Love Affairs in Melbourne-Chapter 82 - 79 Simple Probability

Qi Yi accurately found the right person and asked the right question.

But in the end, Qi Yi did not harbor much hope for the answer Ian would give.

After all, Yan Yan had already reached the airport, and now it was Rush Hour.

No matter what the method, it was basically improbable to reach the airport within an hour.

"It takes 10 minutes," Ian replied to Qi Yi.

"10? How?" Qi Yi wanted to make sure he hadn’t misheard.

"We’d book a helicopter when in a hurry," Ian answered. freewebnøvel.com

Helicopters in China, even up to this point, were definitely impossible to use casually as a means of transportation.

Because, whether high altitude or low, airspace is controlled.

So in China, even if you had the money to buy a helicopter, after purchasing it, it could only serve as a showpiece.

This was not without precedent, as early as in the 1990s, there were groups of bosses in Wenzhou who purchased private planes—over a dozen people, each with their own aircraft—but these were private planes, not helicopters.

After buying them, they would rent parking spaces at the airport, waiting for the convenient days when they could fly anywhere.

However, without the opening of general aviation airspace, having a plane without a route meant the private aircraft was just a display. (note 1)

Those planes, if not leased to an airline for management, were likely to never legally soar through the sky until they were scrapped.

In China, if you rented a private plane, you might end up with one owned by some big shot, like Zhao Benshan’s.

Because, even if you had the money for pilots, you couldn’t establish your own routes.

But in the United States, since 80% of the airspace is open, general aviation is well-developed, and using helicopters as transportation is not something rare.

Ian told Qi Yi that in Manhattan alone, there were three heliports offering services to Newark International Airport.

Helicopters are not private planes, and the price is not as exorbitant as one might imagine—around 900 US dollars for a flight.

Helicopters to Newark Airport can accommodate six people per trip; if you calculate per person, it amounts to a bit over a hundred dollars.

However, whether two people or six people ride, the price is the same—the cost per trip is fixed.

Generally speaking, those who opt for helicopter rides to catch flights are many times not willing to share the trip with others.

For Wall Street bankers with six-figure starting salaries, seven figures also being common, 900 dollars isn’t considered particularly extravagant.

After all, it’s not every day that there’s an urgent need to save time.

But, after inquiring, there was another problem in front of Qi Yi that couldn’t be solved.

Helicopter rides required reservation, and Qi Yi had no prior knowledge of these heliports in Manhattan.

Researching, then booking, and also finding the place—all these activities would take time.

Going through this process might not save much time compared to traveling by land.

During orientation training, there were so many people; Qi Yi chose to ask Ian after calculating the probabilities in his mind.

Through the simplest probability calculations, one could quickly and effectively identify the person most likely to help.

Qi Yi had asked Ian, who was in a rush to catch a plane.

Ian was on his way to Newark Airport with his two assistants.

And the transportation Ian had already booked was a helicopter.

Getting help from the right person could be highly efficient.

Since he was headed there anyway and had spare seats, taking Qi Yi along was no trouble at all.

Probability isn’t all that arcane. Every person, consciously or subconsciously, carries out these kinds of calculations in their mind.

And thus, Qi Yi had already arrived at the airport, while Yan Yan hadn’t even started the entry procedures.

"How did you get here?" Yan Yan was a bit surprised to see Qi Yi, holding a bouquet, at the airport to receive her.

Even though it was her first time in the United States, today’s entry went very smoothly.

Yan Yan didn’t have checked luggage nor did she carry excessive cash.

She had no items that needed declaring and wasn’t subjected to a Secondary Inspection.

In short, she had come out much earlier than she had anticipated.

Normally, it was impossible for Qi Yi to have made it to the airport to pick her up.

"Of course, I flew here on wings," Qi Yi said after giving the flowers to Yan Yan, hugging her along with the bouquet.

"Uh, public place, can you be mindful of the surroundings?" Yan Yan was a bit overwhelmed by the hug.

"In NYC’s public places, this kind of hug is fashionable," Qi Yi didn’t immediately let go despite Yan Yan’s words.

Qi Yi had been "scared" by Yan Yan once at the Victorian State Library in Melbourne; he wouldn’t make the same mistake twice. What did public places matter if he wasn’t doing anything that truly affected the public image?

"Great Mathematician, you didn’t calculate that I would come, right?" Yan Yan looked at Qi Yi with eyes shining, after he had finished hugging her.

"Besides finding you, have I ever used mathematical methods on you?" Qi Yi also stared at Yan Yan, his hands still on her shoulders, feeling that only by holding her could he be sure that the Yan Yan in front of him was real.

"Then what did you use?" Yan Yan’s smile was radiant, and her tone had more cuteness to it.

"With my heart," Qi Yi let go of Yan Yan’s shoulders, took the luggage from one of her hands, and with the other hand, grabbed the hand not holding flowers, leading her outside.

"Uh, men who frequently mingle among beautiful women are different. Sweet talk just rolls off the tongue," Yan Yan let Qi Yi lead her away, her voice mildly chiding, but her heart was very pleased.

.........

note 1:

General Aviation refers to the segment of civil aviation that excludes the commercial airline-operated passenger and cargo transportation. Simply put: Civil Aviation = Commercial + General Aviation.

General Aviation covers a much broader range than Commercial Aviation. It encompasses everything from emergency rescue and medical airlift to drones used for taking selfies.

General Aviation has been discussed in China for many years, relevant policies and regulations have long been issued, but nobody knows how to implement these policies practically.

At the end of the 1990s, even before policies were in place, those who bought private planes already perished on the beach.

In recent years, those who eagerly jumped into the general aviation pit soon after the policies were released have been buried on that beach.

In 2017, the concept of general aviation rouses attention once more.

Many believe they’ve seen the dawn of a massive market opportunity in general aviation.

Hopefully, this time, someone can sail through the winds and waves.

note 2:

NYC stands for New York City.