He doesn't even dare to walk on a high-altitude glass walkway, yet he flies a fighter jet and has been awarded second-class merit once and third-class merit five times!

After serving in the military for 26 years and flying fighter jets safely for nearly 4,000 hours, with one second-class merit and five third-class merits... for 45-year-old pilot Li Jinbo, describing his feelings for the blue sky and warbirds with just the word "passion" seems too thin.

Li Jinbo said that flying has long been integrated into his life, and his most important task now is to impart the flying experience he has accumulated over the years to new pilots without reservation, making the People's Air Force stronger and ensuring the safety of the nation's skies.

Li Jinbo: I am currently mainly responsible for the conversion training of new pilots. Young pilots are like a blank sheet of paper, and what we veteran pilots need to do is to draw safe and standardized grids on that blank paper, allowing them to fly safely within those grids.

File photo: Li Jinbo

Refining Wings, Tempering Edge

Rewind the clock 26 years, when 19-year-old Li Jinbo received the admission notice from the former Air Force Changchun Flight Academy, he was unaware of how arduous and winding the road to the blue sky would be.

Li Jinbo told reporters that his most profound memory from when he first learned to fly was dizziness and nausea.

Li Jinbo: To prevent dizziness in the air, we would first do various training on the ground. For example, holding the right ear with the left hand, pointing to the sky with the right hand, and spinning in circles; the second method is holding the right ear with the left hand, pointing to the ground with the right hand, and then spinning. At first, many students would vomit after spinning.

The dizziness on the ground was just a small "appetizer"; only by enduring the tests in the air could one truly earn the ticket to a flying career.

Li Jinbo has a slight fear of heights and usually doesn't dare to walk on high glass walkways in tourist areas.

Recalling his first flight, the mixed feelings of thrill and danger still linger in Li Jinbo's mind.

Li Jinbo: After the plane left the ground, my legs went weak, and my whole body tensed up. The instructor said, "Get ready, we will do two maneuvers." Immediately, the plane sharply ascended into the clouds, then throttled back, and the plane entered a stall state. I felt like my head was hitting the cockpit cover, and then the instructor pushed the control stick all the way to the left, and the plane began to roll, spinning three or four times in a row. The instructor asked me, "Don't you want to vomit now?" I said, "No." He said, "Then let's do it again." In fact, I was completely overwhelmed at that moment. Throughout the training, we repeated such maneuvers four or five times.

Comrades present flowers to Li Jinbo after completing flight instructor conversion training

Countless Combat Takeoffs, Defending Against Enemies in the Sky

Flying is a pursuit for the brave. To become an excellent fighter pilot, one not only needs to practice diligently day after day but also must go to the front lines for tempering and honing.

Li Jinbo deeply understands this, saying that he used to feel that war was far from him, but after truly arriving at the front-line combat units and participating in heavy readiness duties, he repeatedly asked himself, "If a battle breaks out tonight, are you really ready?"

Li Jinbo: When I was around 24 or 25, I was assigned to a front-line combat unit, and the readiness tasks were heavy. The most frequent sound I heard was the alarm ringing and the call to take off. At that time, there was a saying posted on the wall of our duty room: "In a fight, are you really ready?"

One summer, Li Jinbo and his comrades were flying their aircraft at an altitude of 10,000 meters when suddenly, foreign military aircraft appeared.

Li Jinbo said that was his first encounter with foreign military aircraft, and it was that moment that made him deeply realize the weight of loyalty.

Li Jinbo: This was the first time I truly felt that war was imminent. As an Air Force pilot, we must first be loyal, then fearless, and finally skilled in flying.

Li Jinbo after finishing flight training

As the seasons changed, over 20 years passed, and through numerous high-intensity readiness training tasks, Li Jinbo honed his flying skills. In his eyes, every mission is a rare opportunity to refine tactics and techniques.

In 2016, Li Jinbo and his comrades went to the northwestern desert to participate in the Air Force "Golden Helmet" air combat competition assessment. In the fierce competition, they raced against time to study their opponents, explore tactics, and challenge their limits.

Li Jinbo reflected that during that time, their biggest feeling was summed up in two words—"lack of sleep."

Li Jinbo: At that time, each flight crew, including the lead pilot and wingman, stayed in the same room. After midnight, due to the immense pressure, neither of us could sleep, so we simply turned on the lights and continued to study tactics. Before we knew it, it was past 3 a.m., and we felt we had to sleep, but after lying down, we still couldn't fall asleep, so we got up again, turned on the lights, and continued our research. By 5 a.m., we simply didn't sleep and directly started preparing for the 7 a.m. flight.

During the competition, Li Jinbo and his comrades used all their skills to engage in aerial dogfights with their opponents, but ultimately left with a regretful second place. After returning to the unit, they immediately conducted a review and reflection, repeatedly practicing new tactics and continuously exploring the combat potential of their equipment.

However, the following year, they again finished in second place by a narrow margin, once again missing out on the "Golden Helmet."

Li Jinbo emotionally stated that missing the "Golden Helmet" twice is certainly regrettable, but more importantly, through the competition, they clarified their direction of effort and found their own "Golden Helmet."

Training for War, Flying Towards Battle

In order to outpace time and opponents, Li Jinbo embraces every new challenge with a sense of urgency of "not stopping for a moment," leaving behind trails of flight in the vast sky.

Upon entering his forties, Li Jinbo completed the conversion of a new domestic fighter jet and took on the responsibility of training new pilots.

He said he does not consider himself a strict instructor; he prefers to be a companion and guide, protecting every new pilot as they spread their wings and soar.

Li Jinbo: I rarely criticize pilots during flights; I try to address issues during debriefing after we return. In our flight instructor debriefings, we review the video frame by frame, judging second by second. A one-hour flight in the air often requires two to three hours of debriefing on the ground for just that one sortie.

Li Jinbo (first from the left) conducting tactical research with comrades

When talking about flying, training, and conversion, Li Jinbo's tone is full of confidence, as if he has endless things to say. But when the topic turns to family, he becomes silent.

Li Jinbo said he owes too much to his family, but their unconditional support and understanding are the greatest motivation for him to work hard in the military.

Li Jinbo: My wife records the number of days I come home each year. The year I was converting, I only spent 11 days at home. But she has always understood me; she said, "You chose this profession, and I chose you."

In over 20 years of flying career, his identity has changed, the aircraft types have changed, and the missions have changed, but Li Jinbo's original intention to fly towards battle has never changed.

When discussing the future, Li Jinbo said there are higher and farther skies waiting to be conquered, and more arduous tasks to be completed. He will do his utmost to ensure that every young pilot becomes a "sharp blade," flying vigorously on the new journey of strengthening the military, answering with loyalty and safeguarding with victory.

Authors: Lu Jialin, He Weili, Zhao Yutong