Chapter 37: No Blackout?

During this time, Lin Mo continued to gather metal for Gold Coin to consume and recover. He carried it with him everywhere, even during flight training. He feared that if Gold Coin suddenly awoke while he was away, it might cause chaos at the base. If it started munching on half a plane, it would be a huge problem.

Lin Mo’s formation leader was a J-10 piloted by a man with nearly a thousand hours of flying experience. He was from Daqing in Northeast China and stood just 1.65 meters tall, which didn’t match the typical image of a Northern warrior. His call sign was “Little Chicken,” and his real name was Shi Gang, a rather uncommon surname. His flying skills were anything but weak. Today, he led Lin Mo to perform a perimeter air defense patrol around the base from three to five in the afternoon, covering a radius of 110 kilometers.

The tower at Lin Mo’s base was nicknamed “Chicken Coop,” so many pilots had call signs related to “chicken.” For instance, Major Shi Gang, who frequently flew in formation with Lin Mo, went by “Little Chicken.” There were others named “Old Hen,” “Reed Chicken,” “Roast Chicken,” and “Fighting Chicken.” To maintain secrecy, pilots’ call signs were often odd and numerous. Of course, there were also bases with imposing names like “Dragon’s Den” or “Tiger’s Lair.”

Originally, the leadership had chosen the call sign “Gray Chicken,” but Lin Mo adamantly opposed it, saying that anyone on the ground could recognize him: “Look, it’s Gray Chicken!” That was not conducive to anonymity. In the end, the tower conceded, allowing Lin Mo to choose his own call sign: “Gold Coin,” which stood out as a distinctive name. However, it was unclear whether the actual Gold Coin approved of this choice.

“Gold Coin received!” Lin Mo quickly maneuvered the control stick and pushed the throttle forward. In his L-15 Falcon advanced trainer aircraft with the tail number J-2312, the flaps slowly extended downward, and the aircraft lifted its nose to follow the J-10, which was soaring at high speed about 100 meters ahead.

The number on the side of the L-15 had no real significance; it didn’t indicate that it was the 2312th L-15 in China. Only personnel involved in procurement could trace which batch was produced, as the numbering didn’t follow a strict sequence and could skip numbers. This was all part of the uniqueness of the Chinese Air Force.

Flying the fighter jet was a completely different experience from riding the Giant Dragon. In a dragon, the Dragon Knight only needed to remind the beast of the direction, altitude, and specific maneuvers. How to fly was entirely up to the dragon, allowing the knight to focus primarily on combat.

In contrast, piloting a jet required the pilot to dedicate most of his energy to flight control. During combat, the pilot had to concentrate on aiming, pursuing, evading, and finally pressing the attack button. This stark contrast between the two worlds sparked Lin Mo’s interest and enthusiasm during flight training.

The J-10 and L-15 soared into the bright blue sky, transforming into two tiny black dots enveloped by the heavens. The burning aviation fuel left long, parallel streaks in the high altitude behind them.

As the L-15 climbed at a steep angle, it experienced intense vibrations. The J-10 controlled its speed ahead, leading the way. Lin Mo mimicked the lead aircraft’s maneuvers, but there were still slight differences, as the mechanical structures and propulsion systems of the two jets were quite distinct.

“Good job, Gold Coin! Now stabilize your altitude at twelve thousand!” came the voice of “Little Chicken,” the pilot of the J-10, through the headset. He continued, “Countdown for the inverted flight maneuver for fifteen seconds! If you feel unwell, let me know immediately—don’t push yourself!” At twelve thousand meters, the oxygen system in the cockpit began to operate. At such high altitudes, temperatures were extremely low, and the air was thin. If the pilot didn’t have enough oxygen after rapid ascension, he could easily suffer from altitude sickness.

Unlike commercial airliners, fighter jets were built for extreme environments, sacrificing comfort for combat readiness. In aerial combat, not only the performance and firepower of the aircraft mattered, but also the physical conditioning of the pilot, which required a high level of fitness.

“Fifteen, fourteen, thirteen, twelve… one! Watch me flip like a salted fish!” The J-10’s left wing rose while the right wing dipped as it skillfully performed a half roll, with the cockpit pointing down and the belly facing up while maintaining level flight.

Lin Mo followed suit but over-rotated slightly, performing a side roll that wobbled but quickly corrected itself.

The two planes flew belly-up at twelve thousand meters in a dual formation, with the earth seeming to turn into the sky, and the sky suddenly appearing below the aircraft. This reversal created a significant challenge for the pilot’s sense of direction.

The seatbelt securely strapped the pilot into the pilot’s seat. Lin Mo felt no discomfort; in fact, during his time in another world, Gold Coin frequently performed such inverted maneuvers. After experiencing them multiple times, Lin Mo had grown accustomed to them. The truth was, the gold giant dragon often executed these special flying poses not because they were necessary, but rather to attempt to fling Lin Mo, the bothersome Dragon Knight, out of the sky, hoping he would crash to the ground. However, Lin Mo, always cautious, felt no pressure—just like the saying goes, practice makes perfect!

The area around the base was filled with endless mountain ranges. A winding mountain road twisted like a ribbon through the hills, leading into the distance. Scattered villages could be seen in the mountains, and in the far background, slightly larger towns appeared. But compared to big cities like Hangzhou and Shanghai, they were merely a leaf on a vast tree, distinguishable from the air as a handful of gray or brick-red buildings lost in the lush greenery.

Recognizing ground landmarks from high school was a must for every pilot. Even though there were military satellite systems for navigation, no one could guarantee that such high-tech gadgets wouldn’t malfunction or misreport. If they encountered lightning strikes, electromagnetic bombs, or nuclear blasts, these electronic devices were particularly vulnerable. A plane unable to navigate was extremely dangerous. Without fuel refueling or proper landing facilities, the pilot would be left with only the option to parachute.

After the fifteen seconds of this special experience, both aircraft returned to a normal position. Next, the J-10, accompanied by the L-15, had further training tasks to complete, aside from the standard aerial patrol, which included at least two A4 sheets worth of subjects.

“Now we’re going to try something more intense! The scissors roll maneuver begins!”

The pilot identified as “Little Chicken” sounded particularly excited as the J-10’s engine suddenly unleashed a pale blue flame. It rapidly rolled 90 degrees away from the formation, twisting through the sky and creating a curving S-shape flight path. Explosive sounds punctuated the air as the sound barrier was broken.

Lin Mo yanked on the control stick, sharply turning the tail rudder and performing a roll maneuver to catch up with the J-10.

The L-15 Falcon closely followed the J-10, trying hard to decrease the distance and narrow the flight path angle. But the J-10 stubbornly executed various rolls and even swaying moves to break free from L-15’s flight trajectory. The two planes danced through the high sky like a dazzling waltz, perfectly intertwined as they twirled above. Every intersection felt extraordinarily thrilling, leaving onlookers utterly amazed.

The scissors roll maneuver required acute judgment of distance and attack angles. The pilot also had to withstand the overload caused by high speed. Even without live ammunition, the slightest error could result in catastrophic consequences.

After nearly completing several dozen rotations, the J-10 ended the wild scissors roll maneuver with a steep descent.

Even for veteran pilots, the J-10 pilot “Little Chicken” breathed heavily as his voice crackled in Lin Mo’s helmet: “Wow, I’m getting old. That was almost too much for me. Gold Coin, how many times have you blacked out?!” The strain of resisting G-forces had clearly drained him.

“Blackout!? What blackout? I’m perfectly fine, not even a cough,” Lin Mo responded while simultaneously adjusting the L-15 to roll out of the maneuver.

While in a dive, the J-10 switched to a Immelmann turn and shot back towards the sky, with the L-15 closely tailing it.

The intense, frantic rolling maneuver dazzled the senses, but Lin Mo held steady in control of the L-15 advanced trainer, finding the aircraft from Hongdu Aircraft Company to be highly durable. While it might not match the J-10 in performance, it was perfectly suited for a novice pilot.

“You didn’t blackout?!” The lead J-10 suddenly shook as that last maneuver was beyond what Lin Mo’s experience level should handle.

It seemed he had unintentionally set Lin Mo up for a challenging blacking out training exercise, and yet Lin Mo didn’t experience any blackouts. His physical condition was genuinely impressive, prompting the J-10 pilot to grin widely.