"If you can't contact you again, believe it or not, I'll shoot you!" Chairman Mao's special plane just took off from Wangjiadun Airport in Hankou, and encountered a large area of cumulonimbus clouds and lost contact with the ground, which made them not nervous.
Due to the influence of the weather, the plane lost about forty minutes to tower . These forty minutes seemed to have passed as a century.
Every minute and every second seems so painful and so anxious.
All the time I saw Chairman Mao come out of the cabin safely, Liu Yalou's heart finally let go.
In 1956, the special plane that Chairman Mao was riding lost contact in the air for 40 minutes, and Liu Yalou was so anxious that he shouted: "No matter what, you must contact me!" What happened to the special plane of
?
Chairman Mao’s travel tools
Looking at Chairman Mao’s life travel, most of them use trains as a means of transportation for long-distance travel, and there are rarely any situations when taking a plane.
His special crew once counted that from the founding of the People's Republic of China to 1958, Chairman Mao took a total of 42 planes.
For leaders like Chairman Mao, such travel times are incredibly few.
In the revolutionary era, it was because conditions did not allow it.
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, our development in all aspects has been lagging behind other countries, especially in weapons and military aspects.
Every time Chairman Mao travels, the Party Central Committee will give priority to personal safety issues. After all, once something happens to the plane, the possibility of survival is very small.
train became his main means of transportation.
In fact, the reason why Chairman Mao rarely chooses to travel on planes is also related to his almost in danger in the past.
decided to fly to Guangzhou
In April 1956, Chairman Mao suddenly decided to fly to Guangzhou.
This is the first time Chairman Mao took a plane after the founding of the People's Republic of China.
After making up his mind, he instructed the people below to prepare for the relevant matters.
First of all, the person Chairman Mao wanted to notify was Air Force Commander Liu Yalou.
After receiving this news, Liu Yalou couldn't sleep or eat. You should know that the air force of New China was still a bit backward compared to foreign countries.
There are no travel tools for our leaders. Generally, the plane is temporarily selected based on the travel time of the leaders.
Due to the restrictions on national economic development, the interior of the aircraft is also very simple. Unlike , the interior of the Western country , the interior of the aircraft is grand and comfortable.
Because China does not have its own aircraft, most people choose the Soviet model of -2 when traveling.
Liu Yalou knew that the central government would not allow Chairman Mao to take the plane, so he firmly disagreed on the grounds that the Air Force had just been established and the pilot's level needed to be improved. Once something happened, he would be a sinner for the ages and be scolded by the people.
But he couldn't resist Chairman Mao and had to go and make arrangements.
The reason why Chairman Mao insists on traveling on planes is because the plane saves time and is much more convenient than the train. The time saved by
Chairman Mao can be used to handle a lot of work, contact more people, and to understand the people's voices more;
Second, Chairman Mao wants to see the power of Chinese Air Force .
Whether during the War of Resistance Against Japan, the War of Liberation, or later Resist U.S. aggression and aid Korea, China suffered a lot of losses and sacrificed many comrades because of its backwardness in the air force.
You should know that measuring the level of a country's air force construction is not only in addition to air defense and offensive capabilities, but also in testing the flight level of a special plane.
So this time Chairman Mao wanted to see how the strength of the Chinese Air Force developed and what aspects needed to be improved.
Since there is no way to change Chairman Mao’s wishes, Liu Yalou can only report the matter to Premier Zhou and ask for his opinion.
Premier Zhou knew that Chairman Mao’s decision was difficult to change, and instructed Liu Yalou to carefully select the aircraft model and select the pilot with the highest driving level to ensure the safe travel of the aircraft.
Liu Yalou suggested that Chairman Mao take the plane of the Soviet advisory group. After all, the plane of the Soviet advisory group has experience in traveling many times and is more secure than that of Chinese aircraft in terms of safety.
But how could Chairman Mao agree?
He wants to know the situation of our country's pilots and support the young Chinese Air Force with practical actions.
In the face of Liu Yalou's repeated suggestions, Chairman Mao sent him back in one sentence: "Does China not have its own plane? Or is it a high-quality pilot unable to show off? Why not take its own plane and take other people's planes? Isn't this ambition to others and destroy one's own majesty?"
If the leaders of other countries know that if Chinese leaders do not take their own planes, they have to use Soviet planes, how will the leaders of other countries discuss and view it?
I have to say that Chairman Mao is still very comprehensive in thinking about things. He can always consider everything in every aspect and always pay attention to maintaining China's image.
In order to ensure the safety of Chairman Mao’s trip this time, Liu Yalou spent some time on the selection of a special plane.
At that time, there were only two types of transport aircraft that could be selected in the Air Force, Il-14 and l-2.
Il-14 is an aircraft introduced from abroad, and its speed is much faster than the -2. Logically speaking, it should be preferred.
But it also has its disadvantages: it has been used for a relatively short time, and the pilot's mastery of it has not reached the level of perfection.
This time Chairman Mao’s trip, safety is the first factor worth considering. Even if the speed is slower, it doesn’t matter.
After some comparison, Liu Yalou finally chose the Li-2 aircraft. Even though it is not outstanding in all aspects, it has been used for more than five years, and its performance is stable, and the pilot is clear about it. After the special plane of
was selected, Liu Yalou selected another sub-plane to perform the task together. The equipment on the
-2 special plane was simple. In order to give Chairman Mao a good flight experience, Liu Yalou spent some time on hardware facilities.
He knew that Chairman Mao could not get used to the soft bed, so he proposed to replace the soft pads prepared on the plane with larger palm pads.
However, the palm mat cannot be installed on the plane, so the airport repair shop can only temporarily make wooden beds overnight to decorate a comfortable bedroom for Chairman Mao.
After selecting the plane, Liu Yalou picked up the pilot's information and looked through it one by one.
During driving, the aircraft will encounter some unexpected factors to a greater or lesser extent. At this time, the most test is the driver's psychological quality and driving skills.
Only pilots with excellent skills and strong psychological qualities can face all emergencies calmly and ensure the safety of personnel on the plane.
Liu Yalou finally selected the pilot to be the commander of the flight regiment.
Hu Ping has first-class driving skills and rich experience, and can be trustworthy.
Liu Yalou called him to his office, looked at him with a sharp look, and signaled him to sit down and talk.
Hu Ping had just sat down when Liu Yalou said, "The Party organization decided to issue a flight mission to your crew."
Hu Ping did not answer the conversation, but just looked at Liu Yalou quietly.
He paused and continued, "This time the route is from Beijing to Guangzhou. Chairman Mao is on the plane. Can your crew complete the task smoothly?"
Hu Ping was shocked after hearing this. It turned out that Chairman Mao was going to travel!
No wonder Air Force Commander Liu Yalou is so serious. After a brief thought, he blurted out: "Isn't it safer to take a train?"
Chairman Mao used to inspect other cities and chose trains. Why did he change his mind this time?
Liu Yalou explained: "Chairman Mao is the greatest recognition of us and a test of us. This task can only be left to you. I would like to ask you to come today to discuss how to reduce risks."
Chairman Mao took the initiative to take a plane flying by his own country, which is the greatest recognition and encouragement to them.
Hu Ping's previous worries have all become a determination to complete the task. Why can foreigners do it, but we can't?
He expressed his determination: "Since that is the case, we will definitely do our best to complete the mission and demonstrate the capabilities of the Air Force."
In order to make Liu Yalou believe that he is confident, he also gave a detailed report on the situation of carrying out Premier Zhou's special plane mission in recent years.
Hu Ping also said: "As long as you do a good job in thought, technology, and organizational command, and make careful arrangements, you will definitely be foolproof."
After hearing Hu Ping's introduction, Liu Yalou's uneasiness was reduced a lot, and he felt that Chairman Mao's travel task was not that difficult.
"I feel much more at ease after listening to your introduction. I believe you have this ability and ambition. You must know that this is the plane Chairman Mao is riding on. The responsibility is huge. As long as you make all your preparations, I believe that you will be able to complete the task successfully."
plane takes off
May 3 is a day worth remembering, Beijing Xijiao Airport , started to be busy early in the morning.
The wind is beautiful and sunny, clear and cloudless. Such a good weather is the perfect weather for plane takeoff.
When everything is confirmed correctly, the driver quietly waits for Chairman Mao to come.
Liu Yalou also came to the special crew and said excitedly: "Comrades, today you are going to serve Chairman Mao. This is your glory. We must show our spirit.
I believe in your skills very much. The only thing I worry about is that you are too nervous and when you are excited, you will easily make mistakes. You must treat it with a calm heart like I usually take a plane." After
asked the crew, Liu Yalou walked straight on the plane, looked at Hu Ping who was concentrating, and patted him on the shoulder, so that he would not be under too much pressure.
Hu Ping also nodded and checked the various tools on the dashboard.
Since Li-2 is a small aircraft with a short mileage, it cannot go directly from Beijing to Guangzhou, so it needs to land in the middle and refuel.
During the few hours of flying to Wuhan, Liu Yalou had learned about the situation from Hu Ping many times. Every time he heard Hu Ping say "everything is normal", he felt relieved.
After a while, Chairman Mao’s face was filled with a smile, and he boarded the plane with great enthusiasm and enjoyed the scenery outside the window.
Even if Hu Ping is skilled in driving, she will still encounter the surging of airflow in the air, and occasionally some bumps will occur.
staff are facing a great enemy and are worried that Chairman Mao will not get used to it.
Liu Yalou also came to persuade him immediately: "Chairman, why don't you go to bed and take a rest, it will be here soon."
Chairman Mao shook his head and said humorously: "No need, don't you think this feeling is very much like a child sitting in shaking car ?"
This joke made everyone much more relaxed.
special plane arrived at Nanhu Airport south of the Yangtze River in Wuhan, landed slowly, and then began to fly to Guangzhou.
The journey from Beijing to Guangzhou was relatively smooth, and there were no accidents along the way, which made Liu Yalou feel relieved.
Chairman Mao ended his inspection mission to Guangzhou on May 29 and is preparing to return to Beijing in June.
Due to weather reasons, the plane stayed in Wuhan for 4 days.
On the morning of June 4, the meteorological department detected that the weather in Beijing was in good condition and was very suitable for aircraft travel. They suggested that the pilot set off today.
Unpredictable situation
At 12 noon, the sky is covered with dark clouds and lightning and thunder in the west and north. It is very dangerous to drive in such weather.
Wuhan belongs to subtropical monsoon climate , and the temperature will continue to rise from the afternoon of June. The development of the local convective cloud system in
will soon form cumulus clouds above the sky, and the thunderstorm cloud layer can reach 15,000 to 20,000 meters.
In other words, the plane will fly in the clouds and is likely to be hit by thunderstorms.
After Liu Yalou learned about it, he immediately explained the situation to Chairman Mao, hoping that he could change his itinerary and not take off and return today.
Chairman Mao felt that there was no need to make such a fuss and insisted on flying to Hangzhou according to the established plan.
Liu Yalou quickly found the relevant personnel and asked, "Are you sure about such weather?"
"No problem, it will definitely ensure that Chairman Mao is safe!" He naturally knew that driving in thunderstorms would be in danger, but since Liu Yalou came to ask, Chairman Mao was definitely unwilling to change his itinerary, so he gave him a positive answer.
Sure enough, when the plane approached the sky above Hengshui, Hebei, it was found that there were large cumulonimbus clouds in front of the plane, with a large amount of lightning rolling in the dark clouds.
According to the performance of this Li-2 aircraft, it can reach up to 4,000 meters. It is simply a fantasy to fly over from the mushroom-shaped cloud.
Once the plane is attacked by lightning, most of the planes will be destroyed and killed!
And the emergence of convective clouds also caused the plane to bump to varying degrees. At this moment, the staff on the plane were sweating coldly.
Hu Ping and the co-pilot both held the pilot rod tightly, trying to ensure that the aircraft can fly smoothly and reduce the impact of bumps on Chairman Mao.
Luo Ruiqing and several other leaders came to the cockpit of the plane from time to time to ask about the situation, and they were worried about any adverse situations they would encounter.
Hu Ping answered Luo Ruiqing's question and kept observing the outside, trying to keep flying as much as possible to prevent mistakenly entering the cloud area. Hu Ping also studied the weather map with the navigator. The two further analyzed that the cumulonimbus cloud is a local convective weather. Through maneuvering flight, it can completely bypass the dangerous cloud area. This suddenly happened to the plane. Liu Yalou was very nervous and wanted to contact them through the contactor in his hand to see how the situation was.
At this critical moment, due to lightning, radio communication was temporarily interrupted and could not contact the ground!
The sudden deterioration of the weather made Liu Yalou, who was far away in Beijing, feel uneasy.
He shouted loudly at the staff on the podium and told them to contact the plane no matter what method they use.
At this time, Liu Yalou felt that he was so powerless that he could not do anything except pray silently. The crowd who came to greet him also became panicked. From the beginning to the beginning to the silence, they all rubbed their palms and prayed secretly.
The tower commander Cai Yanwei, who was in charge of contacting the plane, shouted so hard that he could not make any sound, and there was no echo on the opposite side.
Liu Yalou was completely panicked and shouted at him, "If you can't contact me again, I'll shoot you if you believe it or not!"
After struggling for half an hour, the tower still did not receive any news.
At the same time, with the full cooperation of the crew, the plane avoided the cumulonimbus cloud little by little, trying to bypass this area.
For the safety of the plane, they made a big circle and cleverly avoided the convection group without causing any accidents in the plane.
Because they rushed out of the thunderstorm area, the plane also resumed contact with the Beijing Tower. When Liu Yalou learned that they were safe and sound, he sighed.
days know how he came during the forty minutes of the communication interruption, and every second made him suffer.
The moment when the sky and the ground were connected, the tense atmosphere disappeared instantly, just like the weather conditions they just experienced, rained and cleared .
-2 special plane carried Chairman Mao safely back to Beijing Xijiao Airport from Guangzhou. They did not disappoint Chairman Mao's trust and care for the Air Force and the special plane crew.
Liu Yalou rushed to the runway in a hurry. As soon as the plane stopped, he opened the cabin door first and asked Chairman Mao in the cabin: "Chairman, are you okay? I've scared me to death! Thank God, you are safe."
Looking at the familiar face, Chairman Mao and the crew smiled.
Cai Yanwei said to the crew in a daze: "You are my saviors!"
"What's going on?" Everyone looked confused.
"You don't know. During the 40 minutes of losing contact with you, we don't know where the plane is and whether Chairman Mao is safe.
Commander Liu has been urging by my side and keeps asking me to scream. I'm exhausted, but I can't hear the answer.
Commander Liu is anxious and says he wants to shoot me! If I die like this, how unfair! Do you think he is my life-saving benefactor?"
After experiencing such a dangerous moment, Chairman Mao seemed to have nothing happened before, and was still energetic and full of energy. He also came over to shake hands and say goodbye to the cockpit and the crew one by one.
"We need to summarize good experiences. Chairman Mao will often fly in the future." Liu Yalou walked to the cockpit and patted Hu Ping on the shoulder.
Hu Ping also said, "At first, we were not sure. But after carefully observing the weather map, we had countermeasures."
Chairman Mao said humorously, "Sir Liu, you are dishonest! Look at how skillful the driver is, you can expose your lie now!"
Liu Yalou scratched his head and said nothing.
Chairman Mao returned in a safe and secure manner on his first flight. This was the greatest recognition of their crew and gave them more experience.
