Ras al Kaimah is currently the home of Centrafrican Airlines, and the apron is usually full of
various aircraft from the fleet (although many of these appear to be wfu or in storage). It also
sees a certain amount of both cargo and passenger services by various interesting carriers,
although these are pretty irregular, and there's no guarantee you'll see any during a typical
visit.
Photographic ramp passes are easily available here, but are certainly not cheap - 400 Dirhams
(about 80GBP) for 24 hours! Given the number of aircraft you're likely to actually see here this
does seem rather extortionate, although admittedly your chances of even seeing most of them
anywhere else are slim. You wouldn't want to come here too often, though!
If you do decide it's worth it, it's best to apply in advance, although they seem to be fairly
relaxed about this, and I got mine simply by turning up on the day and asking at the Public
Relations office. As well as the cash, bring a copy of your passport, a couple of photos, and some
other form of original ID, preferably with a photo on it (a driving license or business card (!)
were two of the possibilities mentioned to me). Like everywhere else in the UAE, don't bother
turning up on Thursday or Friday as the pass office will be closed for the Arab weekend.
You'll probably get driven to the ramp from the terminal (not strictly necessary as it's only
about 100m away), and then you're free to wander around taking whatever photos you want. I think
officially you are supposed to be escorted round, but you may find your escort prefers to stay in
his air-conditioned car while you toil away under the merciless Middle Eastern sun (not
surprisingly)! Note also that although you can photograph quite freely with a pass, you're not
officially allowed to write down any registrations (so do this surreptitiously if you want to).
Click on the icons below to see maps relating to Ras al Kaimah airport. Note that these are all
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