Seeing Great Wall of China from the Sky

Plan your Great Wall tour? Maybe you are torn by the question "Which section of the Great Wall to hike, Badaling or Mutianyu?". Many first-time travelers would choose Mutianyu Great Wall thanks to its good online comments along with the good word of mouth.

The main factor for good comments on Mutianyu Great Wall is its less crowdedness. But when it comes to the grandeur of the Great Wall itself, Badaling Great Wall is not outweighed by Mutianyu Great Wall. "Badaling" literally means "Mountains Stretching in Eight Directions".

Therefore, Badaling Great Wall snakes on the mountain ranges in many directions, more changeable and impressive,  unlike Mutianyu Great Wall which monotonously undulates on the mountain range roughly from east to west. That's one of the reasons why Badaling Great Wall has always been so crowded.

Let's get away from the question - Badaling or Mutianyu in terms of hiking. Don't you have an itch for flying over the Great Wall of China? Viewing the Great Wall of China from the sky? At present, Badaling Great Wall is the only section commercially open to the helicopter tour.

Beijing Capital Helicopter Co.,Ltd.

Beijing Capital Helicopter is a joint venture between Beijing Government and HNA Group with each side invented RMB 0.42 Billion, the only professional helicopter company for the aerial tourism flights in Beijing.

The helicopters appointed for aerial tours are the R-44 Helicopters from USA. Each seat in a helicopter has the insurance coverage worth RMB 2 millions.

Beijing Badaling Airport 

Beijing Badaling Airport has a good location in Yanqing with the overall weather forecast system, about 80 km northwest of Beijing city centre. It has an area of 211,788 square meters with one mixed concrete runway of 800 meters long and 30 meters wide as well as one parking apron of 12,000 square meters.

The main aviation facilities include the airport waiting hall  of 3,000 square meters, a hangar of 900 square meters, a working space of 650 square meters and living quarters of 1,000 suqare meters.

The Robinson R44 Helicopter

There are four Robinson R44 Helicopters that cater to the aerial tour of Badaling Great Wall. It is a four-seat light helicopter produced by the Robinson Helicopter Company. Based on the company's two-seat Robinson R22, the R44 features hydraulically assisted flight controls.

Now it is one of the most welcome light helicopters in the world. The helicopters are known for a smooth ride and exceptional visibility from within the spacious cabins. The Robinson R44 is 11.6 meters long,  1.6 meters high; maximum speed: 250 km/h, and range: 560 km.

Beijing Aerial Travel Tips

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Tip: Hassle-free Beijing Guided Tours

If you don’t want to go the do-it-yourself route and prefer the hassle-free escorted tours,  here are some options for Beijing guided tours:

Further Readings

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