Tourists get helicopter option in Pingyao

Visitors will soon be able to take tours by helicopter in the Ancient City of Pingyao, North China's Shanxi province, following a successful test flight on Sept 19.

A helicopter named "Little Squirrel" had previously taken off and successfully landed on Mount Qomolangma in May 2015. The pilot in command had over 1,000 hours of flying experience.

The planned route for the new helicopter tours involves traveling around the city wall for one lap, and then landing after eight to 10 minutes. Tourists will need to register, be weighed, and undergo security checks before they board the aircraft.

"We plan to expand our range of scenic flights to offer tourists more choice", said Guan Lei, director of Capital Helicopter, the company in charge of the pilot flight.

The helicopter flies over Pingyao on Sept 19. [Photo/xinhuanet.com]

Passengers disembark the helicopter. [Photo/xinhuanet.com]