According to news from China News Network, on January 28, the Ministry of National Defense announced that at the invitation of the organizers, the Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force Bayi Air Show Team will go to Saudi Arabia to participate in the second Saudi International Defense Exhibition and conduct flight shows from February 4 to 8. After this news appeared, many netizens began to wonder: China and Saudi Arabia are thousands of kilometers apart, how will the performance team pass. To a certain extent, this kind of problem is actually very simple, fly straight over. Of course, it is necessary to resupply in the middle, make a short stay in some countries, and at the same time cross the airspace of many countries also need to be contacted in advance to avoid unnecessary accidents.
Chinese Air Force Bayi Flight Demonstration Team
First: Flying directly over is the easiest, but it is also the most complicated. In November 2023, 7 J-10Cs of the Chinese Air Force went to the United Arab Emirates and were invited to participate in the Dubai Air Show, which was the first appearance of the J-10C in a Middle Eastern country. At that time, the total range was more than 7,000 kilometers, and the maximum transfer range of the J-10C was only 3,200 kilometers, so during this voyage, at least two foreign airports were transferred and rested. To a certain extent, when I went to Saudi Arabia to participate in the national defense exhibition, I could fly directly over it, and I could complete a leap of thousands of kilometers with the same route and the same transit method.
Chinese Air Force Bayi Flight Demonstration Team
Second: the first thing to consider in the choice of route is safety. For example, some countries are currently in a state of war, so it is natural to avoid them as much as possible. Although the Bayi performance team is a "performance team", don't forget that it is a fighter in itself, so once you enter some war zones, if you are locked by the local air defense system, unexpected situations may occur. Moreover, the specific route and where to stay should be selectively kept secret, and the disclosure of fighter flight information will lead to the leakage of some secrets, and may make some people with ulterior motives "move their minds crookedly." For example, the trip in November 2023 has not even been disclosed to the departure airport.
歼-10C
Third: Under normal circumstances, there will be transport aircraft, tankers and other supporting fighters to follow, but the last time they participated in the Dubai Air Show, 7 J-10Cs were "single-handed". Of course, upon arrival at the destination, there will be two L-15A, the Y-20 in charge of logistics, and the crew will be present with the crew. After a flight that spans thousands of kilometers, the fighter itself needs to be maintained, maintained, tested, and the pilot needs to rest. The maximum flight speed of the J-10C at high altitude is Mach 1.8, that is, 2203 km / h, and the pilot needs to fly for about 4 hours, after all, it is much more difficult to fly an airplane than to drive a car, so a long-distance flight is also a test for pilots. After all, it requires a high degree of concentration for a long time, which is a drain on the pilot's energy and physical strength.
歼-10C
In addition, the cockpit of the fighter plane is small, and the pilot can only carry out local activities with his hands and feet when he sits in the cockpit, so maintaining a posture for a long time and requiring a high degree of mental tension is a great test of the pilot's perseverance. Finally, there are protective measures, which must have taken into account safety and risk issues in the selection of routes. At the same time, everyone must know that the essence of these fighters participating in the show is "fighters". For example, the J-10C is a single-engine medium fighter, which is also among the top four-generation multi-role fighters. Under normal circumstances, as long as it is communicated in advance, the risk of crossing thousands of kilometers is not great. Even if you encounter some problems, your own excellent performance can ensure your own safety. At present, there are very few countries that hold fifth-generation aircraft, even if it is a top-level fourth-generation fighter, it is a "treasure" for most countries. Moreover, China's strong national credibility and its peaceful posture have also made it safer for warplanes to fly overseas.
(Text/Xiao Tie)