Chapter 36: The Bifang Spreads Its Wings

Old Jia walked slowly along the lakeshore while lost in thought. After about an hour and a half, he faintly heard the roar of engines coming from the tarmac. However, he had reached a bend in the lake, and from this angle, the hangar was no longer visible. Checking his watch, he saw it was only around 14:30. "Could they have launched ahead of schedule?" he wondered. "No, I didn't come all this way just to miss the takeoff." He hurried toward the tarmac.

Breathless, Old Jia rounded the bend and saw the aircraft still standing on the tarmac in the distance. The roaring had stopped, and he felt relieved, assuming they were likely just testing the engines again. He slowed his pace and walked briskly toward the tarmac.

When he finally arrived, panting, he saw Dr. Yu Ying and Master Wang gathered around the drone, deep in discussion. Seeing Old Jia, Dr. Yu greeted him with a touch of admiration: "Director Jia, the scenery here is beautiful, isn't it? I can't believe you actually walked the entire perimeter of the lake; that’s a good 10 kilometers!"

"Something like that," Old Jia wheezed. "Took about two hours. I walk 10,000 steps every day, so I’ve finished my quota for today. Oh, by the way, I heard engine roars from the other side of the lake earlier. Were you testing the engines again? I thought you were taking off early and had forgotten about this old man without even telling me."

With that, he shot a stern glare at Long Wuyang and added sharply, "If the plane had taken off early and I missed it, you’d have to answer to me. If you’re going to launch early, you’d better call me!"

Long Wuyang said aggrievedly, "How could I, Uncle? We didn't launch early; it was just another engine test. If we really were going to launch early, I would definitely have called you and driven over to pick you up from the other side of the lake."

"That’s more like it," Old Jia said, feeling slightly satisfied.

Dr. Yu Ying smiled and said, "Don't worry, Director Jia. We will definitely make sure you see the successful takeoff with your own eyes. We just re-tested the engines so Cui Yinuo could get some hands-on experience switching from the automatic blind-landing system to manual control. She’s a capable girl—very skilled and steady. The test and the switch were both successful."

Long Wuyang chimed in, adding, "That’s basic training for our pilots. They all hold UAV operator licenses issued by the Civil Aviation Administration of China. Manual takeoff and landing are mandatory parts of the exam. It’s just like a driver’s license; how could they get one if they didn't know how to start and stop?"

"The girls in the flight control room all hold these licenses?" Old Jia asked in surprise.

"Yes, including Ms. Yu Ying. They all have their pilot's licenses. I’ll have mine soon too; I’ve only got one subject left to pass," Long Wuyang said, scratching his head sheepishly.

"The UAV flight control operator license is a fundamental skill for our work; it’s mandatory," Dr. Yu Ying explained with a smile.

"That’s good. Everyone is a polymath, which makes it easier to establish an A/B shift system where everyone can back each other up on different posts," Old Jia said, feeling quite reassured.

Glancing at his watch, he saw it was a quarter to 15:00 and asked Dr. Yu, "Can we fly at 15:00? Any word from the tower?"

"I just checked with the tower," Dr. Yu replied. "There’s military training nearby, but they said it would end after 15:00, so we should be fine to launch at 15:00. It’s getting late, let’s get to our stations."

With that, Dr. Yu headed to the flight control room, and the others returned to the hangar, gathering in front of the large screen to await the thrilling moment.

At 14:55, the voice of navigator Zhou Zixuan came over the intercom: "WH Tower, this is flight HK001D. We are ready and request permission for takeoff."

A moment later, a resonant, middle-aged female voice responded from the tower: "Flight HK001D, your planned route remains unchanged. Takeoff at 15:00."

"Oh yeah!" Everyone in the hangar and the flight control room cheered.

Dr. Yu Ying waved for silence and said solemnly, "Everyone, to your stations. Prepare for takeoff."

"Understood!" the female engineers in the flight control room replied in unison. They sat straight at their stations, donned their headsets, and focused intently on their computer screens.

At 15:00, navigator Zhou Zixuan called out: "WH Tower, this is flight HK001D. Requesting takeoff."

"Flight HK001D, you are cleared for takeoff," the tower replied.

Dr. Yu Ying solemnly issued the first command: "Operator, HK001D, takeoff!"

"Acknowledged, HK001D, takeoff," Cui Yinuo repeated the command and skillfully initiated the drone’s automatic takeoff mode.

People in the hangar rushed to the doorway, gazing at the drone in the distance. The blades on the drone’s engines began to spin, accelerating rapidly. The engines roared, the sound shifting from a deep rumble to a high-pitched whine, like a waking beast showing its power. Old Jia felt a tremor through the ground; it seemed as if the entire tarmac was vibrating. The rotors began to turn, slowly at first, then gaining speed until they became a blurred circle, with only the metallic sheen of the edges visible.

The wind on the lake seemed drawn to this power, swirling around the drone and creating ripples. The drone’s fuselage trembled as if gathering strength for a leap. Old Jia’s heart raced; he knew he was about to witness the technological power born of human wisdom.

Suddenly, the rotors let out a sharp whistle, and the entire craft lifted off the ground. Old Jia’s heart seemed to stop; he held his breath, eyes locked on the drone as it rose vertically. The sound of the rotors slicing through the air grew louder, like an intense symphony that set the blood boiling.

The drone climbed higher, casting a long shadow under the sun. As it gained altitude, the shadow moved rapidly across the ground, like a beast chasing its own tail. Old Jia felt a wave of dizziness; he was nearly overwhelmed by the spectacular sight.

As the drone ascended, the wind from the rotors grew stronger, causing the ripples on the lake to churn violently, as if the water itself were cheering for the flight. The fuselage tilted, the angle of the rotors adjusted, and it carved a graceful arc in the sky before stabilizing in mid-air.

"Engage automatic navigation system, altitude 1500, airspeed 450," came Dr. Yu Ying’s second command.

"Acknowledged. Automatic navigation system engaged. Altitude 1500, airspeed 450. Aircraft attitude normal," Cui Yinuo repeated the flight command and reported the status.

Everyone stepped out of the hangar, shading their eyes to look up at the sky. They watched as the aircraft climbed slowly, paused for a moment at a certain altitude, and then leveled its wing-mounted engines. With a thunderous roar, it flew toward the southeast. They watched as the drone grew smaller and smaller until it was just a tiny black speck, finally disappearing into the depths of the blue sky.

"Is it just... gone?" Old Jia muttered to himself, still lost in the magnificent scene, unable to fully return to reality.