Etihad A380 leads the Grand Prix parade

The fastest spectacle as Abu Dhabi's Formula 1 Grand Prix got underway was clearly the Etihad A380, chased along by the UAE's flying display team

The fly-past has become synonymous with the race with the flagship A380 aircraft flying over the iconic circuit  accompanied by the Aermacchi MB-339NAT fast jets of the UAE’s air display team, Al Fursan.
Captain Ali Al Jabri, an Etihad Airways A380 pilot and Vice President Corporate Safety and Quality, embarked on the flight for the seventh year in a row, and was joined by Captain Sulaiman Yaqoobi, Captain Adel Al Zubaidi and Captain Kian Siew Beh in the flight deck.
The superjumbo – tail number A6-APD – passed over the start line and home straight of the circuit at 800 feet and travelling at 220 knots - slightly slower than its normal cruise speed of 490knots (907 km/h).