Chapter 461

Chapter 461: Before the Opening

“Report from the ‘Seine River’ base, Sukhoi ‘Gregory’ Flight Squadron is ready. I am Captain ‘Mayflower,’ beginning the approach into the waiting flight area!”

“‘Seine River’ acknowledges. The weather is clear today with a southeast wind at four levels, outdoor temperature at 31 degrees Celsius, air pressure at 1014 hPa, and the density of atmospheric particles is good. Radar is operational, takeoff is permitted!”

The “Seine River” air force base is a small airport that the French government temporarily closed in 2008, maintaining only the most basic grounds for service to aviation exhibitors from around the world. The French government specially allocated personnel from Orly Airport for airport operations, taking two months to reopen it, even the flight command center’s communications and radar monitoring are managed by mobile military communication stations and radar bases.

As soon as the conversation ended at the temporary command center of the “Seine River” air force base, a voice from the command center at Bourget Airport, 12 kilometers northeast of Paris, came through: “This is Bourget Airport. Please turn on GPS location and maintain the communication channel. We’ll see you in eleven minutes! Good luck, boys!”

“Thank you, gentlemen from France. ‘Gregory’ Flight Squadron acknowledged. All aircraft, note that the dual aircraft formation will take off at a 40-degree climb angle, with a 500-meter separation in takeoff distance. Watch for wake turbulence. ‘Number 7,’ you stay in the last position as we use a diagonal line formation. Now let’s do the final check of the ejection systems.”

As the captain, “Mayflower” Kameni Ivanov carefully directed every aircraft, giving special attention to the new teammate “Number 7.”

“Okay, Captain, ‘Snowflake’ acknowledged! I’m following you!”

“Rog, Captain, ‘Magician’ acknowledged! I’m with ‘Pearl Oyster’ for the second group.”

“Okay, ‘Magician,’ ‘Pearl Oyster’ confirm orders!”

“‘Sargassum’ confirms, I’m in the third group with ‘Trout!’”

“‘Trout’ confirms. ‘Number 7,’ don’t fall behind!”

“‘Number 7’ acknowledged!”

“‘Gregory’ Flight Squadron is beginning to taxi!”

To accommodate Lin Mo, all six Russian pilots communicated in English on the communication channel. Although it was a bit tricky, it did not hinder their communication.

The seven Su-27s became the loudest noise source in the entire French air force base, with the roar of 14 AL-41F engines clearly audible even five kilometers away.

The powerful engine sounds attracted many people’s attention; it was almost like a formation of an entire squadron.

This was a great opportunity to observe, especially as pilots from other nations waiting for their turn to take off had moved close to the runway, half-covering their ears as they watched the Russian Su-27 squadron ascend.

Captain “Mayflower” and “Snowflake,” two Su-27s, surged down the runway just 30 meters apart. Increasing their speed, after a 600-meter dash, they pointed their noses upwards and climbed into the sky.

Seconds later, the second and third groups of dual aircraft formations swept into the blue sky.

The last “Guardian” followed closely, flying a circle around the air force base before joining the six other “Guardians” to form a diagonal line formation of seven aircraft.

From the ground, the diagonal line formed by the seven fighter jets streaked across the sky, creating both an auditory and visual effect that was truly breathtaking.

…

As for Lin Mo’s military backpack, which he couldn’t take onto the aircraft, it was filled with dry food and had no secrets to speak of. Before he boarded, he had given it to Sergei Sulotov from Sukhoi for safekeeping, and he would get it back after they arrived at Bourget Airport.

“Oh! Look, look at the Sukhoi jets! They’re so impressive! Why aren’t they flying a devil formation?” a pilot from Sukhoi stood on the wing of a MiG-29, shielding his eyes from the sun with his hand, watching the seven jets fly away.

Nearby, a mechanic who was checking the planes immediately stopped his work and stared wide-eyed at his country’s pilots, seemingly incredulous as he said, “Seven? Devil formation? Are you crazy? That’s not a devil formation; that’s a suicide formation! Don’t you have a grudge against ‘Mayflower’? Boom! A big firework goes off in the sky!”

As he spoke, he gestured with his hands to illustrate a large fireball.

With a spacing of fewer than five meters between each aircraft and a height difference of only one meter, that diamond formation was incredibly dangerous. Any collision would almost certainly mean total loss; if wreckage fell into the audience below, it could take thousands of lives.

Currently, very few flying display teams worldwide could master such formations. Without real, substantial technical conditions, no flight team would dare take such a significant risk to show off.

Moreover, adding just one more fighter jet geometrically increased the already high risk; while every pilot participating in this aerospace exhibition was indeed an elite, even the daring Sukhoi flight team wouldn’t let a newly joined Chinese pilot mix in with their acrobatic flight team.

So during the formation, the “Gregory” flight squadron placed Lin Mo at the end of the line.

“Perfect, seven fighter jets! Who knows, maybe we can create an Eastern Big Dipper formation! That’s a fantastic idea; next time I’ll definitely suggest it to the ‘Gregory’ guys!”

The MiG pilot laughed dismissively. He was well aware that what the mechanic said was not wrong; it simply stemmed from jealousy toward the Sukhoi “Gregory” flight squadron.

As the MiG program declines and funding grows tight, the income of pilots working for MiG is naturally lower than that of those working for Sukhoi.

Accompanied by the tremendous roar, the Su-27 formation vanished from the view of the people at the “Seine River” base.

…

“Hello everyone! This is Gilles Lebray from France TV Channel Four. Next to me is aviation enthusiast Mr. Mardan de Polignac. We are currently at the location of the Paris-Le Bourget International Aerospace Exhibition, Bourget Airport…” The well-dressed television host made a brief self-introduction and opening statement, and the accompanying guest slightly bowed when introduced to show his presence, listening attentively as the host continued, “In just two days, this international aerospace exhibition will officially open. Although it hasn’t commenced today, a large number of visitors from around the world have already gathered here…”

At that moment, the live broadcast quickly switched to another camera showing a robust spectator stand made of scaffolding, stretching for several kilometers.

Usually busy with cargo and passenger flights, not a single plane was present at this time. To host this exhibition, the cargo functions of Bourget Airport had been transferred to Charles de Gaulle Airport and Orly Airport, with the French Air Traffic Control Bureau coordinating. Cargo flights that would have landed at this airport had been redirected elsewhere.

Without the usual hustle and bustle of air transport, the area appeared more like a large park due to the extensive greenery.

On the vast grassy fields, crowds were enjoying themselves, with many tents dotted across the lawn. Some flamboyant ladies wore three-piece bikini swimsuits, treating the lawn as a beach, and others had simply spread out blankets to sunbathe, showcasing their figures, all attracting the eyes of men. There would surely be countless romantic encounters in true French fashion.

Bourget Airport buzzed as it became a sightseeing hotspot for visitors from all over the world; although the exhibition hadn’t started, it already drew significant crowds.

About 500 meters away, a clear boundary line separated the main runway of Bourget Airport, where planes could take off and land at any moment.

On the other side, almost a third of the airport was cordoned off. There were armed personnel with rifles and military dogs guarding the area, with heightened security. Through two fencing walls that created a buffer zone of about 60 meters, one could see that the exhibition zones for exhibitors from various countries were nearly completed, with construction wrapping up quickly; even hints of emerging prototypes were visible.

This “emerging prototype” visible above the height of the walls was not a real water lily. It was a model of a launch vehicle from China, the United States, and Russia—a rocket model several stories high, although scaled down significantly; it still had a tremendous visual impact.

After the opening ceremony, the first guests to the aerospace model exhibition area would not be various tourists but military personnel and officials from different countries. Major orders would be signed in the coming days, where the economic stakes were immeasurable; this was one of the most important days for aerospace manufacturers around the globe.

At this moment, the broadcast switched back to Gilles Lebray, who explained, “Behind us is the flight demonstration area at Bourget Airport, set up before the opening ceremony for aviation model enthusiasts from France and other nations. Mr. de Polignac, as an aviation enthusiast, you should have some understanding of model aircraft. Can you help us provide some insight? I am very curious about how these models, which look almost identical to real aircraft, manage to fly in the sky.”