From a height of 3,000 feet, the Grand Mosque here and the multitudes of worshippers performing Taraweeh prayer amid the spirituality of the time and place appeared like a panoramic painting studded with diamonds. Houses surrounding the Holy Haram appeared as if they were necklaces of lanterns. Okaz/Saudi Gazette monitored the pulse of Makkah and the Central Area through two trips – before Iftar and during Taraweeh prayer – from a new Civil Defense Sikorsky 92-S helicopter, which is among the world's latest. The twin-engine aircraft took off from the Civil Aviation Base in Al-Awali District at 4 P.M. and flew for about an hour in which the movement of fasting worshippers toward the Grand Mosque was monitored, along with the streamlined flow of traffic in the Central Area and worshippers arriving at the Holy Haram. The second trip took off from the same location at 10 P.M., while worshippers were performing Taraweeh prayer. The view from 3,000 feet was as good as one could imagine. Roads and crucial points where traffic jams from among vehicles going to and from the Grand Mosque could be seen with ease. Most roads leading to the Central Area were allocated for pedestrians, but some had a considerable number of vehicles. The Makkah Clock Tower stood proudly as the tallest clock tower in the world. The viewer is amazed by the scene; this massive project, along with the Grand Mosque, has made a real difference. The scene of the tall structure and the Grand Mosque is like a painting that's better than anything the world's best artists could paint. While the helicopter flew above the Grand Mosque, someone pointed a laser beam at it every time it passed his location; the beam even reached the helicopter at an altitude of 3,000 feet. Pilots of the two helicopters that carried Okaz/Saudi Gazette journalists were very cooperative with the photographer and adjusted the altitude and angles to help him get the best pictures. Maj. Gen. Muhammad Bin Eid Al-Harbi, commander of Civil Defense Aviation, said the modern helicopters in the Civil Defense Aviation fleet were provided by the government of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to serve worshippers and visitors to the Grand Mosque. The aircraft, which are fitted with the latest equipment, can be modified for specific missions such as fighting fires, by attaching a 650-gallon bucket, and rescue operations, by attaching a winch to raise and lower equipment and personnel. __
