A hotel developer is reaching for the skies to attract China's wealthy elite.

In a move that is both marketing gimmick and a bold step for civilian aviation, the Fizi Real Estate Development Company is offering buyers access to private helicopters and a plane.

The company launched the Fizi Private Aviation Club on August 12, barely two months after the country's first authorized private flight route was opened on June 5.

Civil aviation authorities in East China have backed the club to develop more private pilots.

Membership is free for those who qualify, but qualifying isn't easy. The club only accepts people who have bought or invested in the company's hotels, resorts or villas.

The first helicopter to which members of the club have access is a Robinson R22, which Fizi officials say can be used to fly between properties.

According to airliner.net, the R22 is a two-seat helicopter comparable in price to a light aircraft and has been used by police forces and news agencies.

The company owns two other helicopters and a fixed-wing Cirrus SR22 plane.

The Private Aviation Club is based at Shanghai Longhua Airport, where members have a garage and a bar. There is another base at Fengxian, and a third, featuring a luxury clubhouse, is still under construction at Tianmu Lake.

"With the constant growth of the Chinese economy, extravagant spending and extreme experiences have become the pursuit of more and more (people)," said Chen Zaochun, chairman of the Fizi group.

"The pursuit of flying, which has been quite popular abroad, is almost absent in China."

Fizi has invested heavily in the flying club in an effort to cultivate the fledgeling market, company Vice-President Jin Jian said in a release.

The goal of the flying club is more than just to offer quick trips to rich folks - company officials say they want to take advantage of the "tremendous potential for development in the private aviation field."

The company is planning to build at least five hotels next year and plans to keep a similar rate of growth in the near future.

(China Daily August 23, 2005)