Fighter pilot: 'The sky where I'm flying, my father also passed through'

Colonel Vi Xuan Hung - Chief of Flight Safety, Regiment 927, Division 371, Air Defense - Air Force

Half a century after the country was reunified, Colonel Vi Xuan Hung, a soldier born in the spring of 1975, is taking off in the sky of Dong Nai - Ho Chi Minh City. This is where his father once fought.

Father goes through war, son flies in peace

One morning in early April, amid the roar of jet engines on the runway of Bien Hoa airport, where practice sessions were taking place in preparation for the 50th anniversary of national reunification, we met Colonel Vi Xuan Hung, head of flight safety of Regiment 927, Division 371, Air Defense - Air Force.

Wearing a flight suit, Mr. Hung spoke in a warm voice when talking about very special flights. He said that flying over the sky of Ho Chi Minh City these days, he saw the place where his father had walked on his soldier's feet during the fighting days of the past.

"To be able to participate in a flight demonstration of 4 fighter jets in Ho Chi Minh City on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the country's reunification is a great honor for me. I was born in 1975, the year the country was completely reunified. And now, being able to fly over the very land where my father fought, the feeling is hard to describe" - Mr. Hung shared.

Mr. Hung's father is Mr. Vi Xuan Dung, born in 1948, who fought in the Quang Tri battlefield, then went to the South with his comrades. After reunification, he continued to work at the Chemical Command, Vietnam People's Army .

Throughout his military career, he always taught his son a deep love for the military uniform and gratitude to the previous generation.

Colonel Hung's family has a military tradition. His mother works at the Military Political Academy in Ha Dong. Of his three children, two followed in their parents' footsteps into the army.

"We always tell ourselves that our parents devoted their youth to bringing peace to the country, so our generation must continue to study, train, maintain the qualities of soldiers and devote ourselves to firmly protecting our beloved Fatherland," said Mr. Hung.

Colonel Vi Xuan Hung inspects the Su-30MK2 fighter jet.

Practice hard for a beautiful flight

Talking about practicing for the upcoming important April 30th performance, Mr. Hung said that performing a flying display is not simple. Especially when combining many types of aircraft with different speeds. There are slow, medium, fast… requiring the flight commander and pilot to understand each other down to every breath.

Before taking to the sky, Hung and his teammates had to practice on the ground until they were proficient. Every movement and formation had to be precise and consistent. Only then could they create a perfect performance.

Flying over the sky of Ho Chi Minh City today, a bustling city, Mr. Hung said he not only felt and saw the beauty of change but also saw the image of his father and his old comrades still present somewhere under every tree and street corner.

"That's why we practice day and night, even on Saturdays and Sundays, so that the demonstration flights are both safe and demonstrate the spirit of the People's Army in the new era," said Mr. Hung.

In the sky of the South these April days, it is common to see a formation of jet fighters soaring, leaving a trail of white smoke as soft as silk. On the ground, in the gazes of many people looking up, there is a soldier, the son of a soldier, flying high with all his pride and gratitude.