A Paramotor Flight in Dubai

A paramotor flight in Dubai is a way to see the desert from above, without a plane and without a helicopter. A paramotor is a paraglider wing with a small engine and seats. You sit next to a professional pilot, and he flies the aircraft the whole time. No prior experience is needed and there's nothing you need to do, just enjoy the view.

The flight departs from a small airfield on the Dubai-Al Ain road, next to Skydive Dubai Desert Campus, about half an hour's drive from Dubai. The offices and hangar are in a white building next to the skydiving campus. There, you get a short safety briefing and meet your pilot.

After the briefing, you're helped into the paramotor and strapped in, then you take off. At the start of the flight, the pilot passes close to the ground, so friends and family can film you from below. From there you head out into the open desert: a low flight over the dunes, over camel and date farms and local villages, followed by a climb for a view of a desert lake.

Part of the route passes over the Al Maha Reserve, within Dubai's desert reserve. The reserve was established in 2003, covers 225 sq km, almost 5% of the emirate's area, and is home to the only herds of Arabian oryx that roam freely in Dubai. From the air, you can spot oryx, gazelles and desert foxes in their natural habitat.

You can fly at sunrise or sunset, when the light is soft and the dunes take on an orange color. Each aircraft carries one passenger and the pilot, so a group that wants to fly together flies in several aircraft at the same time. Anyone looking for more adrenaline can ask the pilot for maneuvers, like spirals and especially low flying.

The paramotor field's neighbor is Skydive Dubai Desert Campus, Dubai's desert skydiving area. There, people skydive over sand dunes, and it also serves as a training center for skydivers learning to jump solo. So this whole area, on the Dubai-Al Ain road, is a hub for flying and air sports. The paramotor club itself also runs a paramotor certification course, as well as a course for flying an aircraft with a seat and cockpit, for anyone whose first flight whetted their appetite.

The aircraft you fly in is a two-seat paramotor with a seated cockpit, not a backpack unit. You sit strapped into a chair, and the pilot controls the engine and the wing. Each passenger has their own aircraft, with their own pilot.

The flight suits anyone who wants an experience different from a regular desert safari, couples flying together in two aircraft, and photographers. It's also a good way to see the reserve and its wildlife without driving into it.

You can choose a flight at sunrise or at sunset, the hours when the light on the dunes is at its best. Anyone planning to continue to another desert activity afterwards can choose sunrise, and anyone who wants to end the day in the air will choose sunset. We will confirm the exact time on your chosen day in writing at the time of booking.