Overview of DXB after a rw12R departure and a climbing 180-degree turn to give this nice view across the airport. The huge terminal complex is clearly visible along with the paticipants for the Dubai air show on the right. Shot taken from G-VIID operating BA108 to Heathrow. The skyscrapers in the distance belong to the Emirate of Sharjah.

Originally delivered to Northwest associate Mesaba Airlines as N511XJ in 4.98 and placed into store at Marana in 11.05; acquired by Dubai Air Wing 6.08 after attention at Exeter

Staging through busy Bahrain airport at dawn en-route to Dubai gave plenty of opportunity to see the Airbuses of this fast-expanding low-cost carrier, but not to photograph them. This one is ex N944FR of Frontier

Already cleaned up on a 12R departure and showing off the then-new colours of Oman Air to advantage (the old scheme was rather nice too)

The attractive colours of flydubai were to become a very common sight around the Middle East, with some 54 737s on order by this ambitious new LCC at the time of this photo. One was in the 2009 Dubai Air Show static for the first day only