Check out this daring five-year-old from Jiangsu province. On Saturday evening, he piloted a Bee 3-type ultra-light aircraft across Beijing Wildlife Park, which is… cute? Dangerous? Irresponsible of the father?
The father, of course, is the notorious “Eagle Dad,” He Liesheng, somewhat of a publicity hound (it would appear) and the worst type of suckerfish, attaining fame through others. The “other” in this case is Duoduo, whom he made run through New York City snow last February (“Look at the camera!”), and then put him out to sea alone, and then made him climb Mt. Fuji.
After this latest stunt, He told Jiangsu-based Modern Express that his son could be the world’s youngest person to fly a plane, which seems like it could be true. It all depends on how far one flies and whether getting an official pilot’s license counts, but we haven’t found a recorded instance of someone younger than five years old steering from the cockpit.
The short flight, as described by Global Times, may have been psychologically less scarring than the snow and sailing thing, and it appears to have been safe — the child was accompanied by an actual pilot — but that it involves He Liesheng makes it somewhat revolting all the same.
The total distance that Duoduo flew is 30 kilometers, according to Zhang Yonghui, the person in charge of an aviation club where Duoduo learned to fly an aircraft.
He Liesheng told the Global Times that he wants his son to become braver by flying a plane and develop his curiosity and desire to explore.
We don’t doubt He loves his boy in his own sort of intense, incomprehensible way. We would just hate to see him get his biggest spotlight through a stunt gone wrong. Perhaps he’d like to get in the plane with his son next time, if the cautionary tale of seven-year-old Jessica Dubroff doesn’t scare him off first.
(Images via Sina)
This man is a tit amongst tits. Unfortunately for his son, a dangerous nationalist tit amongst tits. What’s not reported in China about his Mt. Fuji stunt is that he ignored repeated warnings that the weather was dangerous for climbing, quite apart from the season being over. Nevertheless, caring dad that he is, he proceeded to scale a barrier and expose his son (and daughter, but being a true son of Han I guess she doesn’t count for him) to extreme danger. The Daily Telegraph: “…Mr He noticed that “unlike a lot of Chinese mountains, Mount Fuji does not have steps. The mountain also did not have anywhere to stop for food along the way, while shelters were boarded up for the off season. Mr He had also packed inappropriate rations and no waterproofs…”
Result? After getting half way up and waving his pathetic banner at the camera he had to be ignominiously rescued by Japanese park rangers.
Now just imagine the reaction in China if some raving Japanese right wing nut climbed the Great Wall or Emeishan with his son and and waved a red and white banner proclaiming the “Senkakus are Japanese”? Just ponder that for a moment.
Given Eagle Dad’s form I’d say the next ‘event’ we’ll see is a one-family landing attempt on the islands in question – no doubt in pursuit of a Guinness record for youngest amphibious assault commando.