Helicopter service to provide bird's-eye view of Sculpture Park
SONGJIANG District’s Sheshan area has been famed for its beautiful hill. The scene is already a treat to the eyes on the ground, but what about a bird’s-eye view from the sky?
Shanghai Sculpture Park, in Sheshan, is launching a helicopter sightseeing service at the beginning of this month to provide visitors a different angle to the beauty of the suburban area.
“It feels very different from sitting in an ordinary plane,” said Xu Yiyi, a passenger in one of the trial flights. “I felt like I was flying the helicopter myself. The view was very open. When you are in the sky, your eyes become a great camera. The green hill and the fresh lake are all captured in your sight.”
The route has two serving helicopters — a small model, Sikorsky S-300C and a bigger and more luxurious model, Bell 429.
The helicopter flight will start the journey from the park’s gallery before it flies around in a three kilometer diameter at a height under 200 meters. The journey will cover not only the Sculpture Park, but also famous spots including: The Sheshan National Tourist Resort, Happy Valley Amusement Park and Chenshan Botanical Garden.
“If the passengers want to have a closer look at the catholic church (Sheshan Basilica), at the top of Sheshan Hill, the pilot will hover over the area for a while,” Zhang Wei, one of the park’s operatives, told Shanghai Daily.
In addition to the local travel route, the helicopter company also operates a long flight route, which can ferry passengers from Sheshan to Tianmu Lake, in Zhejiang Province.
New couples that have their wedding in the park can also book a helicopter for a unique debut during the ceremony in September. The helicopter wedding service costs between 30,000 to 50,000 yuan (US$4,559-7,598).
Moreover, there is also a pilot training session which can be hired.
“We have many drone lovers coming to fly their gadgets in the park, as we have a very large open space,” Zhang said. “But this is not very safe for other visitors. The special flying zone, with a runway, will provide more fun for the drone lovers in the future.”
Price for the airport route:
Sikorsky S-300C: 1,888 yuan for an adult, 1,988 yuan for an adult and a child under 1.4 meter
(At most one adult and a child of under 1.4 meter per flight)
Bell 429: 2,588 yuan per person
(At most five passengers per flight)
Reservation number: 5779-8090 or 3355-8888
(Reservation confirmation is required, as the service might not be available due to weather and air control reasons.)
