Al Ain Airshow Family trip- report

[Smiley]

We met at 11 a.m. in Al Noor car park, then started the convoy towards Al Ain half an hour later. Too many cars!
But we managed to be at the interim meeting point in Al Yahea in time. We drove further to the deflation point, where we divided the huge number of cars ( must be more than 40 !) into 4 groups:
Juergen took over the intermediate section and left first.
Mood led a mixed convoy of newbie/intermediate and advanced.
Mike and Katharina were in charge of the ANIT and newbie section.
I led a mixed convoy as well, but mostly newbies.
I can only make the report for my convoy, as we all had different routs to avoid mixture and confusion.
So after the briefing we started to follow the pilon line in north direction for a few hundred meters, then headed north east towards the north end of the airport. I tried to make the route as easy as possible, because we were more than 10 cars. We had a few stucks here and there that slowed us a bid down and about 2 km before the airport I noticed some new farms in the dunes. To avoid this area, I had to swerve northerly into smaller dune areas which are more difficult to drive. So it took us a bit more time than expected also to meet the other groups again.
Congratulations to all drivers....... You made it !
Together we set up a picnic camp and enjoyed the rest of the air show while having tee coffee and cake. Also Kermitts advanced group joined us. The evening was quite chilly and windy, but we had a nice campfire that warmed us.
I would like to thank Juergen, Mood, Mike and Katharina for leading parts of the convoy. What would I do without you? You guys really rock!
For my convoy, I'd like to thank Yayos and Serge for sweeping, you did a good job guys! And special thanks to Wasabi for being my 'guardian angel ' ( hope your nerves recovered )

As I don't know much about the other convoys, Juergen,Mood Mike and Katharina,could you please add your reports here.
For everybody else, please feel free to make a comment here.
I hope everybody enjoyed the day as I did.

If you have some pictures, please upload them to the gallery.

This is the track of my convoy:

[mike0967]

Thank you Anne for organizing this huge event again.

The area is not really suited for ANIT drivers, but everybody did great yesterday and was up to the challenging terrain. Huge dunes and deep bowls had to be crossed with some steeper up and downs as well as the one or other technical passage had to be tackled.

Katharina and me tried our best to make it as easy as possible, which itself was not easy at all times ......

Big thanks go also to all the ones helping yesterday in advising and helping our newer members at all times, so thank you Cybershot, Woodpecker and Chabuk, ah, Desert Hawk of course.

Ah yes, we also ended up in the new farms area, but the guys there were really helpful and showed me the right way out, thank you Mohammed for helping here as well.

Not sure if we really were interested in the show, too many friends to greet, to many nice chats to have and too many jokes around the campfire, Mutasem, I have to memorise especially one of the jokes, too good to be forgotten.

Thanks also to Bulldozer showing us the way out to the new roads, much appreciated.

There's a lot more to tell, but I hope that the one or other from our group will have a comment as well here.

Thanks to all for another great friday and the nice company, we enjoyed


Mike

[Cybershot]

Thank you Anne for this nice event!

I have been with Mikes convoy and as he sayed, all newbees did quit well. Track was nice with some challanging soft sand parts, but we went through safely and without damages. We had a few stucks , but get all cars out gently. Thank you Mike and Khatarina to let me be your sweeper and all other members for nice company.

BBQ was nice and the steaks rich in minerals (if sand have any minerals, but it should have ). I whished I could have more time, but we had an appointment and therewhit to leave early.

[desert_hawk]

Thanks Anne, and all marshals who participated and lead this event, special thanks to Mike and Katharina who led our convoy.

We had a lovely day from beginning to end and discovered who are the real offroaders in my family by the end of the day

The track was nicely selected, and the job was not that easy for Mike to select as easy track as possible to suit all the ANITs who were with us, but as usual you did a gr8 job in that.

We had our share of minerals as well, as the wind went on and on.

The locals in the area, in the farms and on the way out, were very helpful.

We saw few seens from the show, but mainly enjoyed the company of the group.

Again thanks Anne for the cake, i still want the recipe, not that i will cook it, but will supervise

The gathering was one of the special ones for AD4x4 and things went more spicy just before sunset till we left all together

The special thing about these gatherings is that you meet (finally) people that you know on the site but never met face to face, and realise how big is our AD4x4 family.

[Ahmedhammad]

Thank you Smiley for such a nice huge event. I think this trip will become one of the classic events of the Club.
I was in Mood's group, where we all enjoyed some action.
Would like to Thank you all specially Smiley, Mood, Moutassem, Imad, Jalal, Abdoush, and Dear Tillybean.
Ahmed.

[Woodpecker]

Hi Anne,

Thanks for organizing this big and great trip! And for sure thanks for the very delicious cake

I was in Mike's group - we had a lot of fun and a new expirience - my first stuck on an ANIT trip Thanks to Cybershot for helping me!

I really enjoyed the sandy BBQ and the chat at the campfire - so much good jokes

Hope to see you ALL soon again!!!!!!!!!!


Detlef the Woodpecker

[Guevara]

Anne

thanks for the great day ! Thanks also to Mood for the drive. Was not easy considering that the terrain was actually quite challenging.

See you soon

Guevara

[Abdoush]

Thanks smiley for creating this nice trip, me, my wife and son had soo much fun and we all enjoyed it.
Special thanks to mood for leading our convoy, it was a nice track.

the Camping area was great as well, we met all around the fire, chatting and introducing new members.

Gladiator, i still feel sorry for u :p

[Katharina]

Hi Anne,

Thank you for the great trip to Al Ain Air show.

Thank you to all the others Marshals.

Take care. see you !

Katharian

[Serge]

I forgot about the cake!


A big thanks to Smiley for organizing this trip! And thank to everyone who joined, led and helped on this huge trip!


Me with 3 more Pajeros (all Silver color) moved from Dubai @ 10:15 AM.

There was no traffic at all on the truck road, so we was on the gas station by 11:15 AM. Refilled, chat a bit, and move to deflation point.
Deflate tires, smell the sand and wait for others.

During waiting time we had a pop out on one of pajeros. It was fixed with changing the tire - as it was full of stones and sand, we had to do so.

Then we moved to big group briefing... found out who we follow - It was Smiley

I cant say that is was really smooth but we all got to the final point.

During trip, few + few + few more stuck's - a bit of bumper modification (seems drivers dont even look anymore on thous useless parts)

A big thanks to Wassabi, Rulik and YaYos for being around there...

Wassabi - Hope your nerves recovered, and you have enjoyed the trip

[SCORPIO]

thanks Smiley for this nice huge trip

thanks to all the Marshals also for for leading every body through safely
thanks Mood for finding the best way through that challenging terrain
thanks also to sweepers behing and on the sides for taking care of the of the convoy

the BBQ spot was very nice, unfortunately i could not stay much
i missed the fire and the nice gathering but i did not miss Smiley's yummy cake

see you all soon

[Scorpionita]

Thanks for the trip was nice
thanks Maher (Ceaser) for the nice BBQ

[tillybean]

It's always nice to rock up at the meeting point and find what seems like a million cars all waiting to go - and this was the sight that greeted me when I got to Al Noor hospital car park on Friday morning. A long convoy later and we were at the deflation point in Al Ain before splitting up into our respective groups.

I was in the intermediates with Juergen who did a splendid job of finding a tricky little route through the sand. I stayed up the back with Pamukl and enjoyed watching everyone and assisting on a couple of stucks.

The day was another good day and I had a brilliant time driving with everyone to the first meet up point and then finally catching up with the other marshals and their groups and experiencing The Cake from Smiley which was lovely. I saw a bit of the air show but the sand and the wind were a bit too much for me, so I headed out with Scorpio and some newbies back to the catch road.

Got a chance to drive with my Red Flag buddy Ahmedhammad - our newbie in our team - who did really well, so roll on the GPS event Thanks Scorpio for getting us all back to the road.

Thanks to Smiley for organising the trip, all the marshals for their assistance, to everyone for coming along and to Juergen for another great lead out into the dunes.

All that was missing was a night drive (W&W)

Me - edit, never Apologies for the mix-up. I was just happy to follow.

[desert_hawk]

I stayed up the back with Lars and enjoyed watching everyone and assisting on a couple of stucks.

Lars was with us was it his ghost or i didn't see him, although he's not that easy to miss

[Gladiator]

I stayed up the back with Lars and enjoyed watching everyone and assisting on a couple of stucks.

Lars was with us was it his ghost or i didn't see him, although he's not that easy to miss

think Sam was too busy to write so she cut & paste from a different trip which Lars was in it