鄧永鏘（DavidTang）
中國會、上海灘創辦人
Thesilhouettes,Iwouldneverforget,ofabattalionofhelicoptersbehindahugered-burningsun;theirbladesspinninginthewaveringheat,hovering,edgingforwardsandbackwards,inchingupanddown-then,suddenly,straightatyou,withtheblastingsoundsoftheRideoftheValkyries,whowereofcourseWagner'sgreatwarrior-maidens,daughtersoftheRingleaderWotan,gatheringatarockypeak.Thetensionwasimmense.Itwastheverysinewofexcitement!Itallcame,youwillremember,fromthefamoussequenceinthatseminalfilm"ApocalypseNow".Whatanimpressionitmadeonme!
AtthetimeIwasyoungandIcouldn'twaittogetintoahelicopter.Iwantedtheviewfromwithinthehelicopter,notfromoutsideofit.Iwantedtopilotthemachine.Iwantedtohoverupanddown-tiltingtothesides,surgingforwardandliftinganddiving!Itwasaveryboyishwish,butlikesomanyimpressionsmadeonuswherewewereyoung,thisfilmleftanindeliblemarkonmewithhelicopters.Ihadn'tbeeninahelicopteruptillthen,andallIwantedtodoafterwardswastogetintoone!
BackinHongKong,Iwasofferedaride.Icouldhardlycontainmyexcitement,andIremembervividlythesheermagicofthatmachine,ostensiblyfirstthoughtofbyLeonardodaVinci,whenittookoff.Itseemedtomethatitwashumaningenuitydefyinglogic-anaircraftthatwasabletoliftoffverticallyandmovearoundwithutterversatility.NeitherdidIforgetthejoyofseeingHongKongfromthesky-alltheskyscrapers,punctuatedbylow-risesandthegreenhills-somanyofthem,andtheglimmeringwatersbelowwithislandsscatteredround,andtheharbourfullofboatsandshipsandbarges,andoccasionally,Iwouldspotahouseonthepeakoracoupleoffish-farmsoffSaiKung-andofcourseIsawtheoldKaiTaiairportwithitsunceasingtrafficofaircrafts,liftingintoandglidingacrossandlandingfromthesky.Itwasatourofalife-time-anotherimpressionwhichmarkedayoungdream,andsuddenly,itwasnotafantasyofmenacingwarwithwarlordsandWagnerianwarriors,butarealityofbeautyoveracityofwhichIwasproudtobeacitizen.
AndsoIhavealwaysurgedanyvisitortoHongKongtotakeahelicopterrideasitisawonderfulwaytoappreciateanintimatecitylikeHongKong.Andforthosewhohavenotbeeninahelicopterbefore,Icommendyoutodosoattheearliestopportunity,asitisathrillwhichgivesenormouspleasure.MygreatfriendJenniferMurray,whohaslivedinHongKongfor30years,is,asIwritethis,circlingtheworldinahelicopterfrompoletopole.Nobodyhasdonethatbefore,andasarecorder-holderalready,she,Iknow,willachieveanotheraccoladeinafewmonths'time.IamnotsureifInecessarilywanttogoaroundtheworldinahelicopter,buttherearecrazypeoplelikeJenniferMurray!IamcontenttocircleroundHongKong,andoccasionallygetintoonetogettoMacau,foritissoeasynow-15minutesandbingo,youareinfrontofallthosevulgar,butenticingcasinos!
IdohopemoreandmorepeopleinHongKongwillhavetheopportunitytorideinhelicopters.IgathertherewillsoonbeaheliportinWanchai-Idon'tquiteunderstandwhytheoldonewasgotridof,butthisGovernmentbehavesstrangelyattimes!Whenthatheliportstartsagain,Ihopelotsoflocalsandvisitorswilltakearideandseesomeofthethingswhichwedon'tnoticeproperlyfromtheground-wewillseeclearlyhowtheharbourshouldn'tbefilledinanymore;wewillseethelandonwhichtheWest-Kowloonculturalcentrewillbebuilt,ifitisevertobebuilt;orhowLei-Yue-MunisnowreducedtoaspotofinsignificancewithnoTaiwaneseflagallowedtoflutter;orhowmarvelloustheMacLehosetriallooksinthelushSaiKungcountrypark.Fromtheair,youwillseethegood,thebad,andtheuglyofHongKong!