Yesterday, inside the east gate of the Olympic Sports Center, a red and a blue helicopter took off and landed, their graceful movements in the sky drawing the attention of passersby. Reporters learned from Capital Helicopter Company that with the opening of the first private helicopter pilot license training institution in North China, Beijing residents can now spend 280,000 yuan to learn how to fly a helicopter and fulfill their dream of flying right at home.
Xiao Yang, 23, from Shanxi, is a junior at a college in Tianjin. While his classmates were busy with internships and job hunting, he made an unconventional choice: to learn to fly a helicopter at his own expense. “In the future, I will definitely find a way to convert my private license into a commercial one, and make flying my lifelong career, soaring in the blue sky,” Xiao Yang told reporters. Alongside him, there were also six other Beijing students who came with the same flying dreams. Among them are bank owners, real estate professionals, businessmen, and non-flight department employees of airlines.
Compared to becoming a pilot, the physical requirements for obtaining a private helicopter license are not very high. It is acceptable to wear glasses as long as vision is above 0.7, but applicants cannot have a history of conditions such as angina, coronary heart disease, or myocardial infarction. Applicants must be at least 17 years old and have at least an associate degree. During 70 hours of theoretical study, students will receive training in aviation meteorology, aviation regulations, aircraft structure, flight principles, and more. The theoretical exam is out of 100 points, and a score of 80 or higher is considered passing. Actual flight operation training requires 45 hours, and students must complete over 17 hours of in-flight training and pass assessments before being allowed to fly solo.
“The cost of private license training is not low, but students come from all walks of life, contrary to the assumption that they are all wealthy,” revealed Gao Han, a flight instructor at Capital Helicopter. Most students have busy schedules and can only squeeze in time on weekends to study theory and practice operations. They spend a fortune learning to fly — some out of a passion for aviation as “enthusiast-level” hobbyists, using their private licenses to regularly join club flying activities, and some are even planning to buy their own planes. Compared to expensive jet business aircraft, the threshold for purchasing a helicopter is much lower, with affordable models starting at just over 1 million yuan. Rising income levels and the push for low-altitude airspace opening have given more citizens the chance to realize their flying dreams.
Many other students are eyeing the development of the aviation industry and preparing to pursue professional flying careers. Holding a private helicopter license only qualifies students to fly aircraft on their own, while obtaining a higher-level commercial license means they can perform public transport flights. As the first helicopter “driving school” in North China, Capital Helicopter Flight Club will also begin commercial license training after receiving approval from the Civil Aviation Administration. “The estimated total cost for commercial license training is over 700,000 yuan,” said He Chi, vice president of Capital Helicopter. This will help alleviate the shortage of pilots brought about by the rapid development of general aviation in China.
According to plans, by the end of 2015, the number of general aviation aircraft in China will exceed 2,000. But as of September 2012, domestic flight schools and training institutions trained only 1,200 to 1,300 pilots per year, with no more than 50 in general aviation. Therefore, in the next five years, China’s general aviation pilot shortage is expected to reach 3,000 to 4,000.
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Round-Trip to Mount Wutai for 18,000 Yuan
Round-Trip to Mount Wutai for 18,000 Yuan
The red helicopter unveiled yesterday at the Olympic Sports Center is the first VIP-type EC135 helicopter in North China, and will soon be put into service on a holiday charter route between Beijing and Mount Wutai. This will also be the first regular helicopter route launched in Beijing, operating every weekend and during special holidays and festivals, taking only 90 minutes directly from the city center to the Mount Wutai scenic area.
The EC135, which has more space and less noise, is known as the “Air Audi.” With a purchase price of 50 million yuan per unit, it will focus on expanding the business tourism market. Citizens traveling from Beijing to the Mount Wutai scenic area can book personalized itineraries one day in advance. Currently, the hourly charter rate for the EC135 is 40,000 yuan, and 30,000 yuan for the Squirrel helicopter. Citizens can also choose to take a single holiday charter flight — a one-way trip from Beijing to Mount Wutai costs 10,000 yuan per person, and a round trip is 18,000 yuan.
At the same time, Capital Helicopter also began offering fixed aerial tour services at two scenic spots, the Olympic Sports Center and Badaling, starting yesterday. An aerial tour from the Olympic Sports Center through the Olympic Village to Badaling costs 2,000 yuan per person per trip, while a flight around the Bird’s Nest area departing from the Olympic Sports Center costs 600 yuan per trip.
Capital Helicopter Company currently owns nine helicopters and will gradually open charter routes from within Beijing to destinations within 500 kilometers, such as the Chongli County ski resort in Zhangjiakou and the Mulan Paddock.
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Aerial Rescue Expected to Become Regular
Aerial Rescue Expected to Become Regular
Over the next five years, the Capital Helicopter fleet will expand to more than 50 aircraft. Capital Helicopter Company is in close communication with the Beijing Emergency Management Office, Blue Sky Rescue Team, and other organizations to explore long-term cooperation models in order to achieve regular aerial rescue operations in Beijing as soon as possible.
Last month, Capital Helicopter joined forces with the Blue Sky Rescue Team to search for missing hikers in Lingshan Mountain, marking the first attempt at civilian aerial search and rescue in Beijing. This rescue was carried out free of charge, but given the high purchase cost of each aircraft, ranging from 30 to 50 million yuan, free rescues are difficult to sustain. A leader from the Blue Sky Rescue Team revealed that government-purchased services and special subsidies may be an effective solution to the problem.
Previously, the Capital Squirrel helicopter model had been used multiple times for medical rescue flights, but its cabin space was too small — stretchers could only be placed under the seats, otherwise there would be no room for accompanying medical staff and emergency equipment. The newly purchased EC135 model, widely used internationally for medical care, has ample space to accommodate two stretchers, one above the other.
According to the “Interim Measures for the Management of Special Funds for the Development of General Aviation” issued by the Ministry of Finance at the end of last month, general aviation flight operations such as aerial seeding for agriculture and forestry, aerial photography, medical air rescue, and emergency rescue missions can all receive financial subsidies, with a maximum subsidy of 78,000 yuan per hour. This is the first special subsidy policy for the general aviation industry issued in China.
General aviation refers to the use of civil aircraft for civil aviation activities other than public air transport, including operational flights in industries such as industrial, agricultural, forestry, animal husbandry, fisheries, and construction, as well as flights for healthcare, disaster relief, and meteorological exploration.