Craft Face| Li Heli: Fifteen years of time, meticulous craftsmanship

Li Heli:Fifteen years of time, craftsmanship in a small space

At the airport, people's eyes are always on the soaring planes, but few pay attention to the ground facilities beneath their feet that support every safe takeoff and landing. Aviation ground Wells, these key facilities embedded under the apron, are like the "capillaries" of an airport, providing power, air conditioning, fuel and all other necessities for aircraft. At CFT, Li Heli, 58, has been with his milling machine for fifteen years, safeguarding the precision and reliability of these "capillaries" with his own hands, and also holding up the blue sky and dreams.

01 The Choice from "Acquaintance" to "staying Together"

May 4, 2011 was the day Li Heli officially joined CFT Company. At that time, the domestic aviation ground well field was still a blue ocean. As one of the early pioneers, CFT had a team of only about ten people at that time and was steadily developing towards specialization in a compact factory. Before that, he had already forged an unbreakable bond with this enterprise by providing supporting processing services for CFT.

“At that time, I felt that this industry had a particularly promising future, and the team atmosphere at CFT was also very different.” Li Heli recalled that it was precisely the professionalism and down-to-earth attitude he felt during previous collaborations that led him to choose to become a member of CFT. What touched him even more was the company's sincere emphasis on its employees. "The atmosphere of being trusted and respected made me choose this place without hesitation."

Fifteen years have passed. The team has grown from over ten people to nearly seventy now. The factory has expanded, equipment has been upgraded, and the company has moved towards standardized management. As a participant, Li Heli used the metaphor of "planting a tree" to describe this process: "The tree takes root and grows new branches year by year, and I myself also learn and grow in this process."

02 Silent Dialogue Beside the Milling Machine

Every morning, Li Heli shows up at the workshop on time. The milling machine is his most proficient "old buddy". Although it is not as "smart" as the new equipment, every manual adjustment precision depends entirely on hand feel and experience. That kind of tacit understanding is developed over a long period of time. “Operating it doesn't feel like working; it's more like having a conversation.” He said that especially during the trial production of new products, when all his thoughts were focused on his hands, he was particularly devoted and felt a great sense of achievement.

This kind of investment reached its peak when participating in the Beijing Daxing Airport project. At that time, time was tight, the tasks were heavy and there weren't enough hands. We were racing against time every day. During the most tense month, Li Heli worked overtime for more than 138 hours, fearing that any link would delay the overall progress. "The installation of equipment in the aviation ground well cannot afford the slightest mistake. Despite the urgency, no one slackened their efforts." When all the equipment was debugged to meet the standards, some members of the team let out a long sigh of relief, while others couldn't help but applaud. Standing on the spot, he looked at the completed underground well, and the sense of security and achievement he felt is still unforgettable to this day.

“In this line of work, "not letting go" is not being overly serious but rather doing one's duty.” Li Heli believes that aviation ground Wells are related to flight safety. No part is "small", and the most important qualities are responsibility and patience. He often told his new apprentices, "There is no one watching beneath the ground. That is precisely why we must act with a clear conscience."

03 Behind being meticulous lies a sense of awe

Facing technological iteration, Li Heli adheres to the principle of "combining company promotion with proactive exploration". After work, he often studies the drawings of new equipment and asks young colleagues for advice on software operation. "One can't stay in the place they are familiar with. Technology is always changing, but the spirit of 'doing things well' should never be lost."

This meticulous spirit stems from a sense of awe towards safety. When he was teaching his apprentices, he would point to the parts and explain, "Every time an aircraft takes off or lands, the underground equipment is under tremendous pressure. If the torque of a single screw is slightly off, it may not be a problem in the short term, but over time, it could become a hidden danger. “ In his view, strictness is not about finding faults, but rather conveying an attitude - to be worthy of the craftsmanship and even more so of the invisible responsibilities.

In Li Heli's mind, a good team should not only have excellent technical skills but also be "united in spirit". "Skills can be learned, but whether one truly values this job in their heart determines how steadily a team can move forward." He said that in the development of CFT over the years, it is precisely because of such a group of people who are united in spirit and willing to delve into things that one project after another can be done solidly and well.

04 Extraordinary Perseverance in Ordinary Positions

When on business trips or traveling, Li Heli always pays special attention to the ground well equipment at the airport. One time in the terminal building, he saw a plane docking with the underground well. Suddenly, he truly felt the value of this "underground job" : "We have been repeatedly debugging in the workshop all for the safety and smoothness of this moment."

Although his family members were not familiar with the specific job content, they always supported him. "Since you are in this line of work, try your best to do it well." This simple understanding became his spiritual support day after day for fifteen years. The one or two hours on his way home from work serve as a buffer zone for him to switch between work and family states. And recalling the details of the day's work before going to bed has become an unshakable habit.

As someone who has been through it all, Li Heli's message is simple yet firm - doing the things at hand to perfection is the confidence one has accumulated for a stable life. In his view, this sense of awe for safety, meticulousness towards quality, and responsibility for every detail are precisely the most precious assets of CFT. This belief connects the rigor of underground work with the dream of a vast blue sky. As he said, "The dream of the blue sky is grand, but it begins with every tightened screw in our hands and every tight seal."