Go on a seaplane? Me? To be honest, I'm not exactly sure what my editor was thinking when he sent me on this assignment. One, I've never flown in a light aircraft before. Two, I can't swim! But here I am at the Jebel Ali Golf Resort and Spa, where the Seawings seaplane operation is based, accompanied by our photographer Kishore.

‘I'm a real estate journalist. What are we doing catching a seaplane?' I wonder.

Surprise number two came when we are told to to pass through a customs gate and security check. This isn't an elaborate plot to send us home, is it? We are asked to produce our passports, then instructed to walk down the wharf towards the boarding point, where the Cessna Caravan bobs on its floats.

Captain Cameron Leslie, director of flight operations and chief pilot, welcomes us on board. “I have had nothing but a fantastic time here so far,'' he says. (I'm guessing that he can swim.) There are nine passengers including us. Once we fasten our seat belts and settle in, the pilot briefs us on the safety measures, the route and the flight specifications. And then we are ready for take off.

No duty free shopping

Being on a small aircraft for the first time, let alone a seaplane, naturally my hands are shaking. After a few moments of nervousness, we are airborne and the nerves give way to excitement. “So, do you fly passengers from all across the globe?'' I ask the pilot, without taking my eyes off the mind-boggling scenery below – Palm Jebel Ali, Dubai Marina, Palm Jumeriah and the Burj Al Arab. “We fly people from all around the world. Every flight is different and every person you fly has a different story to tell you. We interact with our passengers and it has been a lovely experience so far. The response has been tremendous,'' says Cameron.

At this point, there is a roar of excitement from my fellow passengers and looking down we can see The World islands. “Tourists and residents of Dubai go around Dubai in cars, limos or buses,'' says Cameron. “But once you go up in the sky, it's a different world altogether. People have only heard of The World islands, but our flight takes you right above them and you get to see exactly what they are and why they're so named.''

Does Cameron get bored of flying the same route many times a day? “Each flight is a different experience,'' he says. “We have the advantage of finding out where everyone is from and what they do before the flight, so we have something to work with. We share our experiences with them and vice versa. We are also able to learn and communicate in different languages as our passengers come from all over the world. There are some wonderful Dubai-related stories as well which people share with us, especially natives of Dubai.''

Soon we are flying close to the Burj Dubai, the world's tallest building, and Cameron shares his experience of flying someone involved in the development. “I recently flew one of the project managers of Burj Dubai and he was talking about various aspects of the construction of the project. It's interesting to know what goes on from his side. I got to know first-hand info about the project.''

Judging from the tone of his voice, Cameron is still in awe of the imposing structure, despite having seen it many times. The sights below continue to mesmerise me – the ever-busy Shaikh Zayed Road, Dubai Sports City, The Greens and many more.

Up in the air?

My doubts about the trip's purpose are cleared when Cameron starts talking about the company's real estate flights. So what exactly is this all about, and how does it work? “The concept of real estate flights, although not new in Western countries, is the first of its kind in the UAE. Seawings is introducing real estate flights soon to take the property buying process to the next level. We can fly buyers to specific developments such as Palm Jumeirah, Palm Jebel Ali and The World islands.''

The seaplane operation plans to conduct real estate flights once a week. These will be sponsored by one of the developers, so that people can actually see what they are buying. “That's an added advantage for them and developers would love to do it. As a first step, we have already flown passengers to The World islands to see the property they wanted to buy. We can take buyers really close to these developments, land on the development and show them what they are going to buy. It is value for money for them,'' said Cameron.

“I have done some real estate flights in Vancouver. It is a different way to see land or property, so it gives you the best vantage points. It is probably new in this part of the world. It all started with the Palm islands and The World. And then, a couple of months back, there was a major development coming up in Ras Al Khaimah which has since been put on hold. We received many requests from real estate companies and brokers who wanted us to fly them there and land near the development so that they could have a look at the property. To a certain extent, we were able to meet their requirements.'' Not requiring an airstrip, landing a seaplane does, however, require clearances.

“We have permissions to fly all over the UAE. It's only about those special requests we get for landing at a particular place. If it's RAK, we need to figure out where exactly passengers want to go, the landing facilities we will get there, which hotel or resort or beach we will land at. Also, we need to get landing permission from the RAK government. That's on a case by case basis.''

Flight of fancy

According to Seawings, the real estate flights can land on a particular development, allowing buyers to get off the flight and have a close look at the property that they want to invest in. Afterwards, they will be flown back to Jebel Ali. As mentioned, the developers will bear the cost of the excursion, not the potential buyers. It all sounds very interesting – but it remains to be seen how many investors will be drawn to this unique property viewing method, given the current market conditions.

Finally, the 40-minute journey above Dubai is about to come to an end. The setting sun marks the most appropriate end to a wonderful experience. Like credits rolling at the end of a film, the captain begins his spiel. “We are very excited about the real estate development happening in Dubai. The past one and a half years has been a phase of rapid growth in terms of real estate.''

Cameron thinks the property flights will really take off (so to speak) once the market gets back in full flight because most potential buyers are likely to be from abroad. “Most of the investors are not locals. They are from the US, Europe, the UK and other regions. So they would like to have a look at the property they want to invest in from all possible angles and Seawings gives them the opportunity to do this. The economic crisis has affected the industry, but it's just a matter of time before it picks up again.''

As he speaks of the market rising, we're descending. The plane glides in to land and comes to a halt quite suddenly, causing much spray and whitewash. The propellers continue to spin, and Cameron slowy manoeuvres the aircraft back to the wharf. Landing next to your new island home in the Gulf does sound like the stuff of dreams... very Dubai. But chances are, getting a mortgage to pay off your new home will be just as much an adrenaline rush.

Seawings

Tel: 04 811 6666
Enquiries: reservations@seawings.ae

By Binesh Panicker, Features Writer

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