Zhang Hong and his father at Chongqing Longxing General Airport, preparing to take the helicopter back to their hometown. (Photo by Shi Tao/Diyiyan TV-CQNEWS)

Chongqing - On December 31, at 14:38, a red 5-seat Enstrom 480B helicopter took off from Chongqing Longxing General Airport. By 15:12, it had landed in Jinping Village, Wulong District.

The pilot was 43-year-old Zhang Hong, and his 69-year-old father was aboard. Zhang chose this unique way to return home for the New Year, fulfilling his father's dream of "flying back to the hometown." What used to take two and a half hours by road was now reduced to just over half an hour by helicopter.

Zhang Hong and his father board the helicopter, ready for departure. (Photo by Shi Tao/Diyiyan TV-CQNEWS)

Zhang is a low-altitude flying enthusiast, working in areas involving surveying, mapping, and geographic information. He began exploring low-altitude flights in 2017 and purchased the red Enstrom 480B helicopter this September.

He said that his parents usually lived in Jinping Village, Heshun Town, Wulong District, but recently, his father came to stay with him in the city's downtown area. With the New Year approaching, Zhang planned to return to his hometown with his father. Since his father had never flown in a helicopter and was concerned about traffic congestion during the holiday, Zhang decided to fly his father back home.

The helicopter takes off from Chongqing Longxing General Airport. (Photo by Shi Tao/Diyiyan TV-CQNEWS)

Zhang Qiyou, aged 69, was flying in a helicopter for the first time. He was thrilled, admiring the scenic views and occasionally asking his son about the places below.

As they neared their destination, the helicopter circled in the air, and the elderly man looked down at his village, where he had lived most of his life. He marveled at the changes in his hometown from a new perspective.

At 15:12, the helicopter landed in Jinping Village, with the landing spot just about 100 meters from Zhang Hong's doorstep.

"That was so fast! My seat wasn't even warm, and we were already home!" said Zhang Qiyou. He added that he felt no discomfort during the entire flight and had a great experience.

Zhang Hong noted that when he used to drive from the city's downtown to his hometown, the journey was about 150 kilometers and took around two and a half hours. This time, flying by helicopter only took a little over 30 minutes.

Zhang Hong's mother, left, comes to greet the father and son, with Zhang's house visible in the background. (Photo/Zhang Hong)

At home, Zhang Hong's mother had prepared a delicious feast, and the family was ready to welcome the New Year.

With the development of Chongqing's low-altitude economy, people's travel methods are undergoing a profound transformation. They are becoming increasingly convenient and diverse.

Chen Yu, the head of the airspace group othe f low-altitude divisioof n the Chongqing Municipal Military-Civilian Integration Office, said that by the end of 2025, municipal-level class A flight service stations will be operational. Low-altitude users can submit flight plans via "Yukuaiban,” the online government service platform of Chongqing, and "Yukuaizheng,” Chongqing's collaborative office cloud platform, and flight applications will be processed through a one-stop online system. For the general public, the dream of "flying whenever you want" will no longer be just a dream.

(Diyiyan TV-CQNEWS contributed the Chinese version of this report.)