Interview Korean Air force & Translation

 

I contacted the Korean Air Force via messenger. These are the originals of the answers I received and the translations below.

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1 How are airplanes an icon in your life?

-      The meaning of life and valuable thing

-      The plane was such a vague thing of admiration and a distant object for me as a youth, however, after having a job like this, I felt it like a favorite horse which shared life and death, joy and sorrow.

 

2 What keeps you going? With the air force?

-      The pleasure of flying and the moments of being with colleagues.

-      Freedom, the patriotism of the Republic of Korea, the heroism to defend the airspace of the nation, and love of uniforms and military organizations.

 

3 Can you describe the memorable experience in the air?

-      I can’t forget that moment when I saw the sunrise which came up over Dokdo.

-      Supersonic flight

 

4 Every time you land, do you feel like you want to go up again? Is that temporariness addicting?

-      I think the long or short flights are not important. I just want to go up because of the pleasure of being in the air.

-      After landing, I feel satisfaction about fulfilling a mission rather than I would like to fly again.

 

5 How do you feel when you go on commercial airlines?

-      It's rather scary because I’m not the person who manipulates that flight.

-      The same professional family and technical characteristics, but different purpose of flights.

 

6 As a pilot, is it more about the destination or the journey? Does anything compare to being in the air?

-      The question is quite abstruse. As with fighter jets, it is difficult to answer because the purpose of them is not to reach the destination.

-      My aim in flying in the air force is to use a strategic force that no other force can exercise in the three-dimensional space of air.

 

7 Do you think time / laws / restrictions / modern changes have affected the freedom of flight?

-      Well, I think it needs to be controlled to a certain extent because flights are very dangerous and have many unexpected variables.

-      Freedom has not been suppressed during flights in accordance with safety regulations. Anyway, the reality of the divided countries makes it clear that the air defense and response of the airspace is a noble mandate given to the air force pilot. However, since the air force is being strongly influenced by the political forces in power, I just worry that the armistice rules of engagement (AROE) are also likely to be constrained.

 

8 If you could describe the feeling of being in the air with a few words / a short sentence?

-      Happy but afraid

-      Make me alive above all

 

9 If you could, would you want to live permanently in the sky? Does it take away the novelty?

-      No, I'd like to live on land. Flight is good because you can return to the ground.

-      If possible, I would like to fly in the sky with my own ability, not with the power of machines.

 

10 Does being a pilot give you a sense of identity?

-      Yes, I think my life as a pilot tells me who I am.

-      I was not born to be a pilot, but when I introduce myself, the occupational nature of pilot is not a small part of it.

 

11 Do you think that a relationship develops between you and your plane?

-      There is no special relationship between us.

-      I don't think I have any special relationship with the plane, but it's very intimate, as it is my precise equipment and machine. They also feel the need to be skilled.

 

12 How would you feel on your last flight? The last time in the air?

-      It must be very sad, sorry, and desperate.

-      Bittersweet

 

13 Do you mold into the controls? Working as one body together?

-      No, airplanes are just machines that I controlled.

-      Sometimes when equipment is really good or when landing becomes beautiful, the consensus with the airplane is established.

 

14 What’s the different between flying in a new plane and then a couple months later?

-      I feel safer with something familiar but I can’t control well the new plane.

-      Not a few changes during the initial adaptation phase, but there is not a lot of changes after they are skilled since the principles of flight are almost identical.