text: If you were a pilot flying a plane, and suddenly the engine failed, would you eject , or stay in? For a pilot, the choice is very difficult. If he ejects, he is wise, but the plane crashes. If he stays in the plane, he risks his life. 
  
  Recently, Chinese Air Force pilot Li Feng, 38, faced this choice during a training exercise. It was March 7 and he was flying a Jian-10 (Flghter-10) at 4,500 meters. A warning appeared on the plane's computer screen. He realized the plane might fail at any moment. 
  
  Li Feng did a quick check of the engine and asked the base if he could return. When the fighter was 7km away from the airport, however, the engine stopped working. The plane began to fall at a speed of 25 meters a second from an altitude of 1,160 meters. 
  
  Under Air Force rules fighter pilots may eject if their aircraft loses engine power below 2,000 meters and can't be restarted. Before Li lost contact with the control tower, the commander in the air base asked him to eject. But Li Feng insisted on having another try. 
  
  "I knew where the deadline (to abandon the aircraft) was and was prepared for the ejection, but I decided not to give up unless the fighter was totally out of control," Li recalled during a recent television interview. 
  
  After 104 seconds, Li was able to bring the fighter to a safe landing. The plane only suffered slight damage. 
  
  "You are a hero! Congratulations!" Li's teacher, Xu yongling wrote in a text message to him after the landing. He said Li was a cool-headed pilot and very professional. 
  
  Li's brave and calm act not only saved the 200 million yuan aircraft but also gave him invaluable first-hand experience of dealing with an engine emergency. 
  
  For his outstanding performance, the Air Force recently awarded him a gold medal.