The next evening,Chen Jiayu flew to Guangzhou and rested for a while before continuing his flight back from Guangzhou. His co-pilot on this flight was a relatively young pilot named Yang Weian, who had just over 200 hours of flight time on a Boeing 737. Chen Jiayu had to guide him since training inexperienced pilots was always more tiring than flying with experienced co-pilots like Xu Hengchuan. When flying with experienced co-pilots, they could get by with minimal communication apart from following the checklist. However, rookies needed more guidance, and Chen Jiayu had to teach Yang Weian how to handle specific situations.
Yang Weian was an exceptionally enthusiastic newcomer. Chen Jiayu had given a lecture at their flight academy two years ago. Hence, Yang Weian was eager to ask him questions.
After Chen Jiayu became famous for his heroic emergency landing in Hong Kong, the management decided to give him more responsibility for mentoring junior pilots. He was invited to deliver lectures and meet with trainees at the pilot training center several times over the past year. This wasn’t limited to just his own company but also extended to other aviation companies where his father’s old comrades worked. He couldn’t refuse his father’s requests, even though he had reservations.
He had always strived to be accommodating to others, so he rarely turned down requests when he could fulfill them. However, he didn’t want to keep bringing up the events from two years ago. One reason was that he and Chang Bin had simply followed regulations and did everything by the book, including waiting for all passengers to disembark before leaving the plane. It was part of their duties as pilots, and it wasn’t a heroic act of “self-sacrifice to save everyone” as portrayed by the media. Another reason was the psychological toll. Every time he recounted the incident, he had to relive those terrifying moments in the air.
But he knew it was his own issue. Faced with someone as enthusiastic and passionate as Yang Weian, he had no choice but to engage, answer all his questions, and agree to all his requests.
—
Before takeoff, Yang Weian handed him the flight logs to sign and then added, “Oh, by the way, Brother Jia, I’m afraid I’ll forget after landing. Can I add you on WeChat?” He said as he took out his phone.
Chen Jiayu lowered his head and signed his name on the flight log with an electronic pen. This brief pause made Yang Weian think he might be refused, “Um, it’s okay if it’s inconvenient…”
Chen Jiayu looked up at him and took out his phone. “Sure, you can add me. You can scan my code, or I can scan yours.”
Yang Weian scanned his QR code and smiled happily, “I’ll have to report back to my girlfriend when I return. She asks me every day if I’ve flown with you. I used to say I just graduated and didn’t have a chance, and besides, you don’t fly domestic routes. I never thought it would turn out like this…”
Yang Weian was talkative, but Chen Jiayu didn’t find it annoying. He was used to solitude, so having someone chatting in his ear all the time felt quite lively.
Yang Weian’s mention of adding friends on WeChat reminded Chen Jiayu that he hadn’t “apologized” to Fang Hao yet. He quickly opened the contact card Lu Yan had sent him earlier and sent a friend request, but it had yet to be accepted by the time they took off. Perhaps Fang Hao was on duty today, Chen Jiayu thought silently, the night shift should be ongoing right now.
Two hours later, his guess was confirmed.
Chen Jiayu spoke on the high-frequency radio, saying, “Beijing Approach, good evening, Air China 8182, altitude 5000, awaiting your instructions.”
After a moment, a familiar voice with a Beijing accent and a somewhat lazy tone responded: “Air China 8182, Beijing Approach, radar identification confirmed. Cleared for the AW03 arrival, Runway… 17 Right, descend to 4000, maintain.”
Chen Jiayu read back, “Cleared for the AW03 arrival, Runway 17 Right, descending to 4000, Air China 8182.”
He waited on the radio channel, but there was no further communication. It seemed like a quiet night.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“Pretty quiet tonight, huh?” He turned on the radio and said, gazing out into the vast night sky.
His co-pilot, Yang Weian, thought Chen Jiayu was talking to him. He was busy flipping through the pre-landing checklist and was feeling quite nervous. How could he be free? He couldn’t fathom where the conversation about quietness came from.
Surprisingly, the voice of the air traffic controller came over the channel, “Night shifts are usually like this, just two people keeping watch. You’re flying the late shift today?”
Chen Jiayu heard the reply, realizing that his flight today was different from usual, and was somewhat surprised, “Yes, I’m flying the late shift this Tuesday.”
Fang Hao didn’t respond further. After a while, as Chen Jiayu’s aircraft descended, he issued another instruction: “Air China 8182, continue descending to 2200, left turn heading 290, set altimeter to 1008.”
Chen Jiayu acknowledged, “Descending to 2200, left turn heading 290, setting altimeter to 1008, Air China 8182.”
Then, a long stretch of silence punctuated by occasional instructions followed. Chen Jiayu followed Fang Hao’s directions, aligning the aircraft with the runway and gradually reducing speed and altitude. The sound of the wind, instrument adjustments, and the radio chatter all merged together into a rhythmic symphony.
As they approached the control radius, even though modern civil aircraft were equipped with advanced Instrument Landing Systems (ILS), they could only be used when the plane had descended to a certain level. Some have said that within such a vast range, aligning a small aircraft with a narrow runway is akin to hitting a bullseye in archery. Without the guidance of air traffic controllers during this process, landing is nearly an impossible task.
Fang Hao: “Air China 8182, descend to 3000, maintain speed at 280.”
Chen Jiayu echoed back, “Maintain speed at 280, descending to 3000, Air China 8182.”
Fang Hao: “Air China 8182, reduce speed to 220, maintain until 10 nautical miles from touchdown point.”
Chen Jiayu: “Reducing speed to 220, maintaining until 10 nautical miles, Air China 8182.”
Fang Hao: “Air China 8182, maintain 2400, establish on the glide path. Blind approach for Runway 17R, channel alert.”
Chen Jiayu: “Maintaining 2400, blind approach for 17R, Air China 8182.”
Yang Weian watched the back-and-forth communication, with their coordination resembling a textbook example of standard air traffic communication.
As they flew out of the approach control area, Fang Hao uttered his final instructions, “Air China 8182, autonomous navigation, contact tower on 124.2, goodbye.” He was handing over Chen Jiayu’s aircraft to the Tower Controller.
Chen Jiayu, feeling rather relaxed, said, “Alright, goodbye,” but just before signing off, he added, “Don’t forget to accept my friend request when you get back.”
Yang Weian was stunned and turned to look at Chen Jiayu, wondering if this was something that could be said!
While taxiing after a smooth landing, Chen Jiayu continued to educate Yang Weian, “Oh, by the way, building a good relationship with Air Traffic Control is also essential.”
Yang Weian: “…”
—
This late-night flight had made Chen Jiayu quite tired. He bought a bottle of Coke Zero from a 24-hour vending machine to refresh himself. Luckily, there was no traffic in Beijing in the early morning, and he reached the beautiful scenery of the Shuangjing area on the other side of the capital in just over 50 minutes. He planned to stop by his parents’ house first. It was already past 2 AM by the time he arrived.
Chen Jiayu gently pushed open the door and immediately noticed that the lights in the living room were still on. The room was filled with the smell of smoke. He looked around carefully and saw a half-empty bottle of alcohol on the table. A throbbing headache started to form in his head.
“Dad,” he called out, then immediately closed the bottle of alcohol and put it away in the cabinet.
Chen Zheng didn’t turn to look at him; he just waved his hand, his voice hoarse, “Don’t bother about me.”
Chen Jiayu stood there with his hands hanging by his sides for a moment, then continued, “Dad, you should smoke less. Tomorrow, you’re going to visit Mom.”
Chen Jiayu’s mother, Cao Hui, had been in poor health for over a year. She used to go mountain climbing and exercise with her sisters every day, but suddenly, she started getting frequent colds and fevers, and her body weakened. When she went for a medical check-up, they discovered a lump in her chest. It was already at stage three breast cancer and had begun to spread throughout her body. After surgery, she had been undergoing chemotherapy for a year now, with her condition fluctuating. Sometimes, during intensive treatment periods, she would stay at the hospital for the sake of convenience.
Chen Jiayu’s mother was seven or eight years younger than his father. At an age when she should have been enjoying her fifties, she was instead plagued by endless worries and illnesses. Cancer is not just the patient’s battle; it has a significant impact on their family and has aged his father almost overnight.
Chen Jiayu was the only child, and as a pilot, he often had to be away on flights, making it impossible for him to take care of his elderly parents. So, he hired a caregiver to come to their home to take care of them.
In recent months, the caregiver had mentioned a few times that his father seemed to be becoming more forgetful, sometimes even forgetting what he had eaten for breakfast. Chen Jiayu did the math and realized that his father was now sixty-six years old, which was relatively young for Alzheimer’s disease to set in. This was one of the main reasons he applied to switch from international to short-haul flights. Despite the fatigue that came with flying short-haul routes, where there could be as many as five or six takeoffs and landings in a single day, he could return home every night as a short-haul flight captain.
Chen Zheng cleared his throat softly. Under the dim light, he could see that his father’s hair had turned completely white, and he looked very much aged. When did it all start?
Chen Zheng extinguished the cigarette in the ashtray and said, “Why do they keep assigning you to the late shift?”
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Chen Zheng was feeling a bit indignant on his behalf,”You earned great merits in Hong Kong. After that, they should give you easier assignments. I’ll talk to Uncle Liu about it one of these days.”
Liu Heng was the company’s vice president, and while he had shared a few drinks with Chen Zheng, they weren’t particularly close. Nevertheless, Chen Zheng always liked to mention him. His father took pride in his connections in both the Air Force and civil aviation, and he seemed to still view Chen Jiayu as a rookie pilot. However, from start to finish, Chen Jiayu had been a diligent student, never causing trouble or asking his father to use his connections.
Indeed, Chen Jiayu didn’t like hearing these words. He furrowed his brows and said, “Dad, please stop bringing up Hong Kong. It just stresses me out.”
Chen Zheng changed the topic but continued talking about him, “I told you to stay near the airport, but you insisted on living on this side of town. It’s not very convenient to commute every day, and what if there’s some traffic delay that affects your work?”
Chen Jiayu swept the cigarette butts on the floor with a broom, making it more pleasant to look at, and replied, “I’m fine with it. Don’t worry about me.”
Chen Zheng sighed heavily, “Your mother used to keep an eye on me when she was at home, and now that she’s gone, you’ve taken on that role.”
Chen Jiayu didn’t know what to say. When his mother was at home, she acted as the mediator within the family, as the atmosphere between father and son was often either tense or gloomy. In moments like these, he used to hope to see his mother the next day, but he would also remember that such days wouldn’t last much longer. The doctor had given them a prognosis of just one more year. When in the house with his father, he often felt a disconnect. Half of him empathized with his father, and the other half felt crushed by the pressure, especially with the dark clouds outside and the dark ceiling seemingly pressing down on his spine.
He used to have an apartment right next to the airport, but after his mother’s diagnosis, he decided to lease that place long-term and bought an apartment in Lijing, where his parents lived. It provided a bit of personal space and made it easier to look after his parents when needed.
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At that moment, to his surprise, his phone rang. All his group chats have been muted; apart from colleagues, there shouldn’t be anyone else trying to contact him, right?
Taking out his phone, it showed a friend request from “?.” It turned out that someone had an even more irregular sleep schedule than a pilot, and it was an air traffic controller.
He had almost forgotten about it, but it seemed that Fang Hao had heard his reminder on the radio.
He sent a message: “About what happened on Friday, it’s true that I didn’t understand the situation. I apologize, please don’t mind.”
Fang Hao replied promptly: “Oh, it’s just business as usual. If you don’t mind, I don’t mind either.”
Chen Jiayu sent an OK emoji. He noticed that Fang Hao seemed to have a talent for keeping the conversation going endlessly.
Translator comment: Happy New Year, everyone! Updates after the New Year should be more consistent. XD
Chen Jiayu: This is like a symphony!
Fang Hao… might be holding a tiny grudge.
Happy New Year!
Thank you for the chapter!
💜
Thank You for the new chapter (•‾⌣‾•)و ̑̑♡ Happy New Year! ❤
Happy new year! Thanks for reading. 🙂
Happy New Year! Thanks a lot for your hard work. 🥰
Happy new year 🥰
Happy new year. (๑╹◡╹๑)ﾉ♬
| ू•ૅω•́)ᵎᵎᵎ Good news right as the year starts! I’m looking forward to the updates a nd thanks for this one. =3=
Happy new year! Thanks for reading. 🥰
Thank you for the chapter 👍 Happy New Year 🥳
Happy new year! 🥰
“building a good relationship with Air Traffic Control is essential” well do tell us more about it, Chen Jiayu. make it a practical lesson 🤭