Several days after my arrival in the UAE, I managed to witness the first Red Bull Air Race in the series which was scheduled to take place on 17 March in Abu Dhabi. The crowd was just unbelievably huge, all gathered at the Corniche, but it was postponed to the following day due to strong, treacherous winds, triggering a sand storm that filled the air with dust and sand. The weather worsened throughout the day, making it increasingly menacing for the pilots and dampening hopes of simply delaying the race until later in the day. Powerful gusts battered the five-story air tower on the harbour and controllers were forced to fasten down the awnings at the top of the swaying structure while workmen had to reinforce the canopy covered VIP lounge stands.
It was a spectacular show the next day at the Abu Dhabi Corniche. The race was flown over the city's harbour basin and pilots usually hope for a light breeze when flying over water because the calm surface makes it difficult for them to estimate the exact altitude. Set up on barges, the air-filled pylons sway and move under windy conditions, as do the fairly light-weight planes.
"Imagine being a Formula One driver coming up to a corner at high speed and suddenly the corner moves in front of you. That's what it's like trying to fly the course in strong winds," explained race commentator Joe McGrath.
Safety remains a topmost concern at the event, which is taking place under the patronage of Sheik Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan and with the support of Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority. Several hundred invited guests attended the event, and that included me and Dev and a couple of his buddies.
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