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Al Ain International Airport - 27th January 2010Al Ain Aeroatic Show 2010 Off To A Racing Start
Spectacular show looks set for record breaking attendance
The 2010 Al Ain Aerobatic Show, which got off to a racing start at Al Ain International Airport today, looks set to pull in record crowds this weekend with its impressive line up of some of the world’s top pilots performing spectacular aerobatics over the awe-inspiring desert of Abu Dhabi’s ‘Oasis City’.
The show - the world’s only aerobatic spectacle that combines military and civil aircraft, stunt displays and competitions - is 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.
Faisal Al Sheikh, Event Manager of Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA), which organisers the event, says the sheer uniqueness of the event is driving visitor attendance. "The four day show is unlike any other in the world,” he said. “This year’s show is bigger and better than ever before with 23 teams from around the world taking part with more than 45 aircraft on display. We have secured some of the very best display teams and solo pilots here at Al Ain, and with live streaming coverage over the web on days three and four, the show is likely to attract its biggest audience ever.”
Setting the standard for others to follow was a member of the Red Gnats team flying a powerful supersonic jet to showcase its impressive capabilities, prior to a duo of Gnats joining forces later in the afternoon. The Falland Gnats had once been used by the famous Red Arrows before they had switched to Hawk aircraft. The Red Gnats are performing at Al Ain for the very first time in the Middle East.
Barely had it touched down when it was the turn of the first of the three Aero GP races of the afternoon, practising and getting warmed up for the actual competition that starts properly on Thursday. Aero GP, which is known as the Formula 1 of Air Racing, is a multi-discipline aero triathlon, featuring pylon racing (with six aircraft competing in the air at the same time) a one-on-one dogfight and a precision targeting ‘barnstorming’ challenge. Six teams from five countries are competing.
In the first of the contests – the dogfight - two aircraft at a time tried to manoeuvre themselves onto the tails of their opponents tailing them for a full three seconds in order to count as a ‘kill’. At times the aircraft appeared to defy gravity and the known laws of physics as they jumped around the sky, avoiding their opponents. Eventually, however, a trail of smoke marked the vanquished, whilst the winner performed a victory roll.
Jacquie Warda, from the USA was next up, flying a Pitts Special biplane The Only Female Pilot At Al Ain, and performing for the very first time in the Middle East, she looped the loop and hung in mid air. The most spectacular part of her routine was a manoeuvre she calls the 'Jack Screw' that starts with a -4 G push to the vertical and then tumbles upwards 3 or 4 times and then falls out into a flat spin.
With precision formation flying from a number of fighter jet aircraft teams filling the skies with the roar of powerful engines and leaving vapour trails in their wake, the performances of the smaller players still held the visitors spellbound in equal measure.
A sure-fire crowd pleaser was Ali Ozturk – Turkey’s leading display pilot, flying an Acromach Super S2S in a solo display in which he threw his 350HP ‘Purple Violet’ across the skies in gay abandon, trailing thick smoke as it screwed through the air, pulling back to fly through his own smoke trails. Ali has been flying solo aerobatics since the turn of the century with over 4,500 hours and over 360 air shows to his credit.
The Al Ain Aerobatic Show 2010 is hosted by Abu Dhabi Airports Company and is supported by an extensive list of sponsors including gold sponsors, Etihad; Pilatus; Al Ain Water and Abu Dhabi National Hotels along with silver sponsors Mubadala Aerospace; Abu Dhabi Aircraft Technologies (ADAT); Al Ain Municipality and Panasonic. Costa is the official retailer and has partnered 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. Emirates Motor Company – the authorised general distributor for Mercedes-Benz in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain and flagship company for Al Fahim Group – is providing 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)
