Earlier the year I had the opportunity to attend my very first Airshow. Bahrain hosts the Bahrain International Airshow every two years at the Sakhir Air Base. The airshow is the fastest growing airshow in the Middle East and is organized by the Civil Aviation Affairs of Bahrain, the Royal Bahrain Air Force and Farnborough International.

This year’s airshow saw a lot of aviation companies exhibit their latest birds and technologies and even got some important trade deals done. Military delegations from different countries such as Bahrain, India, USA, UK, Saudi Arabia, UAE, France, etc., participated at this event too. The airshow has seen an increase in the number of visitors over the past two versions. The Indian Air Force had their very own MiG-21/F-16 called the ‘Tejas‘ flown in from India. Tejas is a new light combat fighter jet made in India and was on display for the first time outside of India. The Emirates A380 was on display as well.

The main theme of this year’s exhibition was UAVs or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and had exhibitors display new technological advancements in military aviation. The world has seen a rise in the use of UAVs and it will be the future of aviation as we know it.

Along with the business side of things, the hosts also allow civilians to take a closer look at these new toys and technology. The ticket prices are nominal and they have a flying display of some of the aircrafts in the afternoon hours. The airshow ended with a spectacular aerobatics display from the SWIP twister display team.

Planes are so fascinating for everyone and for me. It was a cool winter afternoon. I got my camera out and went on a burst mode spree capturing these birds. Here are the best photos from the day, at least before the next one happens!

So there you have it. The show will return in 2018 bigger and better for sure.

Here are some important things to know:

• Bahrain is located in the Arabian Gulf and is part of the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council).
• The airshow is held at the Sakhir Air Base in Bahrain.
• The closest airport is the Bahrain International Airport. Dubai is only an hour and half away by air.
• The next airshow is scheduled from 14-16 November 2018.
• Public area ticket prices for this year’s show was priced at BHD 10 ($26) for adults and BHD 5 ($13) for children up to 16 yrs.
• Group bookings included a 5% discount on purchase of 20+ tickets.
• For further information please visit the official website.
• Here is a brochure for the next show.

Have you been to an airshow before? Share about your experience below.

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Disclosure: I did not receive any monetary gifts or benefits from the organizers and was not affiliated to them by any means. This post was purely a reflection of my experience at the airshow. Kindly visit the official website for any further information.

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