A money quote-littered story in the New York Times reports on China’s newest micro-trend: black fliers, or hei fei. That is, wealthy private aircraft owners who fly clandestinely, sans flight plan or official permission, occasionally slamming into military and commercial aircraft in the process. Oh come on. Like you’ve never done that.
In China, however, there’s a very good reason for it. (Assuming you are super-rich.) Because getting permission to fly private aircraft is such a hassle in China, and the super-rich can afford the fines in the unlikely event they get caught (and of course because rolling up in the Bentley is such a déclassé move) they just take off. It’s the fastest way to get to the golf course, and besides, as one hei fei tells the Times, “secret flying is like secret love.”
Ian
Thursday, May 19, 2011 at 10:44 AMOff topic: You mean there are ‘super rich’ in Commy China?!
But, I thought communism was meant to ensure equality :P
Steve
Thursday, May 19, 2011 at 11:20 AMChina is by no means a “Communist” country not in the slightest. Media portrayals etc. Rant rant.
Steve
Thursday, May 19, 2011 at 1:44 PMYour mind is clearly stuck in the Cold War era if you still think China’s communist. They’ve embraced capitalism with a fervor that rivals 1920s America.
Why else do you think like 99% of the gadgets are now made in China?
To quote Jack Donaghy:
-Did your executives use company helicopters to dry their home tennis courts?
-Yes and no. Yes that did happen, no that didn’t not happen.
con
Thursday, May 19, 2011 at 1:53 PMsome people are more equal than others .
JT...
Thursday, May 19, 2011 at 11:21 AMSimilar to the problem with laws on selling drugs. They can sell placebos as real medicine (mostly exported) and get a small fine when caught but stuff like coke ect they go to jail for.. No wonder there’s a growing market.