Red Arrows to paint sky red, white and blue over Dubai and Abu Dhabi

Thousands of people are expected to watch the breath taking, free-to-watch, 22-minute long performances, celebrating 100 years of powered flight. The displays will take place at 4.15 pm in both Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Under the command of Squadron Leader Carl 'Spike' Jepson, the team will be making its 20th public appearance in the Emirates after having already performed in Malaysia, Thailand, India and Oman.

Weather permitting, the Red Arrows - in their trademark red and white BAE SYSTEMS Hawk Aircraft - will fly a dazzling display of 24 separate manoeuvres, including the all-new fountain split, which involves eight Hawk aircraft climbing vertically in a loop, with the front four aircraft completing an upwards fan shaped manoeuvre while the other four cascade downwards.

In Dubai the best viewing position for members of the public will be the large public beach to the right of the Jumeirah Beach hotel. In Abu Dhabi the display will be centred on the breakwater area of the Corniche. Spectators are advised to arrive early and allow plenty of time for journeys both before and after the shows.

'We are very honoured to have been invited to display in the Emirates,' said Sqd Ldr Jepson. 'The Red Arrows are ambassadors of the Royal Air Force and Great Britain and we aim to demonstrate UK excellence wherever we display.

'The display sequence is the product of skilled pilots and ground support staff, intensive training and high quality, reliable equipment in the shape of the BAE SYSTEMS Hawk aircraft. We hope everyone enjoys the display as much as we will enjoy flying it for them.

'We are proud to acknowledge the contribution made by the early pioneers of flight who demonstrated desire, bravery and commitment in pushing the known limits and boundaries of flight.

'It is exhilarating to think that mankind has travelled such a long way in such a short time; from the Wright Brothers to the Space Shuttle in 100 years,' Sqd Ldr Jepson added.

BAE SYSTEMS recently appointed General Manager in the UAE, Ben Bridge said the visit by the Red Arrows underlines the global company's long standing commitment to supporting and helping enhance the Emirates' defence and aerospace capabilities.

'The Hawk and the Red Arrows are inextricably linked and synonymous with excellence. In the region, the Hawk plays a key role in introducing student pilots to the higher speeds and high cockpit workload associated with the safe operation of an advanced military jet,' said Bridge.

With a top speed exceeding Mach 1.2, the Hawk is powered by a Rolls Royce Adour engine producing 5,200lb of thrust. The Adour-powered Hawk has accumulated over two million flying hours in service with 15 customers and has been selected by Bahrain, India, South Africa and the UK for their future training requirements. The Red Arrows' display shows off the manoeuvrability of the Hawk aircraft as the pilots pull up to 8 times the force of gravity.

The most recent regional buyer of Hawk is the Royal Bahrain Defence Force (RBDF) which concluded a deal for Hawk 100 Series aircraft in January. In July the UK government announced it had selected the latest generation of Hawk aircraft, the Hawk Mk 128, as its new advanced jet trainer. And in September, completing a hat trick of major deals this year, India placed a US $1.3 billion order for 66 Hawk aircraft.

In addition to BAE SYSTEMS, the Red Arrows Eastern Arrow tour is supported by the UK's Defence Export Services Organisation (DESO); Rolls Royce, Cobham and VT Group.

Terry Holland, Regional Executive - Middle East Rolls-Royce International said: 'The Red Arrows are a symbol of excellence, a characteristic with which the Rolls-Royce name has become synonymous over the years. We are proud to support such outstanding ambassadors for the aerospace industry.'