Dubai: Look to the skies this week as the Dubai Airshow’s family-friendly Skyview takes off. The new feature at the biannual airshow gives the UAE’s airplane geeks of all ages a chance to watch aircraft displays and meet the people who fly them, from Monday-Thursday with 6,000 grandstand seats right next to the runway.
Although tickets to Skyview — Dh60 (adults) and Dh30 (children) — do not give entry to the Airshow’s static displays, they do give front-row views of the airborne acrobatics by the UAE’s aerobatic team, Al Fursan, and the UK’s Red Arrows, as well as displays by military and commercial aircraft taking place daily from 2pm to 4.30pm.
Al Fursan kick off the aerobatics, followed by displays by F-16s, the commercial Airbus 380 superjumbo, the short take-off and landing M-28, the Eurofighter Typhoon and France’s Rafale and the new Airbus A 400m military transport turbo-prop, among others.
The RAF’s Red Arrows, flying in their BAE Systems Hawk T1s — hitting a top speed of Mach 1.2 — round off the displays at 4.28pm daily.
If you want to chat to the people at the controls of the aircraft, pilots will be meeting guests daily between 2pm to 6pm.
There’s plenty more to do, especially for children, with KidZania on the Go, a shuttle bouncy castle, space bouncy castle, space rocket game and a human space-ball as well as an arts and crafts area.
For any pilot hopefuls, UAE flying school Horizon have brought their flight simulator along.
There are also food and beverage stands at the venue, which is close to the airshow’s new, permanent Dubai World Central location in Jebel Ali. To get there, take the Metro to Jebel Ali station and then one of the free shuttle buses to the Airshow site.
Tickets are available from the venue or online at www.skyview.aero.
Skyview aircraft display timetable
14:00 Al Fursan
14:27 F-16
14:36 Mirage 2000-9
14:45 AB 380
14:53 M-28 (Sikorsky)
15:00 Typhoon
15:10 Rafale
15:20 B-1B
15:25 F-22
15:28 P-8A (Poseidon)
15:38 Antonov-158
15:45 JF-17
15:55 F-18 Super Hornet
16:07 Super Mushak
16:14 AB 400M
16:22 Emirates/Al Fursan - Fly by
16:28 Red Arrows
