UNITED ARAB EMIRATES-Abu Dhabi-old international airport

[John Anderson]

AUH.jpgAUH2.jpg

Self in front of the RAF's B24 Liberator transiting the old Abu Dhabi airport 1974. Now in Cosford? The aircraft was a gift from the Indian Air Force to the RAF Museum. The crew were I think from Hindustan Industries (are they still around?) Note my flair trousers (those were the days!)

Concorde pre production aircraft G-BBDG at Abu Dhabi on a sales tour of the Middle East 29 August 1974. My certificate shows max speed M2.5, height 57500 feet over the Arabian Gulf, flight time 1 hr 16 mins, supersonic time 46 mins-signed by the great Brian Trubshaw.

[Bumz_Rush]

Did Concorde land at the Al Bateen Airport, the original Abu Dhabi Airport....

I have operated from there over the last few years, it was until last year a private airfield for military VVIP use only, now it is a Executive Airport, serving Abu Dhabi.

There is a very big Mosque sitting on the threshold of the runway, very impressive on touchdown.

Bumz

[John Anderson]

Did Concorde land at the Al Bateen Airport, the original Abu Dhabi Airport....

I have operated from there over the last few years, it was until last year a private airfield for military VVIP use only, now it is a Executive Airport, serving Abu Dhabi.

There is a very big Mosque sitting on the threshold of the runway, very impressive on touchdown.

Bumz

Yes that was the airport, though in my day it was not called Al Bateen. I was first there in 1971 handling BOAC and GF VCi0's, ME, AI and PK B707's! Apart from Caribou's and helicopters of the Abu Dhabi Air Wing, the only other aircraft based there were the 2 GF Skyvans operating to Das Island. As I recall there were only 2 tarmac covered roads in the whole place, one was the main street (Sheikh Hamdaan?) and the road to the airport and Al Ain over the Maqtaa Bridge! No tarmac road to Dubai then.