ABU DHABI// Many people fly paramotors without proper training because the government does not regulate or license the practice, according to local aviators.
Paramotors, also called powered gliders, are flexible wings with engines attached. They are easy to buy online, said one aviator, who declined to give his name. At most, they cost Dh50,000, he said.
The man who crashed a paramotor into football fans in an Al Ain stadium on Wednesday was an experienced aviator -- but others who fly the machines are not. "These guys, due to the lack of regulations, don't approach instructors," the aviator said. "They just take their equipment, go to the beach and start training themselves."
The aviator said he had campaigned for government regulations to no avail.
"The country should come up with rules and regulations," he said. "It's not something that we can just close our eyes and say it doesn't exist."
Johan Vercruyssen, the chief flight instructor for paramotorists at Jazirah Aviation Club, said it takes about 40 hours to teach someone to fly a powered glider.
"There is no official license that is applicable throughout the country," he said. "It is not available. There is only a permit from the club that can be obtained to fly in the club environment."
A spokesman for the General Civil Aviation Authority said officials would not be available to comment until Sunday.
vnereim@thenational.ae
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
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Sheer grandeur
The Owo building is 14 storeys high, seven of which are below ground, with the 30,000 square feet of amenities located subterranean, including a 16-seat private cinema, seven lounges, a gym, games room, treatment suites and bicycle storage.
A clear distinction between the residences and the Raffles hotel with the amenities operated separately.
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
'Laal Kaptaan'
Director: Navdeep Singh
Stars: Saif Ali Khan, Manav Vij, Deepak Dobriyal, Zoya Hussain
Rating: 2/5
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
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On racial profiling at airports
Results
6.30pm: Baniyas (PA) Group 2 Dh195,000 1,400m | Winner: ES Ajeeb, Sam Hitchcock (jockey), Ibrahim Aseel (trainer)
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