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The Breitling Wingwalkers are set to take the Bahrain Air Show to new heights with dazzling aerobatic manoeuvres …1,000 feet above the ground.
It takes a special and brave individual to perform on the wing of a flying aircraft and the team of mavens provided by UK-based AeroSuperBatics is not short of either.
The AeroSuperBatics have been experts in display flying for more than 27 years, operating the Breitling Wingwalkers which are one of the best known and loved civilian air display acts in Europe.
The team of six pilots and seven glamorous female ‘walkers’ have performed at more than 2,500 different events and are thrilled to be adding the Bahrain Air Show to its long list.
The walkers urge GulfWeekly readers to come out to the Sakhir Airbase from tomorrow until Saturday to witness their routine, promising their aerial antics will not disappoint.
“There is so much to see and do and the show gives visitors the opportunity to experience one of the best flying displays in the Middle East. Come and see the Breitling Wingwalkers perform our breath-taking display!” team member Danielle ‘Bird’ Hughes told GulfWeekly.
“In addition to the five-hours of flying display, there are a whole host of attractions to keep all the family entertained.
“The stunts are extremely difficult; travelling at speeds of up to 112kmph and up to 1,000ft in the air, performing aerobatics on the top of the wing is no easy feat.”
The Breitling Wingwalkers was founded in the late 1980s when chief pilot Vic Norman decided it was time to bring back the breathtaking spectacle to air shows in Europe.
His company was the first to be granted permission to allow performers to climb out of the cockpit since it was restricted in the UK in 1933. In the UK, where the team is based, the unique style of aerial theatre is seen by up to six million spectators a year and by a growing audience across Europe, Australia, Asia and the Middle East.
The team pilots will fly the aircraft through well-rehearsed energetic routines of aerobatics and close formation fly-pasts as the wing walkers’ wave to the crowd.
They will perform a sequence of acrobatic manoeuvres and handstands whilst strapped to the top wings of the Boeing Stearman biplanes, classic pre-war machines.
These biplanes are simple and rugged, ideal trainers for novice pilots.
Air-cooled 450bhp Pratt and Whitney radial engines provide enough power to perform the aerobatic manoeuvres and carry a wing walker. These manoeuvres will include loops, rolls, stall turns and even inverted flight. During all of this, the wing walkers experience speeds of up to 241kmph and ‘G’ forces of up to 4G!
Bird, 25, who has been wing-walking for seven years, added: “It takes a skilful and considered type of person to work as part of the Breitling Wingwalkers team. The relationship between pilot and wing walker is extremely important and there must be a mutual respect as well as an effective style of communication between the two.
“The wing walker needs excellent core body strength, stamina, strong shoulders and ideally a gymnastic or dance background. They also need strong neck muscles to keep their head up straight in the G-force!
“Mentally, a wing walker needs to be able to keep a cool head in challenging conditions and be able to react quickly to signals from the pilots. They perform up to 17 minutes which requires continuous strength, concentration and flexibility.
“Originally, wing-walking was popularised in the pioneering golden era of aviation in the 1920s when flying for fun was first showcased to a wide audience.
“Modern-day wing walking preserves the spirit of the golden era but with improved safety and aircraft performance factored in.”
Aside from the wing walkers, the air show will offer plenty of high-flying acts for the entire family to enjoy.
Confirmed attractions include The Royal Jordanian Falcons, Al Fursan Aerobatic Team, The SWIP Team, The Red Devils and Saudi Falcons Parachute Team, a UAE Mirage 2000, a UAE F16, Saudi Hawks, Russian Knights, DHL’s mighty 757 carrier and a Gulf Air A330, alongside the Spitfire, a former fighter converted into a two-seater trainer and totally restored after being severely damaged in an accident.
There will also be a variety of on-the-ground attractions and activities such as a Heritage Village which will feature art and crafts from the region, music recitals and other performance arts.
The National Space Centre from England will be creating a Space Zone interactive exhibit, including a planetarium featuring a 360 degree full dome cinema experience showcasing inter-stellar movies.
The organisers have also commissioned the world’s best 3D street artists to come to the air show. Aerodium Technologies will be returning, bringing its popular vertical wind-tunnel experience. Thrill-seekers will get the chance to try out ‘zorbing’ by jumping inside a huge inflatable ball for a exhilarating experience. There will also be around 20 different kiosks, which will include restaurants, companies and associations such as the Parachuting Club and the Coral Diving Centre.
Mad Science Bahrain will set up an interactive activity centre which will include fun stations, live shows, giant games for children and adults.
A retail village will host a range of shopping delights from official show souvenirs, books and perfume and the show ground will feature other attractions including face-painting and henna tattoo artists, stilt-walkers, giant inflatable slides and bouncy castles.
Furthermore, there’ll be live entertainment with a musical stage show. In the morning there will be a children’s band with games and prizes for winners. In the evening, local act Salsa Cubana will be entertaining the crowd along with salsa dancers. DJ Outlaw will also be on stage at the show.
Tickets are available to purchase from a selection of Batelco stores. Adult tickets cost BD7 and tickets for children under 16 cost BD3.
Show programme for all three days:
9am – Visitor registration and show opens
10am -12.30pm – Trade/customer demonstration flights
1.30pm -4.30pm – Flying display
5pm – Show closes
