< h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" > introduction</h1>
As one of the first pilots of the People's Liberation Army, Fang Huai used his revolutionary life to tell an incomparably wonderful legendary story.
In October 1917, Fang Huai was in Kengwei, Yudu County, Jiangxi Province, and his family was poor, and his family had been mainly engaged in farming for generations, relying on the land of the leased landlord to survive. Especially for the sake of subsistence,
▲Major General Fang Huai
After learning some words and understanding some calculations, he was also a small intellectual in the village at that time. When Fang Huai was young, it was the time of the revolutionary struggle in the Central Soviet Region.
He joined the Children's League at the age of 12, the Communist Youth League of China in 1931, and the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army in 1932.
After the fifth failure of the fight against "encirclement and suppression", Fang Huai spilled tears on the land, bid farewell to his hometown with tears, and embarked on the road of the Long March like those revolutionary pioneers. After the outbreak of the War of Resistance Against Japan, he was sent to the Anti-Japanese Military and Political University to study.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" >01 was valued by the party and studied in Xinjiang</h1>
In mid-December 1937, When Fang Huai was taking a class in the classroom of the Anti-Japanese Military and Political University, a cadre of the school's political department suddenly rushed into the classroom and said to the teacher: "Comrade, 24 Red Army soldiers, including Fang Huai, immediately went to the school health department for a physical examination, and the matter of the physical examination should not be leaked to anyone. At that time, Fang Huai was very curious to know what the purpose of the organization arranging a physical examination for them was.
In late December, when Fang Huai came to the political department of the rear of the Eighth Route Army with a strong curiosity to check his physical condition. One of the directors quietly told Fang Huai,
The good thing is to feel that the party organization attaches importance to itself and cultivates itself to learn aviation-related knowledge; the worry is that aviation knowledge and aircraft piloting are science and technology, afraid that their education level is low, learning is not good, sorry for the party's training and trust.
▲China Anti-Japanese Military and Political University
After doing ideological work by the leaders, they threw off the heavy burden in their hearts and accepted the new tasks entrusted by the party -- and 19 of the 24 Red Army soldiers who participated in the physical examination went to Xinjiang like Fang Huai.
In the early morning of January 8, 1938, Fang Huai and 19 Red Army soldiers shouldered the heavy trust and expectations of the Party Central Committee, and together with the comrades assigned by the organization to accompany them, they rode into the garrison of the remaining general detachment of the Red Army's Western Route Army and began a new and different life.
After the Xinjiang Border Defense Aviation Corps held an opening ceremony to welcome new cadets on March 1, 1938, it lived with 25 cadets who came here last semester, and the life military stickers received by each cadet were also distributed according to the standards of non-commissioned officers.
Very few were able to read, which was a hundred and eighteen thousand miles away from the goal required by the instructor. Jokes were made in the first class.
When the instructor asked several trainees" "What are the three metamorphosiss of physics", not only could no one answer, but even some students misheard the "three metamorphosiss of physics" as "three flattened burdens in the house". This answer angered the instructor, who directly scolded: "This is simply playing the piano to the cow!" How can such a low level of education enter the aviation industry. After scolding, he walked out of the classroom angrily.
▲This is a group of aircraft of a certain unit of the People's Liberation Army Air Force of the Chinese (taken in August 1950)
The atmosphere in the classroom was suddenly frozen, and those students who had passed the examination and entered the class threw strange glances at the group of them, and there was mockery, contempt, and pity in this gaze, and some students even directly said that kind of sarcastic words.
It's a far cry from what you thought when you first arrived here, and if you want to learn to fly well, you have to work harder than anyone else.
With the help and encouragement of the party organization, in class, listen carefully to the lectures, take corresponding notes, think diligently, and actively and perfectly complete the homework and tasks assigned by the instructors. After class, he humbly asked for advice, often staying in the classroom until the classroom lights went out before returning to the dormitory, even if he returned to the dormitory, he lit the candle that was not very bright to continue learning.
For example, "Aviation History", "Flight Principle", "Flight Structure Principle", "Engine Principle", "Flight Rules", "Aeronautical Meteorology", and achieved good preliminary test results in the examination, obtained the training qualification to learn to fly an airplane, and completely failed to live up to the expectations of the party organization.
April 8, 1938, this day, a day that Fang Huai will never forget in his lifetime, he piloted the plane in the blue sky, driving what he dreamed of every day.
In the early morning, before dawn, Fang Huai and other trainees came to the airport together, and the instructor told them about the day's flight mission. When it was Fang Huai's turn, he was both excited and nervous, but it didn't take long for him to control his emotions and enter the cockpit.
The left hand and the right hand were started separately, holding the throttle in one hand, holding the steering lever in the other, and pedaling lightly with their feet, completing the first 20-minute flight feeling training course of three turns around the airport. This flight training made Fang Huai feel what it was like when he really flew, and he also strengthened his belief in mastering the flying piloting technology.
After this flight, the trainees must also take shifts as ground duty officers, do a good job in assisting the take-off and landing of aircraft on the ground at the airport, and after a day of work, no matter who it is, they have to be exhausted and very hard.
▲Square locust
After half a year of hard training, no one was eliminated in the whole process, creating a new record for cadets of the Xinjiang Border Defense Aviation Army, and was praised by consultants and instructors.
The multi-purpose P-5 can not only be used for aerial reconnaissance, but also for attacking and bombing ground targets, and the rear seat is equipped with a set of control systems that can be used for teaching, and it was also a relatively advanced aircraft at that time. However, if there is a moment of carelessness or carelessness, it will cost you a life
After more than 20 course take-offs and simple aerobatic training on the P-5, in January 1939, it was freezing cold and the snow on the ground was rock solid. In order to be able to carry out flight training, the wheels on the aircraft were replaced with sled boards.
This kind of weather itself is already very challenging, and now in this case of replacing the wheels with a sled board, the operation of the aircraft taking off and landing on the ground requires more detail, more caution and more difficulty. Despite the unimaginable difficulties encountered, under the guidance of the instructor,
: Stunts, triangular voyages, formations, etc., all the teaching plans were completed before the winter of 1939. The instructor also provided them with a new training program: long-distance voyages, three-plane lift-off, live bombing, shooting and many more subjects.
With the belief that he was not afraid of hardship, tiredness, and danger, he finally mastered all the technology of the new fighter and made his ability leap to a higher level, graduating in 1942, and after graduation, due to the changes in the situation in Xinjiang, Fang Huai was also imprisoned by xinjiang warlords.
< H1 class= "pgc-h-arrow-right" >02 build our own air force</h1>
On July 11, 1946, under the rescue of the Party Central Committee, Fang Huai and more than 100 other imprisoned comrades returned to Yan'an. On September 20, 1946, Fang Huai went to the northeast with 31 fighters and 4 Guoming Party air forces who had returned from Xinjiang.
Train trainees to train them into qualified pilots as soon as possible, while at the same time constantly consolidating the foundation for the development of aviation schools.
In the autumn of 1947, Fang Huai was appointed political coordinator of the Study and Training Office.
In April 1949, in the Chinese People's Liberation Army launched the Battle of the River Crossing, Chiang Kai-shek's defensive line was quickly breached, liberating Nanjing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Wuhan, Nanchang and other cities, as well as the areas of East China and Central China.
▲ Fang Huai during the Liberation Period
Fang Huai and the relevant responsible comrades of the Aviation Engineering Agency put forward a detailed work plan for the reception and treatment of the remaining facilities, materials and equipment in accordance with the instructions of the leaders of the bureau.
After the party organs moved to Peiping, the Kuomintang reactionaries often used aircraft to harass Beiping, posing a serious threat to the party Central Committee. The bombing caused heavy casualties at nanxun airport and the destruction of many equipment and equipment.
Premier Zhou came to summon the responsible person of the Aviation Bureau of the Central Military Commission, and Fang Huai and the director of the North China Aviation Bureau, along with the principal leaders, came to Premier Zhou's office to discuss air defense construction. Premier Zhou proposed the establishment of an air defense combat flight squadron to protect the safety of the Beiping sky.
This squadron is related to the safety of Peiping, and also to whether the first meeting of the National Political Consultative Conference can be successfully convened, and the formation and preparation work have become the key issues.
▲ Old Northeast Aviation School Repair Factory
The comrades of the Aviation Bureau of the Central Military Commission were overjoyed: We are going to have our own air force.
After research, the Aviation Bureau of the Central Military Commission decided to first dispatch 14 pilots, including Xu Zhaowen and Liu Zhuoxian, as well as 10 to 12 P-51 combat aircraft and 2 Mosquito bombers.
At the beginning of September 1949, Commander-in-Chief Zhu De, on behalf of the Party Central Committee and the Central Military Commission, visited all the members of the flying team and said with emotion when shaking hands with Fang Huai: "We finally have the Red Army's own pilots. The Kuomintang planes no longer dared to do whatever they wanted over Peiping, and Fang Huai made outstanding contributions to protecting the safety of Peiping's territorial airspace.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" >03 Was read at the founding ceremony</h1>
In late August 1949, a meeting of leading comrades of the military organs stationed in Beiping was held, attended by Fang Huai and Chang Qiankun, director of the Aviation Bureau of the Central Military Commission
The next morning, Fang Huai was called to the office, inquired about the preparations for the paraded flight formation, and instructed the Aviation Bureau of the Central Military Commission to be fully prepared and must make a plan plan.
After receiving the mission, 9 of the more than a dozen P-51 fighters of the North China Flying Corps were arranged to be paraded, and at the same time, 2 were arranged to be on combat duty at the airport, 1 was in reserve, and 3 Mosquito bombers, 3 C-46 transport aircraft, and 3 communication trainers were arranged for a total of 18 aircraft to be paraded. Subsequently, Chang Qiankun took Fang Huai and An Zhimin to the prime minister's office and made a detailed report.
▲ The fleet of aircraft waiting to fly over Tiananmen Square for inspection
On September 1, 1949, Fang Huai was responsible for the general organizational plan and division of tasks for this review, and An Zhimin assisted Fang Huai in his work, which was the decision of the Aviation Bureau of the Central Military Commission. According to the actual situation of the number of aircraft and pilots of each type, the formations should be compiled in the word "pin" and the training plans of each crew should be drawn up according to the different types of aircraft in each group.
A clear division of labor, organizational training, pilot calculation, arrangement of aircraft take-off and end time, organizational command and support on the ground during the parade flight, and command of airport towers should be responsible to individuals.
During the training process, one was the altitude of the paraded plane over Tiananmen Square, and the other was the political security issue, that is, to ensure the safety of all participants in the founding ceremony. How to solve these two problems, Fang Huai did not have a score in his heart, so he consulted experts to solve the problem.
At 3 p.m. on October 1, 1949, the founding ceremony that attracted worldwide attention began. Standing in the tower of Tiananmen Square, Chairman Mao solemnly proclaimed to the whole world that "the Central People's Government of the People's Republic of China was established today" in the difficult revolutionary years, to the Chinese people who united as one, to the soldiers who died in battle, and to the whole world.
▲The Air Force was paraded at the founding ceremony
And his work is about to be reviewed by the Chinese people and the new China, and when he thinks about it, his heart is surging with enthusiasm. At 4 p.m., the command room of the flying column under review received an order to be paraded by the General Headquarters of the Celebration Conference.
According to the regulations, the group of aircraft under review first communicated, trained aircraft, then C-46s and other aircraft, and finally P-51 fighters, and assembled in layers to enter the route.
The air parade column formed 6 "pin" glyph detachments of different models and flew over Tiananmen Square in turn.
The three detachments of the P-51 fighter formed a "Pin" glyph and passed over Tiananmen Square at an altitude of 900 meters; other aircraft lined up in a "one" shape and passed over Tiananmen Square at an altitude of 950 meters; three communication trainer planes and three C-46 transport planes formed a "Pin" glyph, and Fang Huai personally led the team to fly through Tiananmen Square at an altitude of 550 meters.
When the plane flew over the blue sky above Tiananmen, countless soldiers and civilians who participated in the celebration looked up at the sky, proud that their country had the people's air force, and felt excited to have the people's air force!
< h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" > concluding remarks</h1>
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Fang Huai served in the days that followed, as the director of the Aircraft navigation department of the Civil Aviation Bureau of the Central Military Commission, the director of the aviation affairs department and the director of the telecommunications department of the Civil Aviation Bureau of the Central Military Commission, the director of the operations department of the air defense force headquarters, the manager of the Chinese civil aviation school, the principal of the Third Aviation School of the Air Force, the commander of the air force division, deputy commander, and the commander of the air force of the Wuhan Military Region.
In 1983, Fang Huai retired. At 9:56 on February 16, 2019, due to ineffective medical treatment, he died at the age of 102 in the General Hospital of the Central Theater of Operations in Wuhan, Hubei Province.
Resources:
"General Fang Huai"
"General Fang Huai's Archives Past Memories"