Shenhao UP Lord

Chapter 302
"Have you guys ever been to South Africa?"

"Ever piloted a helicopter?"

"Ever flew a helicopter in South Africa?"

"Brother Xu invited a pilot today, and he was the one who flew the helicopter during the South African Civil War!"

Ding Xu introduced today's guests, smiled at the camera, and said, "Come on, please!"

"I have dreamed of being a pilot since I was a child. I joined the Air Force after graduating from university. Because I didn't have the opportunity to become a pilot when I served in the Air Force, I went to a German flight school to learn how to fly a helicopter after I retired."

"At the end of the semester, the original plan was to work as a flight instructor at the branch school of this company, but I didn't expect that the branch school failed to land because it couldn't find a suitable partner. At this time, the company just won the project of the International Red Cross. To provide them with a one-year flight service to assist them in humanitarian relief work in Sudan."

"For me who loves flying, this is a very rare opportunity. First, I can accumulate considerable flight time and flying experience. Second, I can help others and gain a meaningful life experience. So I asked the company The application for registration has been submitted."

Ding Xu asked curiously, "Do you know South Africa?"

"Actually, I knew almost nothing about the country South Sudan at the beginning. I only knew that it was in Africa, so after registering, I started to search for information online."

"It is located in northern Africa, about 10 degrees north of the equator. Because it is located in the tropics, the temperature is above 40 degrees all year round."

"That country became independent from Sudan after a long war. The reason for the split was religious issues on the surface. North Sudan believed in Christianity, and South Sudan believed in Christianity; later I learned that the deeper reason was that South Sudan was located. This area is rich in oil resources, and in order to compete for this part of the resources, it has fallen into war and division."

"When I went there, it was only established for more than four years. This is the kind of underdeveloped country you can imagine. The products are not rich, but most of the animals are ferocious. Even in the center of the capital, there are everywhere Huge lizards, cockroaches and geckos were seen."

"There is no clean water system in the local area. For foreigners, bottled mineral water is needed for brushing teeth, because the water there may cause serious health problems just by drinking it. Similarly, local salads and meatloaf are not suitable for foreigners. eat it."

"The country as a whole has a very low degree of modernization and weak infrastructure. There are only a handful of asphalt roads in the country. It is one of the poorest countries in the world."

“A country like this does not issue travel visas to the outside world. The people who come here are generally staff of the United Nations and various NGO organizations. International organizations such as the Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders have offices here to carry out humanitarian activities locally. humanitarian relief work.”

"Because the local transportation is very inconvenient, the transportation of staff and materials needs to be completed by helicopter, which is why the Red Cross is openly recruiting flight service providers."

"In South Sudan, I am the flight operation coordinator, responsible for arranging the flight plan according to the mission requirements of the Red Cross. When the crew pilots encounter safety or physical problems and cannot fly, I will also be the pilot for the temporary rescue. In addition to I, along with three colleagues a captain, a mechanic and a customer relations director."

"Before setting off, we all had a general understanding of the local situation, and most of us have experience as soldiers or police officers."

"Overlooking from the plane, the capital Juba is a large area of ​​yellow land, dotted with some trees and small houses with blue roofs. The houses are also dilapidated, most of which are built with cow dung and straw. A primitive earthen house."

As the cabin door opened, I smelled the unique smell of South Sudan, mixed with the rustic smell of sand and plants, and was enveloped by the heat wave.

After arriving at the residence for a short rest, the official work began. The main content of the work was to transport personnel and living materials to various cities near Juba.

Because there is no industry in the area, the daily necessities are basically imported, such as washbasins, tables and chairs, clothes, pens, etc., and once we delivered five Shanghai Phoenix [-] bicycles.In such an environment, seeing the domestic products that I have been familiar with since I was a child, I feel wonderful and proud.

Said to be a pilot, but in fact our role is very similar to that of a courier, except that our daily work is carried out in a relatively extreme and dangerous environment.

"Anyone that impresses you the most?"

Hearing Ding Xu's inquiry, the other party said: "I still remember the day we carried out our first flight mission. We drove out of the hotel in a four-wheel drive SUV assigned by the Red Cross. It only took about three or four minutes. "

"I was about to turn from a small dirt road to a main road. As soon as I turned the corner, I saw a person lying on the sidewalk beside the street. He was wearing a white shirt, gray trousers and leather shoes. The people coming and going turned a blind eye , almost stepped over him."

"The first reaction at the time was that this person might be sick, so he lay there motionless, and discussed with his colleagues whether to get out of the car to see him."

"But at that time, our client director colleague, who was over 50 years old, with gray hair and a lot of social experience, suggested that we should not get out of the car. Understand that if this is a scam we could be at risk of being robbed."

"So we didn't get out of the car at the time, but reported the situation to the Red Cross base camp through the car's intercom. After the mission of the day was over, we received a reply from the Red Cross, saying that the person had actually died the night before. He was stabbed to death, and he may have been robbed."

"When I first arrived in South Sudan, I was shocked by the whole incident. My first impression was, why are South Sudanese so indifferent to life? A dead or wounded person fell on the side of the road, and everyone turned a blind eye?"

"But when I learned more, I understood the root of this phenomenon. This kind of reaction is caused by the environment. People here are witnessing death every day. Such cruel scenes have become accustomed to them."

Ding Xu sighed. Violent incidents, local riots, and regional wars may happen at any time. No one knows for sure whether he will survive until the next day.

Therefore, not only do many people treat other lives, but even their own lives, their attitude is very indifferent.

"Another thing that impressed me was that when the war broke out, we were trapped in the middle of the warring parties, with bullets flying all over our heads, and we had to retreat to a refugee camp."

"There was a South Sudanese civilian not far away at that time. We asked him to come over and hide with us to a relatively safe place, but to our surprise, he refused?"

(End of this chapter)