- This is going to be the most exciting flight
I've been on this year.
(dramatic music)
(pilots speaking over radio)
- Four aeroplane formation in mid-air.
(pilots speaking over radio)
(dramatic music)
(pilots speaking over radio)
What a pleasure on board a 75th Retro Saudia 777,
and today's non-ordinary flight.
In fact, it is a rehearsal,
Of air show, the fly pass together
with three other aeroplanes ,
a Saudia Dreamliner, a flynas 8320 and a flyadeal 3820.
Together we'll be flying low across Jeddah.
(dramatic music)
- This is the formation we're going to do today.
This is the 787 that's the falcon 1 and 777 as falcon 2,
falcon 3 Flyadeal and Flynas falcon 4.
They will be at the same level passing,
they will be at 900 feet.
While the 777 at 700 feet,
and the 787, as the leader craft will be at 500.
- Generally speaking in the formation, there is,
there are some challenges and one of those challenges is how
to get all four big aeroplanes next to each other,
and very close to each other and different types
and different speeds.
We have special frequency for that,
where we communicate and try to coordinate our speeds,
headings, throughout the show. And that's a real challenge.
And I think it will be very interesting
for people to see that.
Any normal flight,
we normally have a captain and first officer,
only two in the cockpit, but today for this mission,
because it's so challenging,
we do have another two captains just to help us
in the coordination
and planning the formation in a better, safe way.
(dramatic music)
- Welcome aboard at Saudia 777 on the national day air show.
- Hello everybody. This is captain Abdulaziz Yusuf.
Today. We have captain Mamdour and captain (indistinct)
and captain (indistinct).
This is the first day of the rehearsal.
We'll go south. Take toff from Jeddah, then go south,
do some homing, like for half an hour like that.
Then we will start passing the shore.
We will start descending to 700 feet.
- [Sam] So we are then meeting the four aircraft here?
- Here.
- [Sam] And then we go south to north passing a 700.
- Exactly.
Then we will do one circuit, come back, do one more again.
- What a pleasure. I'm the only passenger on board today.
Rehearsal flights. It's going to be a great air show
no doubt. And I have 400 seats to choose on the 777 here.
(dramatic music)
(pilots talking)
It should be very exciting.
This will be my first time experiencing something like this.
To have a four aeroplane formation mid-air.
I'm talking big aeroplanes ,
not the tiny, tiny, private aeroplane I fly.
(pilots talking over radio)
(dramatic music)
(pilots talking over radio)
- We have a take-off,
we have a lift (indistinct) 6000. Ready?
- Yeah.
- Take off.
(dramatic music)
- That's the 787, we're catching up.
(dramatic music)
- We are now descending to 6000 feet.
Falcon 1, which is the dreamliner,
will be descending to 5000 feet.
Then falcon 3, which is the flyadeal
and flynas will be on top of each other.
(pilots talking over radio)
- Yes, I have him inside, let's keep altitude.
(dramatic music)
(pilot talking over radio)
(dramatic music)
(muffled talking)
(pilot talking over radio)
- It's really a very nice feeling
when you have the other traffic with you in the same
position and it's a great effort from a civilian aircraft,
to get that close to another civilian aircraft,
which is very nice.
(indistinct)
(dramatic music)
- Yeah. Now this is the second time-
second pass through our rehearsal for today
and I hope you really enjoyed this with us.
- [Radio] Falcon 1 descending to show altitude 7100 feet.
- [Radio] Falcon 1 at 360, 360.
(indistinct)
(pilot speaking over radio)
(people talking over each other)
- [Radio] Falcon 1 descending in 3, 2, 1, now, 180
- [Captain] That's the only way, yes!
- [Captain 2] Beautiful
(pilots speaking over radio)
(dramatic music)
- That was very good Captain Mamdour, excellent.
- Thank you, appreciate it.
- Wow, that was such an experience.
I'm speechless, because,
the plane's right underneath our flight, you know, 700 feet,
it's just 500 feet vertical separation with a lodge 787.
It's amazing, it's gorgeous, looking at a 787.
- Approaching three, four left.
Minimums
100,
50,
40,
30,
20,
10.
(pilots laughing)
(plane engine roaring)
- What a beautiful, beautiful formation flightpath.
That's all aviation's about
(dramatic music)
(upbeat music)
I'm inside this brand new flyadeal A320.
Very catchy, right? All purple colour.
Also catchy name, fly-a-deal.
- Welcome aboard the Flyadeal, I'm captain (indistinct)
We'll be closing at 11,000 feet once we join the holding.
And we will descend as a team of the formation to go pass
over the countryside by 1000 AGM.
I'm looking toward the entire crew for this information,
because this is one of the things
that is exciting in our life as a pilot.
(talking over radio)
(dramatic music)
- [Radio] 391 we are clear for takeoff. (indistinct)
(muffled talking)
(dramatic music)
- So right now, I think we're cruising at 11,000 feet.
All four planes are V show.
We're kind of trying to line up to get the right speed.
So we're still circling
and trying to get the coordinating the speed right.
Then, we start a flight pass.
(dramatic music)
- [Radio] Okay. I'll altitude is good, 179-
(pilots talking over each other)
Excellent. Falcon 3, excellent, excellent.
Falcon 3 altitude 700, vertical speed 1000.
(dramatic music)
- What a show, it's beautiful.
It's difficult though.
It's very difficult to shoot,
because the aeroplane is shaking a lot.
It's difficult for the pilot to manage the speed heading,
while we have to manage to focus,
you know, avoid a shake it's tough.
- [Radio] Traffic, traffic.
(pilot speaking over radio)
- [Radio] Falcon 3 descending to show altitude 900 feet.
- [Radio] Falcon 4 almost 100 feet.
- [Radio] Falcon 2 700.
- [Radio] Okay, track now, 356, 356 please.
(pilots talking over each other)
- [Radio] Falcon 1 track 290.
- [Radio] Falcon 2 track 310.
(dramatic music)
- I'm still recovering from that scene, it was mesmerising.
We were literally on top of the two planes.
We can't see them, they're right below us, right?
You see that they disappear out of the lens
because they were under us. And I was so worried.
If any plane didn't hold the altitude,
we would have been done, you know.
- [Radio] Falcon 3 left track 270, climbing, 277
- [Radio] Okay, descend to 1700, decrease it 1500.
(indistinct)
- [Radio] Speed up
- [Radio] 300, initially.
(indistinct)
365 well done.
- [Radio] 65, Falcon 1.
- [Radio] Copy, Falcon 1.
- [Radio] This is nice.
- [Radio] Keep the speed, this speed is good.
- [Radio] Very nice, excellent.
- [Radio] Keep it, keep it. Keep it, keep it.
We're heading to 70?
- [Radio] Yes, sir.
(dramatic music)
(pilots speaking over radio)
- Today, it was exactly the perfect altitude,
the difference is 200 feet.
In addition to the queue in node js, we see it on the TCAS
and it shows us what is the vertical distance.
And it was very disciplined participant from other operators
to maintain the altitude.It was very close on the top,
especially on the low altitude
when passing over the show area.
- Wow.
Speechless the 777 and the 78 in front of us,
almost like stack on each other, it's so close.
I think there's only 200 vertical feet separation.
What a show it's beautiful.
It really reminds me why I love aviation.
You know, I can't explain that feeling,
but it's all written in the footage here, enjoy it.
(dramatic music)