Chapter 483

Chapter 483: The Joke

Although Malathika dreamed of great feats, his hands showed no signs of carelessness. The title of genius, known as the "Sun", was earned through hard work.

He skillfully maneuvered the LCA "Tejas" fighter jet around the first pillar, feeling a surge of joy. Quickly, he adjusted the aircraft’s nose to turn to the other side, hoping to mimic the video as he approached the second pillar. Suddenly, he realized with shock that he was headed toward the third pillar instead.

A tiny error led to a grand disaster.

The towering pillar rushed toward him with terrifying speed, leaving no time for him to react. The LCA "Tejas" fighter jet, so low to the ground and within such a small radius, twisted and turned in a way that even the Russians wouldn’t dare attempt. Malathika’s eyes widened in realization, but before he could scream, a fireball engulfed his consciousness.

Boom!

It was as if the French had launched a missile again. The LCA "Tejas," along with its pilot, burst into a massive fireball upon striking the pillar, which split in two, showering down countless fragments.

Various pieces of aircraft debris, mixed with flames, landed on the grass, creating numerous craters and scorching the turf into various shapes of charred black.

Thick black smoke and flames billowed up.

“…Oh God!”

Gilles Lebray, the host from French TV Channel 4, and guest Mardan de Polignac shared looks of shock. The audience erupted in gasps and screams, terrified by the tragedy of the fighter jet crashing into the pillar.

They had indeed asked for excitement, stimulation, and shock, but not like this.

“Malathika… what an idiot!”

The captain of the remaining three LCA "Tejas" jets in the "Sun" flying display team roared in despair! He was deeply disappointed that this young genius would make such a reckless move. This foolish act not only cost him his life but also brought further disgrace to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, turning them into a laughingstock after the Japanese "Blue Impulse."

Had this guy survived, the captain would have grabbed him by the neck and slapped him a hundred, no, a thousand times. He had warned Malathika before not to have unrealistic dreams. Executing such maneuvers with a Sukhoi was already extremely dangerous; even theoretically, it was unlikely to succeed, let alone with India’s first "half-finished" fighter jet.

But this stubborn young man, overrated by his talent, acted recklessly without heed, ultimately leading to this tragedy.

Now it was too late; this blunderer had not only lost his life, causing significant losses to the nation, but also tarnished the reputation of the Indian Air Force, which claimed to be the "fourth best in the world."

The remaining three "Tejas" jets could only helplessly circle in the sky above the smoking wreckage, like birds mourning their lost companion. Their engines emitted sorrowful cries, as if paying tribute to their fallen comrade.

The audience fell silent.

The organizers had anticipated that the "Gregory" flight team might demonstrate amazing flying once more during today’s exhibition, clearing the area around the eight pillars to create a large safety zone.

However, they did not expect that it would be the Indian "Sun" team that would need it. This fortunate coincidence spared many audience members a close call. Although the scene resembled a terrorist attack, only the Indian pilot tragically lost his life, while the other innocent spectators emerged unscathed, save for their fears.

The French had set up a large safety zone; the debris from the aircraft didn’t fly far due to the angle of impact.

Those present, both on-site and in front of their televisions, knew the Indians had truly embarrassed themselves.

Within the Hindustan Aeronautics exhibition area, nearly every Indian turned pale and swayed, seemingly unable to bear the impact. Some staff members rushed uncontrollably toward the crash site.

Clients who had intended to snag some cheap Indian goods quickly turned away, not even bothering to glance back. Even if the performance was subpar, they realized the lack of self-awareness demonstrated a serious lack of reliability in their work ethic.

“Uh! Another tragedy! Oh God! May this poor soul ascend to heaven; this is just too unfortunate.”

Guest Mardan de Polignac crossed his heart in front of the camera and commented, “The LCA ‘Tejas’ fighter jet from Hindustan Aeronautics features a delta wing design without horizontal tailplane, which is indeed lightweight and compact, but it sacrifices speed and high maneuverability, particularly in terms of stall performance. This fighter jet lacks the necessary flexibility and stalling maneuverability to perform such miraculous feats; it couldn’t even support the structural integrity required for those G-forces.”

Mardan de Polignac openly criticized the foolishness of the Indian pilot, lacking any self-awareness and taking such reckless risks. The aerospace industry is known for its rigor; without even the most basic qualities, how could one produce good products? They might as well be mixing curry into bomb payloads—it wouldn’t surprise anyone.

It seemed that an April Fool’s joke about Indians making “curry bombs” had just been confirmed.

“Yes, once again, I remind all pilots and aviation enthusiasts to recognize their limitations. Do not attempt things beyond your capabilities; otherwise, any misstep could lead to a disaster that affects yourself and others.”

In the exhibition area of the Russian aerospace manufacturers, the old Russians displayed slightly better expressions. They hadn’t expected that the foolish Indians would actually challenge that “limit.” Did they think themselves gods?

The outcome confirmed that they were not “gods,” but rather “crazies”!

Throughout history, every collaboration and order with the Indian Air Force had demonstrated the Indians’ penchant for humor at their own expense.

Surprisingly, a foolish individual had come to serve as an example to everyone: such maneuvers were not something just anyone could accomplish. The Russians could salvage some of their reputation; they still had a chance.

“Alright, I’ll check the next team taking off. Oh, it’s the flying display from the Chinese team, representing Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group’s ‘August First’ display team. Their aircraft model is the J-10B.”

Host Gilles Lebray, holding the list, recounted clearly what the next team would be. He continued, “As for the J-14, which we saw two days ago—the ‘Eagle Falcon’ that is more ferocious than the ‘Raptor’—many will be curious whether it will perform today. Unfortunately, the National Defense Star Aerospace Company, which owns the ‘Eagle Falcon,’ will not deploy it. However, their top pilots will take to the skies with the J-11 for a spectacular display.”

People tend to think in patterns; those who missed the showdown between the J-11 "Eagle Falcon" and the F-22 "Raptor" during the opening ceremony hurriedly flew in from various European countries and beyond. As a result, the population density in France surged once more. The original seating arrangements could not meet demand, so additional tiers were hastily added behind the steel-tube stands, and even some grass areas were opened for standing spectators.

Suddenly, the influx of ticket sales brought joy to the French, as the more thrilling the airshow, the greater the exhibition’s attention. Advertising revenues, ticket sales, and influence surged in tandem.

As for surprises, which aerospace exhibition wouldn’t have one? Flying is inherently filled with danger; even incidents involving fighter jets crashing into the audience causing casualties have occurred before.

In September 2011, a crash during a flying championship in Nevada saw a P-51 "Mustang" plummet into the audience, resulting in more than seventy casualties—a tragedy surpassing the destructive force of a missile strike.

Witness Gerald Lunt told the Reno Gazette Journal, “It felt like a bomb exploding; people were lying everywhere on the runway. One person was cut in half. There was blood and debris all around…"

Although everyone knew the risks of acrobatic flight, not only the performing pilots, but the audience also continued to attend the event with reckless abandon.

As the "August First" flying display team from Chengdu took to the sky, they received a thunderous applause. Their aerobatic performances couldn’t match real combat displays; the thrilling aerial engagements and counteracting anti-aircraft missiles from the previous day etched a lasting, positive impression of Chinese fighter jets in the audience’s minds.

With affection extended to their team, the six J-10B fighter jets from the "August First" flight display team took to the sky in formation, captivating spectators with their dense devil-like formation. The audience erupted into applause.

From high angle climbs to dual-ship scissors maneuvers, ultra-low altitude crossings, and six-ship horizontal flourishes, they delivered a breathtaking performance, keeping the applause flowing.

The Russian flight team exchanged glances. The capabilities of the August First team seemed not much greater than their own, lacking any truly spectacular skills. They pondered why they had garnered such popularity—indeed, it was a case of "different strokes for different folks."