A father in Beijing made a dramatic entrance last week when he arrived at his daughter’s school in a helicopter.
In the video, the father, surnamed Chen, is seen landing on the schoolyard as some bystanders film the rare moment.
The video, which has since gone viral, sparked rumors that he used the chopper to cut travel time as well as show off some wealth.
“Poverty limited my imagination … The wealth gap is getting larger and larger,” a Weibo user commented.
However Chen happens to own a business that offers helicopter tours around Beijing.
According to Beijing Time, Chen explained that he had been invited to the school’s science and technology festival, where he was tasked to promote interest in aviation.
Chen insisted that he was not trying to show off. Instead, he claimed that he only wanted to teach students the theory of gravity.
“I hope to give more children an opportunity to see helicopters up close, and spark an interest in aviation in some of them,” he said, according to The Paper.
Chen’s daughter is a first-grade student at the Fengdan primary school in the capital’s Haidan district, which houses some of China’s top universities, the South China Morning Post noted.
Weibo users had mixed reactions on the unconventional transport for a school visit:
“How about keep a low profile?”
“Frankly, there are plenty of choppers in Beijing that aren’t this arrogant.”
“This parent opened children’s eyes to aviation. He made a good contribution.”
“In this case, there’s no such thing as the rich showing off. It’s poor people’s hatred that seems a little rich.”
“I think this parent did great. He let children see the helicopter at a close distance and touch its parts themselves.”
