Aircraft maintenance directly affects air force training and combat capacity. Here we study a maintenance log on a flight training day, reflecting the work of maintenance crews.
6:30 a.m.
The alarm wakes the troops. Some check the weather through the dorm windows.
Dense fog is everywhere and the visibility is less than 200 meters. The maintenance group is on standby regardless of whether the drill is cancelled or not. Jia Yukun, a maintenance crewman, says: “We never neglect our work regardless of flight schedules.”
There is a saying in maintenance group: “Everything is for flying.”
10:00 a.m.
The order puts an end to the standby, and the maintenance group heads to the work base.
They stop chatting when their transport truck arrives. They quickly get off the vehicle, looking serious and diligent.
The flight drill will involve 10 aircraft and one reserve.
The maintenance crew rush to their aircraft. In no time, the aircraft covers are removed and folded in strict standard movements. Maintenance work requires fast actions as modern warfare is calculated by the second.
About a decade ago, this unit was equipped with third-generation fighters, requiring new maintenance methods. Now those new aircraft are old, but the maintenance crews are still confident.
Yang Yongfei and Ge Xiaofei both serve in this troop. Yang is a typical model pilot, a “Merit Pilot” who keeps two records: shooting rate and accuracy; Ge is the captain of maintenance group and an expert for the entire PLA Air Force. Their success is intertwined, demonstrating the relations between pilot and maintenance crew.
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