Cinema does a lot to a lot of people. I was most impressed by the helicopter rides which the likes of ‘Mogambo’ and ‘Crime master Go-Go’ took. The helicopter rides that always made me envious were the rides by politicians when they went to inspect a calamity-hit region. Growing up in a family where parents admonished me for not obeying my sister (only a year older to me), put paid to my dreams of turning out a baddie or a politician. The wish for a helicopter ride however continued to grow with me. So, when Thumby Aviation along with Telangana Tourism announced joy rides in the city for a stipulated period of time, I was most joyous. By this time my wish to fly either like a Bollywood baddie or a politician went a notch higher. I wanted to feel like James Bond, without having to do any stunts or solve serious crimes. I just wanted to the James Bond feeling.
So, I reached the helipad near Jalavihar to take my first flight of fancy. Once there, I soon realised it isn’t as easy as just hopping into a chopper and signalling the pilot to take off To enable this joyride on a twin Engine Bell 412 Helicopter a lot of preparations are made.
Govind Nair, the director, business development of Thumby Aviation is constantly on the phone, as fire-brigade, an ambulance and cops arrived. Don’t get scared. This is no crime scene nor is there a fire to be doused. These are safety pre-requisites for a chopper to fly with passengers. In the meantime the makeshift waiting area was gradually filling up with passengers eager to book their chopper ride.
School students, love-birds and daughters wanting to surprise their mothers waited with bated breath for the chopper ride. But Govind still didn’t signal the chopper (over cellphone) to land. What are we waiting for, we wondered. Turns out that the ground around the helipad needs to be watered to prevent a dust cloud when the chopper comes whirring in. After waiting for quite sometime and making several calls, a water tanker finally arrives and waters the area. Then the chopper waiting at the Begumpet hanger gets a green signal from the helipad and after necessary clearance from the airport authorities, it arrives whirring in.
We get a quick safety check and a list of dos and don’ts followed by a signal to board the chopper. Don’t even think of selfies here, the dust makes it impossible to stand and the wind created from the blades of the chopper will make sure you do no such thing. Finally it was my James Bond moment. On boarding I was like an excited kid in Disneyland.
The passengers squealed and clapped as the pilot flew us like a bird over a part of the city. We saw many spots and identified many historical sites. Finally came the Charminaar and the top view of this monumental structure was a sight to behold. It looked quite tiny in comparison to its original size. The sights from top are fascinating. The city from top shows the vast development sans trees. Taking a flight and flying on an helicopter is not the same. The quick city tour is worth it.
Remember
* To wear clothes that are practical
* Not to put pressure on the chopper’s window
* Everyone will get a good view, there is no need to push or pull
* Leave the phone and forget the photos and videos, enjoy the view
