I just want you to fly this Martin 139WC bomber into the sky and set a demonstration for our air force elites."
Mao Bangchu is currently the deputy commander of the Chinese Air Force, and is the nephew of Principal Jiang's wife. He has a lot of power. Although he is the deputy commander-in-chief, Zhou Zhirou still wants to give him three points on many major issues.
"is teacher!"
Zhou Zhihan bowed and said.
This sentence "Teacher" made Mao Bangchu feel sweeter than drinking honey.
"A top student is a top student!" Zhou Zhirou stretched out her thumb towards Zhou Zhihan, and then said in a low voice that only Zhou Zhihan could hear, "A few pilots of the US Air Force got up and returned to China after they sent the military plane here. The American flight instructor we hired also returned Didn't arrive.
After the July 7th Incident, the Chairman was worried that the Japanese Air Force would sneak attack Nanjing Airport, so he wanted to fly these heavy bombers to Zhoujiakou Airport, but our pilots had not flown such heavy bombers.
During this period, I had trouble sleeping and eating every day. I was afraid that the Japanese would know the location of these heavy bombers and send fighter planes to attack them. Now it's okay. You are finally back, and this important task will be left to you. "
"Promise to complete the mission!"
Zhou Zhihan said.
Zhou Zhirou nodded with satisfaction: "Zhihan, let me introduce you to some of the top pilots of our Chinese Air Force."
Zhou Zhirou stretched out her palm as she spoke and introduced the nine pilots in flight suits to Zhou Zhihan:
"This is Lieutenant Colonel Gao Zhihang, commander of the Chinese Air Force's pursuit aircraft force and captain of the 4th Aviation Group!"
Zhou Zhihan's face immediately showed admiration, and he first saluted with a military salute: "I have long admired the name of Captain Gao!"
Gao Zhihang was not tall, but he looked very capable, with sharp features and piercing eyes. He returned a military salute to Zhou Zhihan and said with a heartfelt smile: "I am the one who admires you, our Chinese Air Force." Top student, top student at Randolph Air Force Academy!”
Zhou Zhirou introduced a pilot about 30 years old and said: "This is Major Xu Huansheng, a first-level instructor at Jianqiao Central Aviation College. He is also currently President Jiang's co-pilot."
Xu Huansheng?
Zhou Zhihan remembered that this was the Air Force pilot who flew the Martin 139WC bomber with Tong Yanbo to launch the "Bomb Flyer" in Japan. He was also the first Chinese Air Force pilot to fly a military aircraft in Japan.
Zhou Zhihan saluted and said sincerely: "I have admired your name for so long, it is like thunder in my ears!"
Zhou Zhihan's words were really not polite, and he really felt like thunder. Facing the first national hero to fly a Chinese military aircraft over the Japanese mainland, anyone else would be excited!
Zhou Zhihan thought to himself, since Xu Huansheng is here, is his partner Tong Yanbo also here?
"This is also a first-level instructor at Jianqiao Central Aviation Academy, Captain Tong Yanbo. He is good at blind flying and can take off and land aircraft in the dark without lights. He is the leading night flying pilot in our Chinese Air Force."
Sure enough, it's Tong Yanbo!
The same thunder pierces the ears, and the name has been admired for a long time!
"This is the squad leader of the 25th Squadron, Second Lieutenant Zhang Mufei."
Zhang Mufei was really young, about the same age as Zhou Zhihan, and equally handsome. The two hit it off immediately.
Hiss~~
Zhou Zhihan felt that Zhang Mufei looked familiar.
Come to think of it, Zhang Mufei should be the pilot who flew the No. 03 P26 fighter jet yesterday, but obviously, Zhang Mufei did not recognize that the top student standing in front of him was the "Japanese" who flew the Type 95 water reconnaissance aircraft yesterday. pilot.
Seeing that Zhang Mufei didn't recognize him and Zhou Zhihan didn't mention what happened yesterday, this was not the right place.
Then, Zhou Zhirou introduced several other pilots to Zhou Zhihan. Some of them had names that Zhou Zhihan remembered, while others were strangers.
But Zhou Zhihan knew that most of these nine pilots would shed blood in the air battle for the Patriotic Republic a month later.
At this moment, the aircraft mechanic came to report that the Martin 139WC heavy bomber was ready to fly at any time.
