Hot air balloon Dubai landing briefing

Hot air balloon Dubai landing briefing

Hot air balloon Dubai desert from sky

Hot air balloon flights in Dubai have a way of turning the desert into a living, breathing tapestry. Hot air balloon Dubai desert from sky Before dawn, you leave the city's glass towers behind and watch as the first light unravels across a horizon of rippled sand and distant mountains. The balloon rises gently, the burners roar for a moment, then the world goes quiet. Camels become brushstrokes, 4x4 tracks fade to thread, and the air smells faintly of warmth and metal. It's serene, almost impossibly so. But as every pilot will tell you, the romance of the flight is anchored by something thoroughly practical: the landing briefing.


The landing briefing is the pilot's clear, calm explanation of how you and the crew will bring this skyborne experience safely back to earth. It is not fuss or formality. In ballooning, there's no steering wheel and no brakes. Pilots find landing sites by reading wind layers-climbing or descending to find a breeze that nudges the balloon where it needs to go. In Dubai's desert, those winds are usually gentlest at sunrise, but they can still shift in minutes as the sun climbs and the sand begins to warm. A good briefing makes you part of the team when those last few moments require everyone's attention.


It usually begins high above the dunes, while the balloon is still drifting.

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The pilot points out the landing area-a clear stretch of sand with room to glide, perhaps near a track where the chase crew can reach you. You'll be told what to do with personal items: secure phones and cameras, stow hats and loose scarves, tighten straps on bags. On landing you want both hands free and your center of gravity low and steady. Sunglasses can stay on; they'll keep dust out of your eyes if a breeze picks up some sand.


Then comes the heart of it: the landing position. You'll be shown sturdy handles or ropes inside your compartment of the basket-those are your anchors.

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When the pilot calls for landing, you bend your knees slightly, keep your feet shoulder-width apart, and hold on with both hands. Think of a relaxed athletic stance, the kind you'd use preparing to hop off a low step. No locking knees, no bouncing, no leaning out. The basket's rim stays your boundary; keep arms and cameras inside. Children, if they're on board, stand between adults for extra stability.


You may also hear the instruction to orient your body with your back toward the direction of travel. If the breeze is carrying you to the southeast, for instance, the pilot will have you face northwest. This is not a fussy detail. If the basket skims and tips-something perfectly normal in higher landing winds-your back, legs, and the sturdy wicker become a safe cradle, rather than your face meeting the rim. The pilot will repeat the key commands clearly. You'll practice for a few seconds while still aloft so the motion feels familiar when it matters.


Pilots in Dubai often land on soft dunes. The sand is forgiving but textured; it can grip, slide, or ripple beneath the basket. Depending on wind, your landing may be feather-soft-a single bounce and a stop-or a modest slide with the basket tilting onto its side. Both are routine. The key is stillness: stay in the landing position until the pilot tells you the balloon is secure. Do not sit on the basket's edge or try to jump out. It is instinctive to want to step onto the ground the moment you touch it. Resist that urge. A half-filled balloon can catch a gust and tug the basket unexpectedly. Stability comes first; stepping out comes last.


When the balloon first kisses the sand, you will feel more sound than shock: a soft thump, perhaps a brushing hiss as the wicker drags a few meters, the burners roaring briefly to soften the contact or clear a low dune. The pilot reads the ground like a sailor reads a swell, adding heat if there's an obstacle ahead, venting hot air to commit to a stop. A red rope may be pulled to open the top vent, spilling heat and helping the envelope sag in a controlled way. Let it all happen around you.

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Your job-hands on, knees bent, eyes forward-is to be a calm passenger in a practiced dance.


The chase crew, who set out while you were still ascending, will already be tracking your approach. In the desert, they move like a well-rehearsed pit crew-4x4s bouncing over ridges, gauging the wind line, ready with lines and gloves. Once the basket is fully at rest and the pilot gives the word, the crew will secure the balloon, and you'll be guided out in an orderly way. Step carefully; the sand near the basket can be uneven, and the fabric of the envelope, when it begins to lie down, can hide ropes and hardware. Avoid walking on the envelope unless a crew member directs you-it's tough material, but it's also the wing that just carried you.


A thoughtful landing briefing also touches on the “why” behind these steps, and that context helps more than you might expect. Balloon baskets are designed to absorb energy by dragging or tipping in higher winds, spreading force across the wicker and the whole side of the basket rather than jolting ankles or knees. Keeping items secured prevents them from turning into small projectiles during a jolt. Staying put, even when the ground is inches away, ensures the center of mass remains low and predictable until the pilot and crew neutralize the balloon's remaining lift. None of it is complicated, but all of it is essential.


There are a few desert-specific niceties, too. The morning air can feel cool aloft and surprisingly warm on the ground once the sun is up-layers you can peel off after landing are more comfortable than trying to tough it out. Closed-toe shoes make sense; sand can be hot, and small shrubs or pebbles lurk at the landing site. Keep an eye out for the local neighbors: occasionally a camel herd ambles along a track or a desert fox leaves fine prints at the edge of a dune. Hot air balloon Dubai guided experience . The crew will make sure the landing site is clear, but part of the experience is remembering you're touching down in a living landscape.


After the envelope sighs into the sand and the burners fall quiet, you may get a moment to look back at the curve your balloon traced across the morning. Usually there's a small celebration: a few words from the pilot, perhaps a tradition or a certificate, and often a breakfast set up in the shade of a desert camp. The drama, if you can call it that, of landing gives way to an easy camaraderie-the kind that forms among people who shared a pocket of stillness above a world that never stops moving.


In the end, the landing briefing isn't a list of rules so much as a promise: if we all do this together, we'll preserve the magic of flight all the way to the ground. In Dubai's desert, where light moves like silk and the dunes seem to breathe, it's a fitting finale-practical, unhurried, and quietly unforgettable.

 

Arabian oryx
Male in Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve
Conservation status
Vulnerable
Vulnerable  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
CITES Appendix I[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Bovidae
Subfamily: Hippotraginae
Genus: Oryx
Species:
O. leucoryx
Binomial name
Oryx leucoryx
(Pallas, 1777)

The Arabian oryx or white oryx (Oryx leucoryx) is a medium-sized antelope with a distinct shoulder bump, long, straight horns, and a tufted tail.[2] It is a bovid, and the smallest member of the genus Oryx, native to desert and steppe areas of the Arabian Peninsula. The Arabian oryx was extinct in the wild by the early 1970s, but was saved in zoos and private reserves, and was reintroduced into the wild starting in 1980.

In 1986, the Arabian oryx was classified as endangered on the IUCN Red List, and in 2011, it was the first animal to revert to vulnerable status after previously being listed as extinct in the wild. It is listed in CITES Appendix I. In 2016, populations were estimated at 1,220 individuals in the wild, including 850 mature individuals, and 6,000–7,000 in captivity worldwide.[1]

Etymology

[edit]

The taxonomic name Oryx leucoryx is from the Greek orux (gazelle or antelope) and leukos (white). The Arabian oryx is also called the white oryx in English, dishon in Hebrew,[3] and is known as maha, wudhaihi, baqar al-wahsh, and boosolah in Arabic.[4]

Taxonomy

[edit]

The name "oryx" was introduced by Peter Simon Pallas in 1767 for the common eland as Antilope oryx. He also scientifically described the Arabian oryx as Oryx leucoryx, giving its range as "Arabia, and perhaps Libya". In 1816, Henri Marie Ducrotay de Blainville subdivided the antelope group, adopted Oryx as a genus name, and changed the species name Antilope oryx to Oryx gazella. In 1826, Martin Lichtenstein confused matters by transferring the name Oryx leucoryx to the scimitar oryx, now Oryx dammah. The Zoological Society of London obtained the first living individual in Europe in 1857. Not realizing this might be the Oryx leucoryx of previous authors, John Edward Gray proposed calling it Oryx beatrix after Princess Beatrice of the United Kingdom. Oldfield Thomas renamed the scimitar oryx as Oryx algazal in 1903 and gave the Arabian oryx its original name.[4]

Description

[edit]
In Yotvata Hai-Bar Nature Reserve in Israel

The Arabian oryx' coat is an almost luminous white, the undersides and legs are brown, and black stripes occur where the head meets the neck, on the forehead, on the nose, and going from the horn down across the eye to the mouth. Both sexes have long, straight or slightly curved, ringed horns which are 0.61–1.49 m (2–4.9 ft). It stands between 0.79 and 1.25 m (2.6 and 4.1 ft) tall at the shoulder and typically weighs between 220 to 460 lb (100 to 209 kg).[5][2]

Distribution and habitat

[edit]

Historically, the Arabian oryx probably ranged throughout most of the Middle East. In the early 1800s, they could still be found in the Sinai, Palestine, the Transjordan, much of Iraq, and most of the Arabian Peninsula. During the 19th and early 20th centuries, their range was pushed back towards Saudi Arabia, and by 1914, only a few survived outside that country. A few were reported in Jordan into the 1930s, but by the mid-1930s, the only remaining populations were in the Nafud Desert in northwestern Saudi Arabia and the Rub' al Khali in the south.[2]

In the 1930s, Arabian princes and oil company clerks started hunting Arabian oryxes with automobiles and rifles. Hunts grew in size, and some were reported to employ as many as 300 vehicles. By the middle of the 20th century, the northern population was effectively extinct.[2] The last Arabian oryx in the wild before reintroduction was reported in 1972.[6]

Arabian oryxes prefer to range in gravel deserts or hard sand, where their speed and endurance will protect them from most predators and hunters on foot. In the sand deserts in Saudi Arabia, they used to be found in the hard sand areas of the flats between the softer dunes and ridges.[2]

Arabian oryxes have been reintroduced to Oman, Saudi Arabia, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Syria, and Jordan. A small population was introduced on Hawar Island, Bahrain, and large semi-managed populations at several sites in Qatar and the UAE. The total reintroduced population is now estimated to be around 1,000. This puts the Arabian oryx well over the threshold of 250 mature individuals needed to qualify for endangered status. However, the majority of the population is concentrated in Saudi Arabia.[1]

Behaviour and ecology

[edit]

The Arabian oryx rests during the heat of the day. A herd in Oman can range over 3,000 km2 (1,200 sq mi). Packs are of mixed sex and usually comprise between 2 and 15 induvials, though herds of up to 100 have been reported. Arabian oryxes are generally not aggressive toward one another, which allows herds to exist peacefully for some time.[7]

Feeding

[edit]

The diets of the Arabian oryx consist mainly of grasses, but it eats a large variety of vegetation, including buds, herbs, fruit, tubers and roots. Herds follow infrequent rains to eat the new plants that grow afterwards. They can go for several weeks without water.[7] In Oman, it primarily eats grasses of the genus Stipagrostis, flowers from Stipagrostis plants appeared highest in crude protein and water, while leaves seemed a better food source with other vegetation.[8]

Behavior

[edit]

When the Arabian oryx is not wandering its habitat or eating, it digs shallow depressions in the soft ground under shrubs or trees for resting. They can detect rainfall from a distance and follow in the direction of fresh plant growth. The number of individuals in a herd can vary greatly (up to 100 have been reported occasionally), but the average is 10 or fewer individuals.[9] Bachelor herds do not occur, and single territorial males are rare. Herds establish a straightforward hierarchy that involves all females and males above the age of about seven months.[10] Arabian oryxes tend to maintain visual contact with other herd members, with subordinate males taking positions between the main body of the herd and the outlying females. If separated, males will search areas where the herd last visited, settling into a solitary existence until the herd's return. Where water and grazing conditions permit, male Arabian oryxes establish territories. Bachelor males are solitary.[11] A dominance hierarchy is created within the herd by posturing displays, which avoid the danger of serious injury their long, sharp horns could potentially inflict. Males and females use their horns to defend the sparse territorial resources against interlopers.[12]

Adaptations for desert environments

[edit]

The Arabian oryx changes its physiology and behaviour at different times of the year to increase survival during times when food and water are in limited supply. During the summer, when droughts are common in the desert environments where it lives, the Arabian oryx will drastically reduce its minimal fasting metabolic rate by lying completely inactive beneath shade trees during the day and ranging over smaller areas at night to forage.[13] By letting its body temperature rise during the heat of the day, it uses less evaporative cooling and retains more body water, and at night, the cool night air lowers its temperature back to the normal range.[14] The oryx's arterial blood temperature is partly powered by a network of small arterial vessels with a large surface area called the rete mirabile, which branches from the two carotid arteries to the brain and allows for heat exchange between warm arterial blood and the cooler blood in the sinus cavities.[14] Because of these changes in behaviour and physiology, it was shown that Arabian oryx can reduce their urine volume, faecal water loss, and resting metabolic rate by at least 50%.[15]

The Arabian wolf is the Arabian oryx's only predator. In captivity and safe conditions in the wild, it has a maximum life span of up to 20 years.[11] In periods of drought, though, their life expectancy may be significantly reduced by malnutrition and dehydration. Other causes of death include fights between males, snakebites, disease, and drowning during floods.[16]

Importance to humans

[edit]
South Arabian fragment of a stela, depicts a reclining ibex and three Arabian oryx heads. The ibex was one of the most sacred animals in South Arabia, while the oryx antelope was associated with the god Attar, 5th century BC.

The Arabian oryx is the national animal of Jordan, Oman, the United Arab Emirates,[17] Bahrain, and Qatar.[18]

The Arabian oryx is also the namesake of several businesses on the Arabian peninsula, notably Al Maha Airways and Al Maha Petroleum.

In the King James Version of the Bible, the word re'em is translated as 'unicorn'. In Modern Hebrew, the name re'em lavan, meaning white oryx, is used in error for the scimitar-horned oryxes living in the sanctuary Yotvata Hai Bar near Eilat.[19] The scimitar oryx is called re'em Sahara. The Arabian name ri'ïm is the equivalent of the Hebrew name re'em, also meaning white oryx, suggesting a borrowing from the Early Modern Era.

A Qatari oryx named "Orry" was chosen as the official games mascot for the 2006 Asian Games in Doha,[20] and is shown on tailfins of planes belonging to Middle Eastern airline Qatar Airways.

Unicorn myth

[edit]

The myth of the one-horned unicorn may be based on oryxes that have lost one horn. Aristotle and Pliny the Elder held that the oryx was the unicorn's "prototype".[21] From certain angles, the oryx may seem to have one horn rather than two,[22][23] and given that its horns are made from hollow bone that cannot be regrown, if an Arabian oryx were to lose one of its horns, for the rest of its life, it would have only one.[21]

Another source for the concept may have originated from the translation of the Hebrew word re'em into Greek as μονόκερως, monokeros, in the Septuagint.[24] In Psalm 22:21, the word karen, meaning horn, is written in singular. The Roman Catholic Vulgata and the Douay-Rheims Bible translated re'em as rhinoceros; other translations are names for a wild bull, wild oxen, buffalo, or gaur, but in some languages, a word for unicorn is maintained. The Arabic translation alrim is the correct choice etymologically, meaning 'white oryx'.[25]

Conservation

[edit]
Arabian oryx in Al Ain Zoo

The Phoenix Zoo and the Fauna and Flora Preservation Society of London (now Fauna and Flora International), with financial help from the World Wildlife Fund, are credited with saving the Arabian oryx from extinction. In 1962, these groups started the first captive-breeding herd in any zoo, at the Phoenix Zoo, sometimes referred to as "Operation Oryx".[26][27] Starting with nine animals, the Phoenix Zoo has had over 240 successful births. From Phoenix, Arabian oryxes were sent to other zoos and parks to start new herds.

In 1968, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi, out of concern for the land's wildlife, particularly ungulates such as the Arabian oryx, founded the Al Ain Zoo to conserve them.[28]

Arabian oryxes were hunted to extinction in the wild by 1972. By 1980, the number of Arabian oryxes in captivity had increased to the point that Arabian oryx reintroduction was started. The first release, to Oman, was attempted with Arabian oryxes from the San Diego Wild Animal Park.[6] Although numbers in Oman have declined, there are now wild populations in Saudi Arabia and Israel,[29][30] as well. One of the largest populations is found in Mahazat as-Sayd Protected Area, a large, fenced reserve in Saudi Arabia, covering more than 2,000 km2 (770 sq mi).[1]

On June 28, 2007, Oman's Arabian Oryx Sanctuary was the first site ever to be removed from the UNESCO World Heritage List. UNESCO's reason for this was the Omani government's decision to open 90% of the site to oil prospecting. The Arabian oryx population on the site has been reduced from 450 in 1996 to only 65 in 2007. At that time, there were fewer than four breeding pairs left on the site.[31][needs update]

In June 2011, the Arabian oryx was relisted as vulnerable by the IUCN Red List. The IUCN estimated there were more than 1,200 Arabian oryx in the wild as of 4 December 2020 2016, with 6,000–7,000 held in captivity worldwide in zoos, preserves, and private collections. Some of these are in large, fenced enclosures (free-roaming), including those in Syria (Al Talila), Bahrain, Qatar, and the UAE.[1] This is the first time the IUCN has reclassified a species as vulnerable after it had been listed as extinct in the wild.[32] The Arabian oryx is also listed in CITES Appendix I.[1]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f g IUCN SSC Antelope Specialist Group (2017). "Oryx leucoryx". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017 e.T15569A50191626. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-2.RLTS.T15569A50191626.en. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e Talbot, L. M. (1960). A Look at Threatened Species. The Fauna Preservation Society. pp. 84–91.
  3. ^ Slifkin, Nathan, The Torah encyclopedia of the Animal kingdom, vol.1, OU Press, New York, 2015, pp.272-275
  4. ^ a b "Conservation Programme for Arabian Oryx: Taxonomy & description". National Wildlife Research Center. 2007. Archived from the original on 2011-09-04. Retrieved 2009-11-15.
  5. ^ "Oryx". Animals & Plants. San Diego Zoo. Retrieved 2023-03-26.
  6. ^ a b Stanley-Price, Mark (July–August 1982). "The Yalooni Transfer". Saudi Aramco World. Archived from the original on 2011-06-10. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
  7. ^ a b Massicot, P. (2007). "Arabian Oryx". Animal Info. Archived from the original on 25 January 2008. Retrieved 2008-01-11.
  8. ^ Spalton, J. A. (1999). "The food supply of Arabian oryx (Oryx leucoryx) in the desert of Oman". Journal of Zoology. 248 (4): 433–441. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.1999.tb01043.x.
  9. ^ Leu, H. (2001) "Oryx leucoryx" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web.
  10. ^ How to go wild. New Scientist (1989-10-28). Retrieved on 2013-01-01.
  11. ^ a b "Arabian Oryx". The Phoenix Zoo. Archived from the original on 15 February 2008. Retrieved 2008-01-27.
  12. ^ BBC (2012-04-27). Science & Nature – Wildfacts – Arabian oryx. Retrieved on 2013-01-01.
  13. ^ Williams, J. B.; Ostrowski, S.; Bedin, E.; Ismail, K. (2001). "Seasonal variation in energy expenditure, water flux and food consumption of Arabian oryx Oryx leucoryx". Journal of Experimental Biology. 204 (13): 2301–2311. Bibcode:2001JExpB.204.2301W. doi:10.1242/jeb.204.13.2301. PMID 11507113.
  14. ^ a b "Animals at the extremes: The desert environment". June 10, 2019. Archived from the original on 2017-01-05. Retrieved November 8, 2021.
  15. ^ Ostrowski, S.; Williams, J. B.; Mésochina, P.; Sauerwein, H. (2005). "Physiological acclimation of a desert antelope, Arabian oryx (Oryx leucoryx), to long-term food and water restriction". Journal of Comparative Physiology B. 176 (3): 191–201. doi:10.1007/s00360-005-0040-0. PMID 16283332. S2CID 14680361.
  16. ^ "The Oryx Facts". The Arabian Oryx Project. Archived from the original on 12 January 2008. Retrieved 2008-01-27.
  17. ^ "The UAE National Symbols..." TEACH United Arab Emirates. 2 (2). Jess Jumeira School. Nov–Dec 2014.
  18. ^ Orr, Tamra (30 June 2008). Qatar. Marshall Cavendish. p. 13. ISBN 978-0-7614-2566-3. Retrieved 30 July 2011.
  19. ^ "Hai-Bar Yotvata Nature Reserve | | Sights". www.lonelyplanet.com. Retrieved 2022-09-18.
  20. ^ "Mascot of Asian Games 2006". Travour.com. Archived from the original on 16 February 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-07.
  21. ^ a b Rice, M. (1994). The Archaeology of the Arabian Gulf, c. 5000–323 BC. Routledge. p. 63. ISBN 0-415-03268-7.
  22. ^ "Arabian Oryx". Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. Archived from the original on 2007-10-10. Retrieved 2008-01-25.
  23. ^ Tongren, S. (1981). What's for Lunch: Animal Feeding at the Zoo. GMG Publications. ISBN 978-0-939456-00-0.
  24. ^ Gerritsen, Wim (June 2005). "Bestaat de Eenhoorn;of Hoe de wetenschap de bijbel de baas werd". De Groene Amsterdammer.
  25. ^ "Smith & Van Dyke Arabic Bible translation - Deuteronomium 33:17". Bible Hub.
  26. ^ The Arabian Oryx Project – Timeline. oryxoman.com
  27. ^ Phoenix Zoo Species Survival Plan Archived 2011-07-16 at the Wayback Machine. Phoenixzoo.org (2006-01-03). Retrieved on 2013-01-01.
  28. ^ "History". Al Ain Zoo. 15 October 2017. Retrieved 2019-03-18.
  29. ^ Saltz, D. (1998). "A long-term systematic approach to planning reintroductions: the Persian fallow deer and the Arabian oryx in Israel". Animal Conservation. 1 (4): 245. Bibcode:1998AnCon...1..245S. doi:10.1111/j.1469-1795.1998.tb00035.x. S2CID 85943063.
  30. ^ Gilad, O.; Grant, W.E. & Saltz, D. (2008). "Simulated dynamics of Arabian Oryx (Oryx leucoryx) in the Israeli Negev: Effects of migration corridors and post-reintroduction changes in natality on population viability". Ecological Modelling. 210 (1–2): 169. Bibcode:2008EcMod.210..169G. doi:10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2007.07.015.
  31. ^ "Oman's Arabian Oryx Sanctuary: first site ever to be deleted from UNESCO's World Heritage List". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 18 January 2008. Retrieved 2008-01-16.
  32. ^ Platt, John (17 June 2011). "Arabian Oryx Makes History as First Species to Be Upgraded from "Extinct in the Wild" to "Vulnerable"". scientificamerican.com. Retrieved 20 June 2011.

Further reading

[edit]
  • Silverberg, Robert (1967). The Auk, the Dodo, and the Oryx: Vanished and Vanishing Creatures. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Company. LCCN 67002554. L.C. Card AC 67-10476.
[edit]
  • Images and movies of the Arabian oryx (Oryx leucoryx) at Arkive
  • Living Desert article
  • Arabian Oryx at Al Wabra Wildlife Preserve
  • Oryx leucoryx on Animal Diversity Web
  • Oryx leucoryx on Mammal Species of the World

 

United Arab Emirates
General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA)
الهيئة العامة للطيران المدني
Map
 
Agency overview
Jurisdiction UAE
Agency executive
  • Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, (Chairman)
  • Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi, (Director General)
Website www.gcaa.gov.ae

The General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA, Arabic: الهيئة العامة للطيران المدني) is the federal civil aviation authority of the United Arab Emirates. Its headquarters is in Al Rawdah, Abu Dhabi.[1]

The GCAA is the federal responsible authority for the control and regulation of civil aviation in the UAE.

History

[edit]

It was established in 1996 by Federal Cabinet Decree (Law 4) to regulate Civil Aviation and provide designated aviation services with emphasis on safety and security and to strengthen the aviation industry within the UAE and its upper airspace. In late 2009, the GCAA opened its new Air Navigation Centre, The Sheikh Zayed Centre, which is considered the largest and busiest air traffic management facility in the Middle East as well as one of the world's most technically advanced centres in terms of its design.[2]

Memberships

[edit]
  • The United Arab Emirates, represented by GCAA, is an active member of the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and its specialized committees.
  • GCAA is also an active member of the Arab Civil Aviation Commission (ACAC) Executive Council, and currently H.E Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi, Director General of GCAA is heading the ACAC Executive Council.

Functions

[edit]

1. Promulgate the general policy for civil aviation and propose laws and regulations which ensure the organization thereof, forming the necessary committees to implement such policies and representing the State in the negotiations on matters involving its functions, and proposing the conclusion of bilateral agreements in the area of civil aviation and aerial meteorology, in accordance with the provisions of the constitution.

2. Promulgate rules related to overflight of the territory of the State, landing and departing from its airports, and the conditions of carriage of passengers, cargo and mail according to the Law, and in coordination with local authorities.

3. Determine areas over which flying is prohibited, restricted or dangerous on coordination with the concerned authorities in the State.

4. Determine aerial navigation routes to be followed on entry, departure or overflight by those aircraft given permission to transit the territory of the State.

5. Determine the condition for the registration of aircraft in the State, the registering and issue of the airworthiness certificates, and the specifications of nationality and registration symbols, and notifying the International Civil Aviation Organization regarding aircraft to which these matters apply and if any changes that may occur thereto.

6. Determine requirements for the appointment of aircraft crew members and issue the necessary licenses and related documents as appropriate.

7. Determine the documents which should be carried on board aircraft in the conduct of and inspect compliance of those aerial navigation aircraft registered in the State.

8. Promulgate the rules which ensure protection of aerial navigation lights and signals, in coordination with the local authorities.

9. Undertake the Air Traffic Control operations in the State.

10. Ensure enforcement of accepted international regulations and standards at airports of the State, including the aviation agreement, and following up their execution in coordination with the local authority.

11. Promulgate and organize training programs as appropriate to various aviation specialties.

12. Supervise the maintenance and repair of aircraft and the extent of conformity of manufacture with international and local specifications, and the locations in which such maintenance and repair are accomplished, and issue the necessary certificates and licenses for conducting such activities.

Sectors and departments

[edit]

UAE GCAA organization structure Archived 2014-05-01 at the Wayback Machine

  • Air Navigation Service Provider (ANSP) is structured along standard ICAO principles. The responsibilities include airspace design and the provision of safe and efficient air navigation service to the users of the UAE airspace.[3]
  • Safety Affairs is responsible for safety technical functions such as flight operations, airworthiness and aviation environment, licensing and certifications as well as air navigation and aerodromes. Safety Affairs is also responsible for supporting the UAE Federal Government in the definition of national safety policies, developing and issuing regulations, certify, license, oversee, support the development of policies for all technical domains of responsibility, coordinating national and international technical strategic agreements and providing technical experts for the air accidents and incidents investigation.[4]
  • Security Affairs Archived 2014-04-29 at the Wayback Machine is responsible for supporting the UAE Federal Government in the development and review of national aviation security policies and legislation.[5]
  • Strategy & International Affairs plays a critical role in helping the organization to identify, develop, implement and monitor Business Excellence initiatives, concepts and sustain integration of Management Systems across the board to ensure continuous quality improvement in every business units.[6]
  • Support Services provide essential administrative, financial and support service throughout the organization.[7]
  • Air Accident Investigation is responsible for the investigation of civil accidents and incidents within and outside the UAE in accordance with Annex 13 to the ICAO Convention. The purpose of the department is to enhance aviation safety by determining through investigation, the Findings and Significant Factors that lead to Safety Recommendations intended to prevent reoccurrence. It is not to purpose of this activity to apportion blame or liability.[8]

Facilities

[edit]

The GCAA headquarters are in Abu Dhabi.[9][10] The headquarters, built after the GCAA's establishment as a former directorate, includes an air traffic control center and supporting facilities. In June 2009, GCAA shifted its Air Navigation Services to the newly built Sheikh Zayed Air Navigation Centre in Abu Dhabi. The Sheikh Zayed Centre is considered the largest and busiest air traffic management facility in the Middle East as well as one of the world's most technically advanced centres in terms of its design. The Air Navigation Centre consists of two main buildings, the Area Control Centre (ACC) and Emergency ACC. It also has four 60 meter masts for communication equipments.[11] In addition to the Abu Dhabi headquarters, the GCAA also has a regional office in Dubai. The facilities of the Dubai offices, established to serve Dubai and the northern emirates, were also constructed after the GCAA was established.

See also

[edit]
  • Azza Transport Flight 2241
  • UPS Flight 6

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Contact Us". General Civil Aviation Authority. Retrieved 2023-06-16. General Civil Aviation Authority 34 Saif Ghobash St - Al Rawdah - W58 - Abu Dhabi
  2. ^ "Welcome to UAE General Civil Aviation Authority". Gcaa.gov.ae. Retrieved 2018-02-12.
  3. ^ "Air Navigation Services". Gcaa.gov.ae. Retrieved 2018-02-12.
  4. ^ "Aviation Safety Affairs Sector". Gcaa.gov.ae. Retrieved 2018-02-12.
  5. ^ "Security Affairs". Archived from the original on 2014-04-29. Retrieved 2014-06-22.
  6. ^ "Strategy & International Affairs". Gcaa.gov.ae. Retrieved 2018-02-12.
  7. ^ GCAAIT. "Support Services". www.gcaa.gov.ae. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  8. ^ "AIR ACCIDENT PRELIMINARY REPORT BOEING 747-400F/N571UP GCAA ACCIDENT REPORT N° 13/2010." General Civil Aviation Authority. Retrieved on 14 February 2012.
  9. ^ "Contact Us." General Civil Aviation Authority. Retrieved on 4 September 2010.
  10. ^ Abu Dhabi Headquarter Location Map Archived 2016-03-15 at the Wayback Machine." General Civil Aviation Authority. Retrieved on 4 September 2010.
  11. ^ "Welcome Message". Archived from the original on 2013-10-13. Retrieved 2014-06-22.
[edit]
  • General Civil Aviation Authority (in English)
  • General Civil Aviation Authority (in Arabic)

About 23 Marina Tower - Dubai - United Arab Emirates

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https://cappadociahotballoon.com/about-us/

Yes Hot Air Balloon flights depend on weather conditions and may be rescheduled if conditions are unsafe.

Children can join a Hot Air Balloon ride subject to minimum age and height requirements set by the operator.

A Hot Air Balloon ride typically lasts between forty five minutes to one hour depending on weather conditions.