There’s finally a cool reason to pop on those aviators and stare at the skies that doesn’t involve shielding your eyes from the sun. What it does involve is looking at squadrons of fighter jets, helicopters and more flying close to the sun and putting on a show of a lifetime at the Dubai Airshow. Running from November 13-17 at a purpose-built venue in the Dubai World Central (DWC), an array of skilled international aerobatics teams will be performing daily at the annual airshow.
Which aerobatics teams will be performing at the Dubai Airshow?
While the airshow and its many conferences and events are only open to aviation & aerospace industry professionals, the thrilling sky-high action of air display teams is open to the public. A special viewing arena called Skyview Grandstand is where aviation aficionados and adrenaline junkies can watch the world’s top pilots flying high-end military and luxury aircrafts.
You can see the flying aces from national air forces such as UAE’s Fursan Al Emarat, India’s Sarang, the Frecce Tricolori from Italy and China’s August 1st zoom across the skies performing a series of spectacular loops, hammerheads, spins and rolls of extraordinary precision. We’ve exhausted our glossary of aerial manoeuvres.
How to get to the Skyview Grandstand?
Located in DWC, near the Al Maktoum Airport, special public transport has been rolled out to make the event easy to get to. FREE RTA shuttle buses run from Ibn Battuta Metro station to the Dubai Airshow site from 11am to 7pm. There are also taxis for hire available at the show based on availability.
Timings of the aerial displays
Each day, the Skyview Grandstand will throw open its doors from 1pm and will be accessible to the general public until 5:30pm. The aerial displays will start at 2pm and wrap up at 5pm, daily until November 17 and be mindful that seating inside the Skyview Grandstand is on a first-come-first-serve basis.
Other things to see and do at the Dubai Airshow
There’s more to do around the Dubai Airshow besides gazing slack-jawed at the aerial stunts and fly-bys. Audiences will have a chance to meet and greet pilots from aerobatics teams as well as astronauts, including the UAE’s first female astronaut, Namira Salim and former NASA astronaut Mike Bloomfield. The flying display agenda is confirmed closer to the show dates and can be found here.
Once the roars of engines die down, military bands and live DJs will turn up the volume and keep visitors entertained in a shaded picnic area stacked with food stalls selling snacks and bites.
The airshow makes for a fun afternoon out with your friends, family or kids, even if your only connection to that jet-setting lifestyle has been watching Top Gun. So, grab the Goose to your Maverick and slip out of the office a little early this week to catch some spectacular (visual) flights!