Description

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On 2 June 2006, a team of three gliders, one chase plane, support crew and all-terrain vehicles gathered at a fiercely hot and dusty airfield 50 kilometers outside Riyadh, the capital city of Saudi Arabia. The pilots, two Saudi Princes and the British ex-Special Forces officer who had trained them on the Stemme gliders to be flown, were about to make gliding history by flying in a great circular route round the western half of Saudi Arabia, over some of the harshest and most unforgiving desert terrain in the world. In Wings Over Arabia, Roger Harrison, writer, photographer and longtime resident of the Kingdom, chronicles this modern version of a 'royal progress' over the wild and desolate deserts, the Red Sea coast and the mountainous southwestern region of the Kingdom. The stunning photographs - many unique since the flight paths passed over areas never before or since open to non-military aircraft - are accompanied by entertaining text covering every step of this unique journey. Additional narrative and ground-level photos of the features below the gliders supplement many of the aerial sequences. This firsthand account of an historic and often dangerous exploit constitutes a unique document and is essential reading for everyone with a love of adventure or an eye for beauty. It will appeal to aviators, photographers, geographers, travelers and teachers - and all those who hold Saudi Arabia dear, be they nationals, visitors or 'old Saudi hands' who having lived and worked in the Kingdom reflect on their time spent the Islamic holy land with fondness.