Sky’s the limit: Chinese airline training college flies helicopter, paragliders to launch academic year

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A helicopter was featured in the ceremony marking the new academic year at a Chengdu vocational school. Photo: SCMP Pictures

Published: 12:29pm, 13 Sep 2016Updated: 1:10pm, 13 Sep 2016

A private vocational school in southwestern China celebrated the beginning of the new academic year on Monday with a ceremony featuring a helicopter, paragliders and European dancers wearing bikinis, mainland media reports.

Two students light torches before a procession, as students line up on the sports field during the event to mark the start of the new academic year at a college in Chengdu. Photo: SCMP Pictures

Students dressed in military uniforms display the school flag the procession during the ceremony. Photo: SCMP Pictures

More than 100,000 netizens watched the live-streaming of the event held in Chengdu East Star Airlines Travel College, in the city of Chengdu, the China News Service reported.

During the ceremony, students dressed in military uniforms unfurled a school flag from a helicopter, which landed in the centre of the playground.

The 10,000 students who attended the ceremony also saw paragliders bearing the school name flying over their heads.

A group of people flying paragliders pass overhead as part of the ceremony. Photo: SCMP Pictures

Thousands of flight attendant students at the school gave a sign-language performance on the playground, while others wearing long pleated dresses and flower crowns walked on a red carpet carrying torches.