The Saudi Aviation Club (SAC) is official
aviation
Aviation includes the activities surrounding mechanical flight and the aircraft industry. ''Aircraft'' includes fixed-wing and rotary-wing types, morphable wings, wing-less lifting bodies, as well as lighter-than-air craft such as hot a ...
club of the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
History
"The Saudi Aviation Club (SAC) was established by resolution 217 of
the council of ministers on 4 December 2000 as an independent
nonprofit entity to promote
aeronautical science
Aeronautics is the science or art involved with the study, design process, design, and manufacturing of air flight–capable machines, and the techniques of operating aircraft and rockets within the atmosphere. The British Royal Aeronautical So ...
s and to encourage the participation of the public in aviation. SAC’s airport is located in Thumama, approximately 60 km north of
Riyadh
Riyadh (, ar, الرياض, 'ar-Riyāḍ, lit.: 'The Gardens' Najdi pronunciation: ), formerly known as Hajr al-Yamamah, is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of th ...
." Plans for the club were unveiled on January 31, 2007 at the Middle East Business Aviation exhibition by
Prince Sultan bin Salman who is the founder and chairman of the SAC.
[ Prince Bandar bin Khalid is a SAC managing director.]Radio-controlled aircraft
A radio-controlled aircraft (often called RC aircraft or RC plane) is a small flying machine that is controlled remotely by an operator on the ground using a hand-held radio transmitter. The transmitter continuously communicates with a receiver ...
was sponsored by the SAC and the Arab Union for Sky Sports. The event attracted 40 professionals from eight countries. In response to a directive from Nayef bin Abdulaziz
Nayef bin Abdulaziz Al Saud ( ar, نايف بن عبد العزيز آل سعود, ''Nāyif ibn ‘Abd al ‘Azīz Āl Su‘ūd''; 1934 – 16 June 2012) was the crown prince of Saudi Arabia and deputy prime minister from October 2011 and the min ...
, SAC is "compiling a list of rules for those who practice gliding as a hobby. These will provide safety guidelines and prevent smuggling by restricting the hobby to certain authorized areas."
The Saudi Aviation Club Airfield is located at the Thumamah Airport. "Access to Thumama Airport is only permitted to SAC membership holders." The Saudi Aviation Flight Academy (SAFA) is located at the Saudi Aviation Club. There are "ongoing efforts to transform the Saudi Aviation Club into an association which would act as umbrella for various aviation clubs, pilots, and aviation enthusiasts throughout the Kingdom."Saudi Aviation Club News
21 November 2011
See also
*
General Authority of Civil Aviation
*
Rabigh Wings Aviation Academy
Rabigh Wings Aviation Academy (RWAA) is the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's first aviation academy.
History
Aside from being the first aviation academy in the Kingdom, the academy is a modern flight training school.
The CEO and founder, Turki bin ...
*
Saqr (drone)
Saqr a line of Unmanned aerial vehicles produced by the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology for the government of Saudi Arabia. , three models had been developed: Saqr 2, Saqr 3 and Saqr 4. All three models are manufactured from fib ...
References
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External links
Saudi Aviation Club websiteKing’s picture in Jeddah sky today
2000 establishments in Saudi Arabia
Organizations established in 2000
Aviation in Saudi Arabia