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THOSE magnificent men in their flying machines are ready to take to the skies to showcase their daredevil skills as the kingdom prepares for the fourth edition of its breathtaking biennial Bahrain International Air Show (BIAS).
Thousands are expected to flock to the event which opens tomorrow and one of the star attractions will be the Indian Air Force’s Sarang Helicopter Display Team who are renowned globally for displays of aerial ballet and well-choreographed manoeuvres when not preforming rescue missions.
Led by group captain Aniket Santosh Abhyankar, four Advanced Light Helicopters will soar over Sakhir Airbase during the three-day flight festival, as part of a 12-pilot team, assisted by two engineering officers and one commentator.
Squadron leader, Pravin Patil, 34, is delighted with the opportunity to showcase the team’s skills. He said: “We are very excited about taking part in the air show especially as this is also our first time visiting Bahrain.
“We can’t wait to show the audience what the Advanced Light Helicopters, manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics, can do. It’s much more difficult to maintain helicopter formations as we cannot be as close to each other as fixed wing aircrafts. It’s trickier with rotors which makes it more exciting to watch.
“This team boasts the finest air warriors of the Indian Air Force which is the world’s fourth largest air force. We have proven our capabilities time and time again by accomplishing real-time rescue missions with the same finesse as performing aerial ballets and executing well-choreographed manoeuvres. The team lives up to its motto ‘but for the rotors, we would have been closer’.”
The Sarang Helicopter stars form the only four-helicopter display team in the world. The team has performed at various international forums and events including Singapore, Chile, UAE, Berlin, UK as well as numerous venues back home in India.
The team was also crowned as the ‘Best Looking Close Formation Helicopter Team’ at the Berlin Air Show in 2008.
Patil and the soaring Sarangs will be joining an array of international aerial teams at the event including the Saudi Hawks, India’s LCA Tejas, UAE’s Al Fursan Knights, the Jordanian Air team, the Russian Knights and solo act Mark Jeffries and the Twister Aerobatics team. The Bahrain Defence Force Special Forces parachute team will also participate.
There will be more than 300 flight team members at the event as well as 111 aircraft on show for visitors to enjoy, including commercial and military aircraft.
Qatar Airways will showcase its Airbus A380 and A350, Gulf Air will have an A320 on display and Kuwait Airways will also feature an A350 and its recently-delivered A320 equipped with Sharklets. Emirates Airlines will display its latest A380 and 319 business jet. There will also be a host of other business aircraft including Embraer and Gulfstream.
Military aircraft will include a T129 ATAK helicopter from Turkish Aircraft Industries, two Typhoons from the UK’s Royal Air Force (RAF) and an impressive number of planes from the US Air Force and Navy, in addition to India, which will be displaying its C17.
The RAF museum will also host a trip down memory lane with a special commemoration exhibit for the inaugural Concorde flight from the UK that touched down in the kingdom from London Heathrow on January 21, 1976. The supersonic flight took less than four hours and continued until October 1980.
As highlighted in GulfWeekly, singing superstar Shirley Bassey once travelled by Concorde to Bahrain in the 1970s.
She was collected by a Rolls-Royce at the airport and taken to Sakhir Palace to perform and then on to Adhari pool to sing before returning to the supersonic jet for a flight back to London in time to open her show at the London Palladium.
A full BBC crew, including director Stanley Morris, accompanied her on the journey to record the visit for a special TV show highlighting the speed of the legendary aircraft.
“I remember her voice was strong and beautiful,” said Khalifa Shaheen, who was the production manager for the show in Bahrain and has archived an incredible collection of images of the aircraft on its flights to Bahrain under the copyright of Khalifa Shaheen Productions.
The Concorde was created by BAC and France’s Aérospatiale in the early 1960s. Its first commercial flight wasn’t until 1976, but it stayed in service for 27 years for Air France and British Airways, the only two airlines who ever flew Concordes. In fact, in its entire history, only 20 Concordes were ever built.
A Concorde suffered a horrific crash on July 25, 2000, where 113 people died, 109 being inside the aircraft, in France. The last flight of the Concorde was in 2003. The RAF Museum will also be exhibiting a classic Supermarine Spitfire which was assembled at the Air Show venue this week by six Bahraini students from the Gulf Aviation Academy, Bahrain Air Services and AQAF, the Institute of Aviation Technology.
The Spitfire remains the iconic British fighter of the Second World War and is also a reminder of the UK’s strong links with Bahrain, especially through the Fighter Fund which financed the purchase of 10 Spitfires to aid the war effort. These were funded by all members of the community in the Arabian Gulf. In total, the Fighter Fund raised thousands of dinars and six Spitfires bore the name ‘Bahrain’.
Sir Glenn Torpy, senior military adviser of BAE Systems and chairman of the RAF Museum, said: “Spitfire has played a pivotal role in maintaining the strong relationship between Bahrain and the UK.
“Today, as we celebrate a legacy of alliance between both countries, the Spitfire stands witness on the great achievements that came out of this mutual partnership. As 2016 is an important year for Bahrain and the UK, it is also important for Spitfire, which will be celebrating the 80th anniversary of its inaugural flight in March this year.”
Spitfire entered service in 1938, with 20,321 aircraft built over 24 variants and its last operational RAF sortie came in 1954. The actual model on display at BIAS 2016 was originally ordered in June 1943 and built in 1945.
The aircraft was well-known for its elliptical wings and the sound of its supercharged Rolls Royce Merlin engine, which can be seen up close at the show. An RAF Museum representative will be at the event to share insights and stories about the Spitfire and its link to the Middle East, as well as the role the Bahraini students have played in preparing the aircraft.
The BIAS, organised by the Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications, the Royal Bahraini Air Force and Farnborough International Limited, will feature a record number of 139 aviation companies and 75 delegations from 34 countries including Oman, Egypt, Morocco, Turkey, US and Czech Republic.
Preparations have been in full swing with more than 4,000 people buckling down to ensure a perfect event is delivered. Organisers expect around 12,000 visitors will descend on the show each day.
Maysoon Sabkar, Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications director, PR and marketing, said: “The fourth edition of the Bahrain International Air Show 2016 is set to be the biggest edition since the show’s establishment in 2010.
“Preparations for this show started since the completion of BIAS 2014 and the facilities and activities have been further increased in order to optimise networking opportunities for business. This includes the introduction of a specialised aviation conference, a seminar being held by the International Air Travel Association, a targeted Hosted Buyer programme where meetings are being set up for companies to meet with potential clients, as well as a Feature Pavilion which is almost double the size of the exhibition’s last show.
“In 2014, BIAS welcomed around 50,000 visitors over the three days in the trade and public areas, and we are expecting that number to increase this year.
“The public area which will be open for public ticket holders will offer a full day of fun and entertainment for the whole family, with the hugely popular air displays by some of the world’s best aerobatic teams.”
Aside from the winged beasts on display, there will be a variety of attractions and entertainment for visitors including flights simulators, a Heritage Village and musical acts featuring Bahraini singer Hanan Redha, folk fusion band Majaz, Bahraini Hip Hop producer DJ Outlaw and Kuwaiti singer Nawaf Fahed aka Daffy, rapper Hama Al Fardan aka The Mystro and DJ Jackson. There will also be daily magic shows, street performers and other rides.
The public area entertainment will start at 10am until 6pm and entry can be accessed via Bahrain International Circuit.
Tickets for the public show starting tomorrow until Saturday have already gone on sale at all Batelco retail outlets. Adult tickets are priced at BD10 per day with tickets for children, up to 16 years of age, priced at BD5. A five per cent discount is available on the purchase of 20 or more tickets, which can be of any type and for any of the three dates. For more details, visit www.bahraininternationalairshow.com
