|
February 17, 2021 The following information has been provided by Fu Fang's daughter Jin Fang. CNAC Co-Pilot Fu Fang (方甫)(7/6/1921 - 6/15/1978) There were three dangerous adventures in his life with CNAC： - 1944. Hump flight started; - 1948. Shenyang Accident; - 1949. Flew back to the mainland China. Fu Fang was born in Tianjin. His father was a university book publisher. His elementary and middle school was in Tianjin French school "ECOLE MUNICIPALE FRANCAISE". From early age, he was infatuated in machinery and music. On July 29, 1937 when he was 16, Japanese bombed Tianjin. In order to preserve the intellectual elite in the war, the National Government transferred dozens of university teachers and students to safe zones. He graduated from Guangxi University Preparatory High School in 1940 and then entered the Private Jinling University (orig. Nanking University), Department of Electrical Engineering. From where he met his wife Juntai Tuan who was also a student of Jinling Women's University. In 1944, Fu Fang graduated from the University and was admitted by CNAC at the age of 23. He and Juntai Tuan held a quick campus wedding ceremony before leaving Chengdu. The President Yifang Wu of Jinling Women’s University witnessed their wedding. His wife’s brother Pao Tai Tuan graduated from University of Shanghai. At that time, he was working in the National Resources Committee of the Republic of China. In order to support the front line against the Japanese invasion, he gave up his job in the government agency and also applied for CNAC pilot position. Two months later, when Fu Fang 's wife arrived in Kunming, Yunnan, both of them had been the co-pilots of the Hump route. During the Hump flight, Fu Fang collected a large number of British and American classic music records from India, which were extremely difficult to obtain in China during and after the war. A few years later, his younger brother became the conductor of the Chinese Opera House. Decades later, Fu Fang's daughter and granddaughter all became musicians. In September 1946, when his first daughter was three months old, Fu Fang and Pao Tai Tuan were transferred to CNAC Shanghai office. From joining the CNAC to the victory of the war, he had flown 130 round trips over the Hump route. Sadly, on September 20 1946, Pao Tai Tuan passed away in a crash on board C-47 No. 81 near Lochi Mountain in Xichang due to bad weather. His body was brought back to Shanghai and buried in Shanghai Hongqiao Cemetery. Unfortunately, after 1950, the cemetery became Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport. Immediately afterwards, the civil war broke out in China, so the flight of CNAC became very dangerous. Shenyang was besieged and blocked by the Communist Army. There was a great famine in the city and the airport was crowded by the people eager to leave. On January 20, 1948, when his C-46 XT-T47 took off from the Mukden Airport, the number of seats was only 36, but the passengers reached 55 due to the overbooking of the airport. These rich passengers took lot of gold bars and jewelry with them hidden inside the clothes. After taxiing on the runway the plane took off, crash happened due to the overweight. 10 people were immediately killed on the spot, 3 were seriously injured, and 28 were slightly injured. The pilot Carl Wiss was seriously injured and the co-pilot Fu Fang suffered from facial injuries and was in a coma. When he was immediately transported to Shanghai Hospital for treatment, His 2nd daughter was born in the same hospital. In 1949, the situation in China had been changed drastically. Fu Fang's parents-in-law arrived in Taiwan with the Chiang Kai-shek government in June. In September, after 12 years of war, Fu Fang brought his mother and younger siblings back to Tianjin. Since his father passed away, he had to take on the family responsibilities and became the primary earner. On November 9, 1949, the general managers of two airlines (CNAC and CATC) led 12 planes to the mainland. Fu Fang was the co-pilot of C-47XT-125. In facing the country being divided, he could only stay with his family. His plane landed in Tianjin that day. A month later, his wife and daughter also returned to Tianjin from Hong Kong. Taiwan and the mainland had been separated since then. After 40 years, his wife reunited with her siblings from Taiwan in the United States. From 1949 to 1964, Fu Fang served as Director of the Link Trainer Office of Tianjin Civil Aviation Administration. In the city where he grew up, he raised four children and seven younger siblings. Since 1964, he became an English teacher at a university in Beijing and passed away on June 15, 1978, at the age of 57. From 1944 to 1964, twenty years in life, he had been working for CNAC and Tianjin Civil Aviation Administration. Aviation was his lifelong beloved career. However, in the cruel battle between war and politics, there had never been a peaceful sky in mainland China. Now, his wife and four children are living in Los Angeles, USA.  Mr. Fang, Fu with his wife Juntai Duan (1944 Chengtu)  CNAC Co-Pilot, Mr. Fang, Fu (1944 in C-47 airplane)  CNAC Co-Pilot, Mr. Fang, Fu (1945 Kunming)  CNAC Co-Pilot, Mr. Fang, Fu (1945 India)  Mr. Fang, Fu with his wife Juntai Duan (1945 Kunming)  Mr. Fang, Fu with his wife Juntai Duan (1946 Shanghai)  Mr. and Mrs. Fu Fang Shanghai - 1946  CNAC Co-Pilot, Mr. Fang, Fu (1947 Shanghai)  In 1948, Mr. Fang, Fu went to San Francisco to fly back the newly purchased C-46 aircraft back to China. This across ocean trip was very exciting.  CNAC Co-Pilot, Mr. Fang, Fu (1949 Hong Kong)  The sunglass used by Mr. Fang, Fu  The calculator used by Mr. Fang, Fu  After the C-46 XT-T47 crash in 1948, his white silk scarf was stained with blood. Click here for a larger picture.  The two small Buddha statues Mr. Fang, Fu carried with him all the time.  Co-Pilot Fu Fang’s Identification  His “International Certificate of Vaccination”  or would like to be added to the CNAC e-mail distribution list, please let the CNAC Web Editor, Tom Moore, know. Thanks! |
