The helicopter stunt was part of a latest film project to be shot in Dubai, which is dubbed “very special to the UAE.”
It’s a bird! It’s a plane! Nope! It’s a flying palm tree!
Well, that was the reaction of several Dubai residents on social media on Monday afternoon after seeing a life-size palm tree dangling from a military helicopter hovering around the Dubai skyline.
A flying date palm tree was a new, though not unbelievable, experience to the people of this part of the world where fables of Aladdin’s flying carpet and the real man-made palm islands have originated.
This reporter was one of the motorists who witnessed the helicopter stunt in Dubai’s plush Business Bay area, just behind the world’s tallest building Burj Khalifa.
Though unable to click its shots while driving, this reporter, who initially mistook the palm tree from far to be a metallic structure being airlifted by the helicopter, later got a clear view of the flying object.
Khaleej Times later got the confirmation that the helicopter stunt was part of a latest film project to be shot in Dubai, which is dubbed “very special to the UAE.”
Miranda Davidson Studios, which runs casting services, was part of the project, confirmed the owner Miranda Davidson.
In an e-mailed statement, she said: “I can’t say much about the flying palm tree incident many people witnessed today other than Miranda Davidson Studios and I’m sure all of UAE will be proud to have been a part of the project when it is released. Until then, keep your eyes on the horizon over the days to come…you never know what might fly by next.”
Nadine du Toit, who uses the Twitter handle @GLORYGIRLFIT tweeted her post on Tumblr which read as follows.
Those flying palm tree days… We were on a film set today (yes, don’t judge my beach wear, I didn’t choose it) and the main character was a Black Hawk with a palm tree flying all over Dubai, for a very special film project for the UAE! (sic).
Over the phone, Miranda said she was unable to reveal the details of the project due to a clause of non-disclosure policy in the contract. However, she confirmed palm trees would be seen flying over Dubai and Abu Dhabi for some more days.
In fact, we spotted that Matilda Hay @haymatilda had tweeted an image of a palm tree being airlifted over the coast of Abu Dhabi on Sunday evening.
