Staff from Beijing Reignwood Star General Aviation Corporation ready a helicopter for flight. (Photo: GT/Li Hao)
Aerial tours of Beijing promise unparalleled views of the city
The only way Vincent Yang knew how to describe his helicopter ride above Beijing was by referencing mythical behemoths and fairy tale transformations.
"I felt like a giant, gazing down upon the skyscrapers," said Yang, a 26-year-old finance worker. "Then when we passed Pangu Plaza, I felt like a bird. It was exhilarating."
Yang took the helicopter tour last Saturday as a special treat for him and his girlfriend to celebrate their fifth anniversary together.
Their journey through the clouds lasted 15 minutes, from outside the Northeast Fifth Ring Road to some of Beijing's major landmarks, including the Bird's Nest and the Olympic Green.
"There are no traffic jams and no crowds when you're in the sky," said Yang.
"It was a fantastic moment for only the two of us."
Aerial tours of the city by helicopters or small fixed-wing airplanes are a novel addition to Beijing's long list of entertainments.
Beijing Reignwood Star General Aviation Corporation (BRSGAC), the company that organized Yang's trip into the skies, only started operating its tours last year.
The only other company that runs aerial tours in the city, Beijing Capital Helicopter Corporation, was founded in 2011.
Currently, there are no guidelines or regulations for the emerging industry. A government paper on the development of tourism in the country published in January states that rules and regulations for low-altitude aviation, under which aerial tours fall, will be released by the end of June.
Gao Yuanyang, director of the General Aviation Industry Research Center at the Beihang University, said he expected the market for aerial tours to develop quickly.
"It combines flying and sightseeing to give people unparalleled panorama," said Gao. "There'll be a huge market for aerial tours in the future."
Just like the movies
Lü Gang, the marketing director of BRSGAC, said that the company currently offers seven aerial tour routes outside of Beijing's fourth ring road, at an altitude of between 50 and 300 meters.
"When we stood at the helipad, the wind generated by the propellers was so strong that it nearly blew us off our feet," said Yang.
"It reminded me of scenes in blockbusters where the police get onto a helicopter to chase the baddies!"
Looping 360 degrees over the Olympic Green before landing, Yang said, he was reminded of another scene that he had only seen before through a flickering screen.
"The last time I saw this panoramic view [of the Olympic Green] was on television, during the 2008 Olympic Games opening ceremony," said Yang.
"But this was quite a different experience."
Before their recent dalliance in the clouds, Yang and his girlfriend had never been on an aerial tour. The unique experience cost the couple 4,560 yuan($735).
"We're both wage laborers, so [it's not something we could do every day]," said Yang.
"But to do something like this once a year or once every few years is a great way to celebrate special occasions."
