Mako Project Pilot Paves the Way

Captain Abdul Rahman Al Harmoudi is closer than anyone to flying the Mako. Captain Al Harmoudi is the United Arab Emirate's Mako project pilot, assigned by the UAE Air Force to EADS as part of the Emirate's commitment to the program. Here at the show he is demonstrating the Mako cockpit systems mock-up, flying simulated missions and displaying the Mako cockpit interface.

For his "regular" job, Captain Al Harmoudi is based at Al Ain, in Abu Dhabi, where he is a Hawk instructor pilot at the Air College. He began his flying training on PC-7s and in addition to the UAE's Hawk Mk 63s he has also flown the F-5, in Jordan. He has chalked up over 1,000 flight hours in the Hawk. Captain Al Harmoudi pointed out that with the first of 80 Block 60 F-16s due to arrive in 2003, the UAEAF has a substantial pilot training requirement, to which an aircraft like the Mako could be well-suited.