After a long (by Abu Dhabi standards) hiatus, the Red Bull air show returned to Abu Dhabi. Neither of us is a big fan of motor sports, but since the show was just outside our door, we had to take a look.
The competition is based on timed circuits that pilots take, one at a time. (Thank goodness -- one of us is quite worried about air collisions...but more on that later.) Pilots have to navigate between cones either vertically or horizontally. The cones are set apart two meters wider than the planes' wingspans.
The weather was perfect for the competition, and crowds were gathered for picnics, parties, and general spectating. After the competition, the Red Bull skydiving team landed in unison on the public beach, and UAE pilots put on an air show for the crowd.
The show was fun, but terrifying. Perhaps most disconcerting was a stunt called "crazy flying," which involves flying *as if about to crash*. The mere fact that this style of performance is appealing says a lot about taste in the Emirates.
Watching near-death flight stunts was quite exhausting, so it was off to Lebanese Flower, an Abu Dhabi staple, for banana smoothies, falafel, shrimp sandwiches, and of course, mixed grill.
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