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Al Ain - 21st January 2010Al Ain Aerobatic Show To Host Miss Demeanour Mid East Debut
Miss Demeanour, a vintage Hawker Hunter aircraft with eye-catching livery, looks set to be the ‘belle of the ball’ as she makes her Middle Eastern debut at this month’s Al Ain Aerobatic Show.
Miss Demeanour’s owner Jonathon Whaley, an ex-Royal Navy and Fleet Air Arm pilot, will be showing off the single seat, high speed civilianised jet fighter to crowds at the show, the Middle East’s premier aerobatics event, when it takes to the skies over Al Ain International Airport from January 27-30.
"The standard Hawker Hunter was operated by many countries in the Gulf area," said Whaley, a veteran pilot who started flying in 1965, "Although Miss Demeanour has been modified she is, if you like, bringing her family back to familiar territory.”
Miss Demeanour’s flight routine will remain under wraps until Whaley inspects the Al Ain site. "My displays are only planned ahead in a broad brush aspect, unless I have flown the display site regularly," he explained. "I have a selection of manoeuvres that I link together depending on the display site, but my routines will also change depending on whether or not the display starts on take-off and ends on landing, or an overhead arrival and then departing after the display.”
Miss Demeanour’s name, said Whaley, "came out of the blue many years ago when I promised myself my first warbird would have a name and I enjoyed the double meaning. It’s not a felony to paint a Hunter so colourfully - it's just a 'Miss Demeanour'!"
Whaley believes his warbird will be a bit hit with Al Ain crowds – particularly her routine spectacular – a jet fighter flying past with the canopy open and the pilot waving!
“She’s a classic British Jet Fighter in a paint scheme that I designed to show off the beautiful lines of this historic aircraft marque. I will fly her with gusto and, I hope, demonstrate just how much I enjoy flying her, in the hope that my level of enjoyment is matched by the audience,” said Whaley.
Miss Demeanour will appear on all four days of the show – the eighth in the series, flying against the backdrop of one of the world’s oldest desert oasis settlements. She will join the biggest ever line-up in the history of the event with 23 international teams taking part.
“The diversity of the show this time around is truly impressive,” said Faisal Al Sheikh, Manager Major Events, Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA), which presents the event. “The mix of military and civil aircraft – a unique selling point of this event – will provide an intriguing snap-shot of aviation down the ages.”
Spectators are also in for a host of activities, both on the ground and in the air. They will be able to get up close to inspect a number of aircraft used by Al Ain’s Aviation Academy and enjoy entertainment and refreshments in the expanded Spectator Village.
Held under the patronage of HH General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, the event is hosted by Abu Dhabi Airports Company, organised by ADTA and the UAE Air Force and is supported by an extensive list of sponsors. These include gold sponsors Etihad, Pilatus, Al Ain Water and Abu Dhabi National Hotels, along with silver sponsors Mubadala Aerospace, ADAT, Al Ain Municipality and Panasonic. Costa is the official retailer which will partner with The National, a leading UAE English language daily newspaper, to create ‘The National Costa Coffee Lounge’ – a relaxed venue to grab a coffee and paper. Mercedes Benz meanwhile will provide the official vehicles.
Daily tickets for the show are pegged at last year’s prices - Dhs40 per adult and Dhs25 for children between three and 10 years. Children under the age of three get in free. They can be bought via www.timeouttickets.com or from a special Toll Free hotline: 800 4669.
For more information – www.alainaerobaticshow.com or call 800 555 (within UAE)
