Largest Ever Event Gears Up with 110 Aircraft on Display

Al Ain, UAE. 22 January 2008: The Al Ain International Aerobatics Championships, which runs this weekend (January 24-27), has secured must-see status as an world-class aerobatics event, said HH Sheikh Sultan bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Chairman, Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) - which jointly organises the Al Ain showpiece with the UAE Air Force and Air Defence, and in conjunction with the World Air Sports Federation.

Held under the patronage of HH General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, the internationally established, four-day event is Al Ain's biggest spectacle and is one of the highlights on the global aerobatics calendar.  

"Since its inception in 2004, the Al Ain International Aerobatics Championship has evolved into a truly global event and we are committed to growing this initiative in the future.  It has been a huge success in developing our sporting and tourism industry, and with increased participation in coming years, will continue to solidify Abu Dhabi's major event credentials to an international audience," said HH Sheikh Sultan.

"This benchmark annual Championship brings scores of multinational pilots and spectators to Al Ain, all of whom are part of a globally renowned aerobatics event."

HH Sheikh Sultan also heralded the four day extravaganza as one of the most important sporting endeavours in the UAE capital's diverse event's portfolio - which is designed to globally export the Abu Dhabi name through a range of high-visibility events and world-renowned marquee partnerships.

He also stated that the Al Ain International Aerobatics Championship, which is expecting up to 130,000 spectators, plays a pivotal role in realising Abu Dhabi and ADTA's long term objective of attracting three million visitors a year to the UAE capital by 2015.

Kicking off on Thursday, the Al Ain International Aerobatics Championships is expected to be the largest to date, and the US$ 100,000 purse should ensure the cadre of pilots put on a host of exciting and breath-taking displays.

Scored on innovation and entertainment criteria, the judges will rely on sensor controlled electronic timers, as well as their personally controlled chronometers, to award the winning cash prize of $50,000 to the competition's best.

The pilots will fly a combination of classic aerobatics - a series of unlimited classic manoeuvres performed against the clock, known as 'AR,' or Aerobatics Race - and a three-minute freestyle section referred to as 'AF', or Aerobatics Freestyle.

The scores received for the 'AF' are converted direct to seconds and subtracted from the pilots' 'AR' programme times.  The pilot/s with the lowest aggregate time wins the day's flight, and the pilot/s with the lowest time from the two days of competition flights wins the overall championship.

With a wealth of pilots and teams from a host of countries, including, Sweden, the USA, Italy, the UK, Turkey, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Austria, and Romania, the stage is truly set for a gripping extended weekend of thrills and excitement.

The Al Ain International Aerobatics Championship 2008 has attracted a high-profile sponsorship line-up including Etihad Airways and ADNOC Distribution as Platinum sponsors; Pilatus, Etisalat, Al Ain Mineral Water and Abu Dhabi National Hotels as Gold sponsors, and Al Ain Mall, BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce  as Silver sponsors.

It will also be organised in co-operation with the Department of Municipalities and Agriculture - Al Ain Municipality, Al Ain Police Directorate, Al Ain International Airport, and Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company.

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© Press Release 2008