today my photographer friend had an aerial shooting job and he invited me to go with him! I was too excited since this is my childhood dream coming true. i even turned on the Flight Simulator to practise how to control a helicopter... and to get a better knowledge what is going on with the pilot!
Marcel the photographer got a aerial shoot for the 8th highway connecting HK to China. He knew that i wanted to ride a helicopter so bad and he asked me to go with him, pretend as his assistant. Wow what a great idea!
We meet at the Peninsula Hotel (the best hotel in HK!) I was stunned by the lobby immediately. it was my first time going in! Then we went to the top floor of the Peninsula Hotel, and there is an aviation lounge! wow it was so cool... the lounge was so fancy and comfortable, and well furnished. We waited there and we had to look at a DVD briefing about the safety stuff, then we had to write down our weights.
We met the Pilot and his name is Ray, i guess he's either an Aussie or British. couldn't hear him really well. he is so tall. Then we walked to the roof... there are 2 helicopter field at the top of the hotel, and we flew from there! first time to get onto the helicopter i feel so excited, not nervous at all!
The helicopter was quite small from the interior and it's not much spacier than a Van, 4 persons can sit in the back. We have buckled up before take off. The typical high pitch starting sound of the rotatary engine makes me happy. I was too excited i even forgot when the helicopter really started the engine. i can read most of the gauges and i know how to use the radio! thank you Billy!
Everyone had to wear that typical headsets, with the mic over your mouth. i feel so pro!
it took off... it was so smooth i couldn't feel anything except the scenery became smaller and smaller.. and i am in the air above Tsim Sha Tsui!
Then i immediately tried to lean myself out of the door (there's no door actually, the door was removed) to look down. it was so much fun. i didn't have any fear of height at all. and everything was new. Marcel was sitting by the opened door he only have 2 belt to tie him to the moving helicopter. he was the one sitting almost outside.
We flew across TST, Laiking, tsuen wan, then over Castle Peak, yuen long, and finally we got to mai po where our work begins.
there's a bridge called Expressway No.8 and we flew over that bridge a few times. sometimes we hover, some time we flew fast to find a sight. During the time i took some pictures with my GR1 and sometimes i took picture from Marcel's Hasselblad XPAN2. wow. a great camera.
Of course flying is a lot of fun and fun usually pasts faster. we finally had to go back, we flew over the Container Port and TST again, when i see central at the higher angle it is just amazing. TST is beautiful!
The landing was smooth too, i didn't feel a bit of bump. The pilot sure did a great job!
you can view the album here
