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Aerial Displays Wow Show’s Spectators

DUBAI — Flight fanatics were treated to a scintillating first day at the Dubai Airshow on Sunday, with a host of state-of-the-art aircraft vying to outdo one another during an eardrum-pounding afternoon display programme.

Daredevil stunt team Patrouille de France (which translates as ‘The French Patrol’) kicked off proceedings, enchanting crowds at the Airport Expo with a high-speed show that combined Gallic flair with split-second precision.

Shooting out ‘Tricolore’ plumes of red, white and blue, the French Air Force demonstration fleet performed a series of synchronised manoeuvres during their half-hour slot. The crowd-pleasing highlight came when the team’s Alphajets painted a giant heart across the sky – showcasing the dedication of the French to romance, even while fighting G-force pressures.

While lacking the zip of its nimbler peers, the Airbus A380 gave an assured display of its capabilities. The double-decker airliner, elephantine in comparison to many of the daintier craft on display, progressed steadily yet triumphantly on its seven-minute circuit over the airfield.

Minutes later, this was juxtaposed with the decibel-ripping Eurofighter Typhoon from the UK’s Royal Air Force, which bulldozed its way to the crowd’s attention with a peacock display of poise and power.

Other military craft on the day included the F-22 Raptor, courtesy of the US Air Force, which introduced itself with a darting vertical ascent before chopping between bouts of quiet hovering and thunderous bursts of speed.

The only non-winged participant in the programme was the Eurocopter Tiger HAT – an attack helicopter boasting a cannnon under its nose and two rocket launchers. Not one to be messed with, the camouflaged chopper showed of an unexpected versatility with a late loop.

The programme ended as it began, with another acrobatic aerial display, this time from the Italian Air Force’s Frecce Tricolori (translated as ‘The Three-Coloured Arrows’). The 10-plane fleet raced into the public’s view in a triangle formation, before breaking into a series of stunts not unlike those of their French counterparts – though obviously replacing the plume of French blue with the green of Italy’s flag.

“The display which impressed me most was the A380. It’s such a huge plane, and they’ve done it very nicely,” software engineer Sundaram Manimaran said after the aerial show.

“But I enjoyed every display; this is the first time I’ve seen such a thing. The military helicopter going up and down and rotating was an amazing experience for me – I’ve never seen a helicopter doing anything like it,” he said.

“I hope I have the chance to see many more such displays during the Airshow.”

adam@khaleejtimes.com