Off the couch, into the skies

Birthdays, anniversaries or just a special day out with the family, HT’s chopper rides took Mumbaiites on a journey of a lifetime

Radhika Parthasarathy had the birthday of a lifetime when she turned 17 on Saturday. The Class 12 student from Nerul was on a helicopter ride with her family from the Juhu aerodrome as part of Hindustan Times’ No TV Day campaign.

HT Image

Several families and couples enjoyed a bird’s-eye view of the city as Hindustan Times organised 16 chopper rides to encourage citizens to step out of their homes and shun the television set for a day.

“I was really happy that I could celebrate my birthday with a helicopter ride, and this has to be the best birthday gift for me,” said Parthasarathy. “It was a beautiful experience to see the city from a whole new angle,” she said.

For 67-year-old Mudrika Shah, the helicopter ride on No TV Day was her first experience traveling by air, as she had never had the opportunity to board an aeroplane. “I wanted to experience air travel at least once in my lifetime, and I thank Hindustan Times for giving me this wonderful opportunity,” said Shah, a Girgaum resident.

Another senior citizen, Narottam Upadhyay, 69, came in spiritedly with the support of his walker and his 65-year-old wife to go airborne for the first time.

For Sion resident Rajesh Shah and his wife, the chopper ride was a celebratory moment as they brought in their 27th wedding anniversary on Saturday.

“This was one of the best ways to have spent our wedding anniversary,” said Shah. “My wife was very excited about the chopper ride and we thoroughly enjoyed the experience,” he said.

Families came in with children who were visibly thrilled. For 15-year-old Ayesha Khan, the best part about her ride was seeing Essel World from the air. “All the rides looked so tiny. I loved the experience,” said Khan, a Vikhroli resident.