King of the Wilderness

Chapter 519: Chapter 280: Scores That Shocked the Examiner!

"Can you feel it? This is the sensation of thrust overcoming drag! Now, when the airspeed reaches 55 knots, gently pull back on the stick! Feel the moment when lift overcomes gravity!"

Lin Yu’an lightly rested his hand on his control stick and closed his eyes.

He could clearly feel the plane accelerating and vibrating on the bumpy snowy ground, then, with Hank’s maneuver, a gentle yet powerful force lifted the entire plane upwards.

The sensation of weightlessness arrived, the bumpiness disappeared, replaced by a smooth and seamless feeling of moving freely in three-dimensional space.

The small town of Wiseman and familiar log cabins were rapidly diminishing in size. The boundless snowfields and the continuous Brooks Range unfolded before him in an unprecedentedly magnificent manner.

"Now, you try," Hank let go of the control stick in front of him and moved his feet off the rudder pedals, signaling Lin Yu’an to take over.

Lin Yu’an grasped the identical control stick in front of him, feeling the cold and solid touch of it in his palm.

He gently placed his feet on the rudder pedals, sensing the subtle resistance directly connected to the plane’s rudder.

He pushed the stick to the left and could clearly see that the control stick in front of Hank also turned left in perfect sync. The two control systems were mechanically fully linked.

Lin Yu’an’s hand on the stick was as steady as a rock. He wasn’t the least bit nervous; instead, he felt a... sense of familiarity, like coming home.

That extraordinary perception of space and the laws of physics, strengthened by the reborn Golden Finger, erupted completely at this moment.

He didn’t need to deliberately look at the attitude indicator; he could judge the plane’s pitch and roll purely by feeling.

He didn’t need to calculate; he instinctively knew how much rudder was needed for a given degree of bank.

Then, he gently pushed the stick, and the plane began to turn in an exceptionally smooth manner.

The little ball in the turn coordinator stayed pinned in the center, completely still.

"My God..." Hank was dumbfounded, watching from the side.

A rookie touching the control stick for the first time could execute such a perfect coordinated turn? This was simply illogical! It takes countless practice sessions to develop that muscle memory!

"Try climbing and descending," Hank’s voice carried a barely detectable tremor.

Lin Yu’an followed Hank’s instructions, gently adjusting the throttle and attitude, and the plane began to climb at a constant rate.

The needle on the vertical speed indicator steadily pointed to 500 feet per minute, and then descended with the same stability.

The entire process was as smooth as riding an elevator, not like flying a plane.

"Slow flight," Hank, almost subconsciously, started to increase the difficulty.

Lin Yu’an eased back on the throttle, lifted the nose, and precisely controlled the plane’s speed just above the stalling threshold.

The plane, like a giant bird, slowly glided in the air, the stall warning buzzing intermittently, as if dancing on the edge of a knife.

But Lin Yu’an’s expression remained calm as ever.

"Enough! Enough!" Hank finally couldn’t hold back and shouted, "Hand the plane over to me."

He took control of the plane again, looking at Lin Yu’an with eyes like he was seeing a monster, "Kid, honestly tell me, have you really never learned to fly before?"

"No, this is the first time," Lin Yu’an said truthfully.

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!" Hank flatly denied.

"I’ve taught dozens of students, including geniuses who retired from the Air Force, and none of them could do what you did on their first flight!"

"Your feel for the plane... it’s like an innate instinct!" He paused for a moment. "You were born to be in the sky! Not joining the Air Force is your country’s loss."

This flying experience completely ignited Lin Yu’an’s passion and elevated Hank’s perception of this young man to a whole new level.

That night, in the warm log cabin, Aliya and Emily prepared the most sumptuous venison dinner, while Lin Yu’an brought out his treasured bottle of Bourbon Whiskey.

The fire in the fireplace danced, and the four sat around it, the atmosphere lively and warm.

"Hank," Lin Yu’an raised his glass, his gaze extremely serious, "Do you remember the agreement we made before?"

"Of course I remember," Hank took a big gulp of his drink and said heartily, "Once you’ve finished those two ragged books, I’ll start teaching you. Why, are you ready to get serious?"

"You can quiz me on the theoretical knowledge anytime," Lin Yu’an smiled confidently, "What I mean is, let’s officially start tomorrow."

He looked at Hank and continued, "Hank, I’m not talking about simple experiential learning; I want to hire you as my private flying instructor."

"Right here in Wiseman, with your Cessna 185. I’ll pay you at the highest hourly rate of those ace instructors in Anchorage for your teaching services."

"Me?" Hank waved his hand at those words, "Hey Lin, put your money away! I agreed to teach you because we’re friends!"

"Besides, I’m just a roughneck who flies bush planes for deliveries. I can help you with some early lessons, but the real teaching, those ace instructors in Anchorage are much more professional."

"No, they don’t understand the skies of Alaska better than you do," Lin Yu’an said with undeniable conviction, "What I need is not an academic who merely goes by the book."