ABU DHABI // The Red Bull Air Race returns to Abu Dhabi for the first time since 2010, coming back safer and with more parity in competition.
Management and safety concerns at past races led organisers to make changes and set more regulations, said Erich Wolf, chief executive of the race.
“We reorganised everything, mainly in regards to the safety,” said Mr Wolf, speaking on Wednesday at a press conference in advance of the weekend event.
New regulations apply to modifications on engines. The pylon markers have been raised from 20 metres in height to 25 metres and the flight window from 10 metres to 15 metres.
Mr Wolf said a trend of “certain incidents” had led to the changes being made, although he did not discuss specifics.
"I think it'll mean we'll have a much more exciting race," said Paul Bonhomme, one of the 12 master-class pilots competing.
Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority (TCA) collaborated with Red Bull to organise the season-opening race in the capital, the first of eight race stops.
“This sport brings a lot of adventure and a new dimension to the city,” said Faisal Al Sheikh, director of events at TCA.
The race is divided into qualifying day and race day.
Twelve master pilots compete in a qualifying round on Friday to determine their starting positions, counting the fastest of two laps.
The contenders will be narrowed down to the fastest eight on Saturday, then four pilots will compete in the final round.
Another new element to this year’s race is the Challenger Cup, in which eight new pilots from seven countries race to gain experience and hone their low-altitude flying skills.
The master pilots range in age from 30 to 57 and come from the Czech Republic, the UK, the US, Germany, Austria, France, Japan, Canada, Hungary and Australia.
Mr Bonhomme said he arrived in the UAE on February 17. The pilots trained on a similar track for four days in Ras Al Khaimah before coming to Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.
The pilots will find out each other’s times on Thursday and get a better idea of the competition.
He said pre-race nerves help him to be careful during the race.
“It’s quite healthy to be nervous,” he said.
The Red Bull Air Race started in 2003 and was first held in Abu Dhabi in 2005. Mr Al Sheikh said it is scheduled to be held annually in Abu Dhabi for the next three years.
lcarroll@thenational.ae
THE DETAILS
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Director: Ron Howard
2/5
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Company%20profile
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At Eternity’s Gate
Director: Julian Schnabel
Starring: Willem Dafoe, Oscar Isaacs, Mads Mikkelsen
Three stars
Ticket prices
- Golden circle - Dh995
- Floor Standing - Dh495
- Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
- Lower Bowl premium - Dh795
- Lower Bowl Plus - Dh695
- Lower Bowl Standard- Dh595
- Upper Bowl Premium - Dh395
- Upper Bowl standard - Dh295
UNSC Elections 2022-23
Seats open:
- Two for Africa Group
- One for Asia-Pacific Group (traditionally Arab state or Tunisia)
- One for Latin America and Caribbean Group
- One for Eastern Europe Group
Countries so far running:
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
MATCH INFO
FA Cup final
Chelsea 1
Hazard (22' pen)
Manchester United 0
Man of the match: Eden Hazard (Chelsea)
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Ruwais timeline
1971 Abu Dhabi National Oil Company established
1980 Ruwais Housing Complex built, located 10 kilometres away from industrial plants
1982 120,000 bpd capacity Ruwais refinery complex officially inaugurated by the founder of the UAE Sheikh Zayed
1984 Second phase of Ruwais Housing Complex built. Today the 7,000-unit complex houses some 24,000 people.
1985 The refinery is expanded with the commissioning of a 27,000 b/d hydro cracker complex
2009 Plans announced to build $1.2 billion fertilizer plant in Ruwais, producing urea
2010 Adnoc awards $10bn contracts for expansion of Ruwais refinery, to double capacity from 415,000 bpd
2014 Ruwais 261-outlet shopping mall opens
2014 Production starts at newly expanded Ruwais refinery, providing jet fuel and diesel and allowing the UAE to be self-sufficient for petrol supplies
2014 Etihad Rail begins transportation of sulphur from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais for export
2017 Aldar Academies to operate Adnoc’s schools including in Ruwais from September. Eight schools operate in total within the housing complex.
2018 Adnoc announces plans to invest $3.1 billion on upgrading its Ruwais refinery
2018 NMC Healthcare selected to manage operations of Ruwais Hospital
2018 Adnoc announces new downstream strategy at event in Abu Dhabi on May 13
Source: The National
Director: Shady Ali
Cast: Boumi Fouad , Mohamed Tharout and Hisham Ismael
Rating: 3/5
Batti Gul Meter Chalu
Producers: KRTI Productions, T-Series
Director: Sree Narayan Singh
Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Divyenndu Sharma, Yami Gautam
Rating: 2/5
Sustainable Development Goals
1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation
10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its effects
14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development
Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid
Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The drill
Recharge as needed, says Mat Dryden: “We try to make it a rule that every two to three months, even if it’s for four days, we get away, get some time together, recharge, refresh.” The couple take an hour a day to check into their businesses and that’s it.
Stick to the schedule, says Mike Addo: “We have an entire wall known as ‘The Lab,’ covered with colour-coded Post-it notes dedicated to our joint weekly planner, content board, marketing strategy, trends, ideas and upcoming meetings.”
Be a team, suggests Addo: “When training together, you have to trust in each other’s abilities. Otherwise working out together very quickly becomes one person training the other.”
Pull your weight, says Thuymi Do: “To do what we do, there definitely can be no lazy member of the team.”
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