From this distance, they had already entered the battle zone of Selnes Theater of Operations. They might encounter wing demons at any time. All the crew members of the Idiots were ready for the battle.
This height was almost close to the maximum suspension height of 8,000 m for fury-level airships. From this height, they could easily see the exposed black coal mining areas on Selnes Plain and the human defense line composed of continuous trenches and battle fortresses in the south of the Selnes Theater of Operations.
The entire underground area of Selnes Plain was covered with high-quality anthracite. The allied human forces chose this place as the first line of defense to attack the super demon corps. Besides the terrain here being more suitable for the development of human mechanized troops, the logistics stress of human corps could be minimized in Selnes Plain.
No matter where it was, as long as some people dug into the ground, they would be able to get high quality anthracite. These anthracite could provide constant power for human's battle fortresses, tanks, vehicles and even airships.
Watching the black coal mining areas on the plain which looked like scars, Zhang Tie immediately understood the intention of the top management of the allied human forces. Height determined vision. There was some truth to this.
However, at this moment, Zhang Tie didn't want to give any advice. Instead, he was making the final preparation and arrangement for this attack.
"After I leave, the Idiots will circle around this region..." Zhang Tie said as he drew a circle on the aviation map in the command module, which was a fan-shaped region within 50-60 miles in the north of the Crystal Battle Fortress, "If you encounter wing demons and you can't resist them, I allow you to retreat towards the Crystal Battle Fortress. If I don't come back within 48 hours, you will have to face the Crystal Battle Fortress at the same time. If I don't come back within 48 hours, you can also retreat to the Crystal Battle Fortress. If you don't see me in 2 weeks, it means that I'm in trouble. You can decide your itinerary. Leave this Idiots to the airship troop of Jinyun Country and let it continue to serve on the battlefield! "
Before the official flight. Considering various unexpected factors, Zhang Tie had to explain everything to the crew members on the airship. The situation on the battlefield was changing rapidly. Even a knight might have an accident in Selnes Theater of Operations, not to mention Zhang Tie himself.
Hearing Zhang Tie's last words, all the crew members in the command module exchanged a glance with each other. After exchanging a glance with each other, they finally focused on the first mate. After Zhang Tie drove the glider away from the airship, the first mate would perform the duty of the coxswain on behalf of the coxswain.
The first mate watched Zhang Tie with admiration from the bottom of his heart. Each crew member on the Idiots knew that they had to take great risks by driving a glider in Selnes Theater of Operations. It could be said that anyone who dared drive a glider in Selnes Theater of Operations was almost like dare-to-die members. Even though the Idiots had just arrived at the Selnes Theater of Operations for one day, they had already heard the nickname of glider drivers in the Selnes Theater of Operations — — Air Vanguard.
This was the military profession with the highest mortality rate across the theater of operations. Its mortality rate had even surpassed that of the air vanguard. It was said that all the airship troops across the theater of operations had to draw lots to drive a glider.
Nobody could imagine that Zhang Tie really wanted to drive an airship at the risk of his life. Therefore, they all had complex moods. Some of them still didn't believe that Zhang Tie would fight wing demons by glider. Even a lunatic dared not think about such a crazy idea. However, the coxswain of the Idiots was going to do such a crazy thing.
Was he a lunatic or a fool? Nobody knew...
"Before taking such a risk, I think you'd better confirm your flight zone!" Under the gaze of all the others, the first mate drew a triangular zone outside the cruising zone of the airship, "If you could fly in this zone, the Idiots could coordinate with you. This is the safest way!" Zhang Tie revealed a smile, "I know what you mean. But you should know that sometimes, the best protection for a bird is the sky instead of its nest.
I'm confident in my driving skills and my battle strength. Even if something happens to me, I believe that I could return to the Crystal Battle Fortress safe and sound. You don't need to worry about this. The best cooperation of the Idiots is to survive in the wind and rain like a bird's nest. Don't be blown off the tree by the strong wind. When I come back, I could still see you. When I want to launch another attack, you could still send me into the sky! This is my bird's nest in Selnes Theater of Operations, am I clear? "
"I see!" The first mate took in a deep breath. "Everybody on the Idiots will not let you down!"
"Wish me good luck!" Zhang Tie revealed a smile...
...
After a few minutes, all the crew members of the Idiots had arrived at the glider dropping compartment at the bottom of the airship. The crew members checked each detail of the glider seriously before allowing Zhang Tie to sit on it. Everybody watched Zhang Tie putting on his flight suit and sitting in the cockpit of the glider with complex looks before nodding towards the outside. After that, they nodded towards the outside and made a thumbs up gesture.
"Open the hatch door!"
Following the order of the first mate, some crew members in the glider dropping compartment swiftly opened the hatch door.
Watching the hatch door being completely opened, a strong wind poured in at once. Zhang Tie didn't say anything; instead, he just nodded towards those people who were watching him. Closely after that, the entire glider bounced off the Idiots along the slide rail...
"Salute..." The first mate roared. Everybody else gave a salute towards Zhang Tie.
...
When the glider came off the airship, Zhang Tie felt like a fish returning to the ocean. The glider was like a javelin being thrown into the water by the airship. The moment the glider left the airship, its speed had already reached 150 km/h like that of the Idiots.
Only after a few seconds, Zhang Tie felt that the glider had dived into the ocean current like a fish; therefore, he stepped off the left pedal of the glider. Meanwhile, he pressed down the elevator, making the glider as agile as a sea swallow. After flying hundreds of meters, Zhang Tie felt an ascending thermal airflow. Zhang Tie then stepped onto the right pedal of the glider and raised the driving stick. Closely after that, the entire glider started to ascend in the thermal airflow. Under the shocked eyes of all the crew members on the airship, Zhang Tie felt a rising thermal airflow. Under the shocked eyes of all the crew members, the glider drew a beautiful "U" from the bottom to the top of the airship. Finally, it flew above the air sac of the airship and flew towards the north...
"How could the captain cut into the hot air current so fast? How could he do such a movement at once?" In the airship launching module, a crew member widely opened his mouth as he watched Zhang Tie's glider circling around the airship with a dumbfounded look. Under Zhang Tie's control, all the crew members in the glider dropping compartment felt that Zhang Tie was like a super racer who was driving a super sports car around a heavy heavy truck.
"Erm, it's just a coincidence..." one person on one side muttered.
It was very simple to drive a glider. As for each crew member of the airship, it was like how a sailor could drive a rubber dinghy. It was a necessary skill for each crew member. To be honest, everybody could understand how to drive a glider — — the driving stick in the cockpit was responsible for ascending and descending. The foot pedal was responsible for controlling the direction.
When the driving stick was pulled back, the elevator would swing up, and the glider's nose would face up; when the driving stick was pushed forward, the elevator would swing down, and the glider's nose would face down; when the left pedal was pressed down, the rudder would swing to the left, and the glider's nose would face left; when the right pedal was pressed down, the rudder would swing to the right, and the glider's nose would face right. It was so simple to drive a glider. Even a kid could master it in 10 minutes, not to mention adults.
However, it was very difficult to drive a glider. The most difficult part was to judge, grasp and utilize various airflows in the air. Those invisible airflows such as terrain dynamic ascending airflows, wavy ascending airflows, revolving ascending airflows, thermal ascending airflows, etc. They were the source of the glider's power and the only standard to judge whether a glider's driver was excellent or not.
As those airflows were invisible, you could only judge them based on your practical experience and feelings. Therefore, it might only take you 10 minutes to learn how to drive a glider; however, it might take you at least 10 years to master how to make use of those invisible airflows so as to match your driving intention with those airflows.
The only standard to determine a person's driving level was to grasp and utilize the airflows in the air. Based on this standard, the gap between a newbie and a powerhouse was like that between a LV 0 soldier and a LV 10 strong fighter.
In this age, people used four data to judge a person's driving level, namely, the longest time in the air, the farthest flight distance, the highest climbing record and the average speed of the triangular route.
Based on the four data, the gap between a newbie and a powerhouse was clear.
A newbie who had just learned how to drive a glider could only stay in the air for about half an hour, the farthest flight distance was within 40 km, the highest climbing record was below 1,000 m and the average speed of the triangular route was below 50 km per hour.
Under the same driving conditions, if a glider was like a sparrow in the hands of a newbie, it would be like an iron-winged eagle in the hands of a top powerhouse.
The longest time in the air was over 70 hours, the farthest flight distance was over 2,000 km, the highest climbing record was over 15000 m and the average speed of the triangular route was above 220 km per hour. These were the data of a top powerhouse glider.
"The speed of the captain's glider has reached above 300 km per hour..." When everybody was still recalling the beautiful U-shaped roll, the voice of the observation post passed to the dropping cabin through the sound-transmitting pipe. Everybody in the dropping cabin became dumbfounded once again.
"That's too fast! How could he reach such a high speed in such a short period..." the first mate of the airship muttered.
Nobody in the dropping cabin could answer him...
...
Zhang Tie didn't know what kind of impression he had left on the crew of the Idiots in such a short period. Neither did he feel that he had done anything special. He was just flying according to his own feeling.
Zhang Tie found that the airflow in the air was like those ocean currents in the ocean. With his water-proof body, Zhang Tie could also sense the airflow in the air with his super sensitive ability to water currents.
Zhang Tie didn't know why. Perhaps it was related to the fact that they were both fluid or he could sense the moisture in the airflow in the air. Undoubtedly, he had the same feeling.
This feeling didn't come from the touch of his skin and body; instead, it came from the natural extension of his spiritual energy outside his body.
In a split second, Zhang Tie almost felt that he was not driving a glider; instead, he had returned to the familiar ocean. Although this glider could not control his body like how he did in the ocean, he felt that he could control it freely. There were many similarities between flying in the sky with the effect of airflow and flying under the effect of ocean current with the effect of ocean current. Zhang Tie felt that many experiences and principles were interlinked.
For instance, in the ocean, the way to reach the maximal speed was not to follow the ocean currents all the way; instead, it was to rapidly penetrate the places where the ocean currents revolved and undulated. In this way, he could gain more strength; alternatively, he could constantly change his direction and turn among different ocean currents in a snake-like way so that he could rapidly cut into another ocean current. In this way, he could reach an unimaginable speed.
In the sky, when driving a glider, Zhang Tie found that these principles were the same. Even many ocean currents in the ocean were similar to these hot air currents in the sky. Ocean currents revolved in the ocean while the hot air currents in the sky were like bubbles. Both of them were existing and flowing in a circular state.
Zhang Tie didn't know how to distinguish powerhouses and novices. However, he felt that as long as he wanted, he could stay very long in the sky like in the ocean. He could also fly very far.
After leaving the Idiots for a short while, Zhang Tie had lowered his height and speed to about 3,000 m above the ground at the same speed as the airship. After that, he flew towards the north. He constantly flashed by villages which had been burnt into ruins on Selnes Plain. Sometimes, he could even see the wreckage of large airships.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
