Al Sakhir (Bahrain)

Bahrain Air Show 2018

15-18 November 2018

The static was split into two parts – the main area where the trade, VIPs and Press have access to most of the aircraft and a public area around a kilometer away that only contained three helicopters, but had a view of the runway for the various flight displays. Around dusk those still remaining in the public area were allowed access into the trade area.

The display acts themselves were not so memorable as they were into sun from a photography perspective and contained nothing that couldn’t be seen at many of the European airshows. The F-5/F-16 formation did a single flypast and the B-1 and F-35 at least made three passes each. The Russian Knights as usual were the highlights with their mighty Su-30s able to dazzle the most seasoned of spectators, a class act with superbly skilled pilots. The Gulf Air A320NSL and the 787 each did a display that really only consisted of a flybys where they banked away from the crowd followed by a landing. Not much more than to wave a flag if you ask me....

This was my third Bahrain Airshow and from a mil perspective it is definitely the rule of diminishing returns – only one fast jet and five helicopters were previously unseen from all those on offer. Military highlight was my 720th Il-76/78 airframe. The ATR72 F-WWLE which had passed through Al Bateen only a couple of days earlier after a demo tour and visiting the Zuhai airshow, for some inexplicable reason was not present at this one having chosen to head back to TLS instead.

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