Anyone who lives in Hong Kong knows that there’s a plethora of options when you wake up on a bright, crisp Sunday morning with the urge to get out and about. But if you’re tired of trekking and bored of your bike, it may well be time to crank up your exploring to the extreme. Liam Murphy grabbed his weekend excursion by the balls and took to the skies on a helicopter tour. Chocks away!
Hong Kong truly has something for everybody, keeping even the most picky person entertained with ease. Last weekend, however, I awoke to something a little different. Thanks to some wonderful friends, I was about to see Hong Kong from the air!
Arriving at the launch site next to the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, we first received a briefing from the friendly British and Chinese staff, who somehow made the safety tips more entertaining than terrifying.
We were then weighed (horror!), fitted with an emergency belt and shown a short video about the do’s and don’ts of helicopter travel. Most of it was common sense stuff, believe it or not.
Next came the beast itself – a twin-engine MD902 Explorer with enough room for six. I was initially surprised at how loud it was, and then even more surprised when my headset succeeded in blocking out all but the cackle of the radios and the random voices of the men charting our course.
Having never been in a helicopter before, I can admit I was a little nervous. Take off was very strange. Knowing nothing but runways for many years, I found the vertical ascent unusual, unnerving, but decidedly awesome!
The trip lasted around 12 minutes, which seems short, but it really is plenty of time once you’re in the air. Sights included Victoria Harbour, Kai Tak Airport, The Peak, Ocean Park, Stanley and Repulse Bay, all of which are unutterably stunning when seen from above.
At HKD1,200 a seat, helicopting is unlikely to become a weekly jaunt for most of us, but it really is totally worth it for a one-off you’ll never forget.
If you do only one thing with this month’s paycheque, do this!
