Red Bull Air Race 2010 – Abu Dhabi: Video Highlights

Posted by Flightline UK on 28/03/2010 under Red Bull Air Race | Be the First to Comment

Bonhomme prevails in Abu Dhabi heat to win Red Bull Air Race season opener

Posted by Flightline UK on 27/03/2010 under Red Bull Air Race | Be the First to Comment

Defending champion Paul Bonhomme of Britain won the first Red Bull Air Race of the 2010 season in Abu Dhabi on Saturday with a hard-fought victory in scorching heat, finishing just ahead of compatriot Nigel Lamb (2nd) and Hungary’s Peter Besenyei (3rd) in an eventful battle on the Arabian Gulf. Austria’s Hannes Arch finished a disappointing 11th after posting the fastest Qualifying time on Friday.

Arch, who had won the Abu Dhabi season opener last year and was the favourite going in after winning the one Qualifying point on Friday, was disqualified in the Top 12 round for dangerous flying, his first and only flight. Many other front-runners were also knocked out early on a day of upsets due to disqualifications or technical malfunctions. With temperatures rising above 40 degrees and the strong desert winds suddenly shifting direction just hours before the race, the 2010 season opener over the Arabian Gulf turned into one of the most challenging races in the six-year history of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship.

Michael Goulian took a strong fourth place but the American’s day nevertheless ended in disappointment as well when he was unable to fly in the final round of four due to technical problems. Canada’s Pete McLeod, a rookie last year, got a career-best fifth place. Australia’s Matt Hall was flying well and poised for a spot on the podium but was also forced to retire ahead of the Super 8 round with a technical problem that dropped him to eighth place.

It’s a great start to the new year,” said Bonhomme, who took 12 points for his 12th career victory – and fourth in the last five races going back to last season. Bonhomme, like fellow veterans Lamb and Besenyei, was a master of the difficult weather conditions and managed to stay calm despite some extraordinary pressure.

“It’s fascinating what we’ve seen today. The wind changes direction and it sorts everyone out. The temperature was also a factor. To keep your concentration up in these conditions is quite a task. I don’t think it’s a coincidence (that the race’s most experienced pilots were on the podium). Experience helps on days like today. You have to keep an eye on what happens and play the tactics just right.”

And Besenyei, who had both struggled somewhat in fair weather training earlier in the week, also rose to the occasion of the heat and treacherous winds, full of sand as they gusted out of the desert.

“Today was a day of race tactics and strategy,” said Lamb, adding he hoped to make a habit of getting on the podium after taking an identical second place in Barcelona. “It would be a great habit to have. But one would be deluded to think it’s goig to be easy. There are at least 12 pilots this year who have been putting in times that are within a few seconds of each other. It’s going to be a very interesting season.”

Arch was clearly upset with the disqualification. He said: “I don’t have a clue about what the stewards saw,” said Arch. “It was a normal racing situation. Judging like that is a concern for the sport. That’s going to have a negative effect on the world championship.”

The first race of the 2010 season was also a learning experience for the two rookies. Martin Sonka of the Czech Republic, who celebrated his 32nd birthday with a strong performance in Qualifying on Friday, picked up 20 penalty points on Saturday and ended up 13th. Brazil’s Adilson Kindlemann had an even more eventful race, picking up 28 penalty points including 12 for hitting two Air Gates.

Red Bull Air Race 2010 World Series – Meet the Pilots

Posted by Flightline UK on 24/03/2010 under Red Bull Air Race | Be the First to Comment

Red Bull Air Race 2010 World Series Preview

Posted by Flightline UK on 23/03/2010 under Red Bull Air Race | Be the First to Comment

Red Bull Air Race to return to London?

Posted by Flightline UK on 10/01/2010 under Red Bull Air Race | Be the First to Comment

From Newham Recorder:-

NEWHAM could have a second airport, of sorts. Drinks giant Red Bull wants to create a temporary aerodrome facility, including runway, at the Royals Business Park to use during their annual air races.

Development, according to their planning application published this week, also includes temporary buildings, structures and other works on the north side of Royal Albert Dock to include, helipads and taxiway, aircraft hangers and control tower. Councillors will be asked to approve the scheme to cover the spectacular air events that take place along the River Thames up to 2015

Bonhomme wins Red Bull Air Race World Championship with thriller in Barcelona

Posted by Flightline UK on 04/10/2009 under Red Bull Air Race | Be the First to Comment

On a gorgeous day in Barcelona with temperatures around 25 degrees, Britain’s Nigel Lamb got the first podium of an otherwise disappointing season with second place after a brilliant performance in the final on the 6.4-km long track through a challenging 15-Air Gate obstacle course set up just metres above the surface of the Mediterranean. German rookie Matthias Dolderer treated the largest crowd of the season packed along the Front Maritim beaches to some fancy flying to take third place, his first podium.

“Fantastic, thank you Barcelona,” Bonhomme said after letting out a loud shout for joy when he heard the news he had won the title on his cockpit radio. He had watched his four-point lead melt to three on Saturday when Arch won the 1 point for fastest Qualifying time. “I’m very happy. It’s been a lot of hard work but we got there in the end. It’s been a huge amount of pressure. It’s just a question of how you deal with it at the right time. I thought I’d better get my skates on and that worked.”

Bonhomme was the epitome of consistency with three victories and three second places even though his Edge 540 plane was not as fast as Arch’s for most of the season. Arch had outclassed Bonhomme in the Qualifying sessions this year, winning the 1 point three times compared to just once for Bonhomme. The two were the protagonists of the most riveting championship battle in the five-year history of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship.

“It was a real good fight all year,” said Arch, who warmly congratulated Bonhomme after their pulsating duel was finally over. “Paul didn’t get anything for free. I was always setting the fastest times and pushing him. I had to go all out in the final. You can’t win if you sit on the brakes. I’m really happy with my performance. There’s nothing to be disappointed about. I gave everything I had. We’ll see what happens next year.”

Two other rookies ended the season on a high note. Japan’s Yoshi Muroya had a career-best sixth place and Canada’s Pete McLeod got 12th, his second-best result. But it was a disappointing race for Americans Kirby Chambliss (5th), Michael Goulian (11th) and Mike Mangold (14th). Spain’s Alejandro Maclean was hoping to give the fans in his home country a strong showing but finished 10th.

A total of 1.2 million spectators enjoyed the weekend’s racing, the most exciting this season

2009 Red Bull Air Race World Championship finale takes off in Barcelona

Posted by Flightline UK on 23/09/2009 under Red Bull Air Race | Be the First to Comment

Heat is on as 2009 Red Bull Air Race World Championship finale heads to Barcelona

BARCELONA, Spain – Britain’s Paul Bonhomme will try to clinch his first-ever title in the 2009 season finale in Barcelona on 3-4 October after seeing the crown slip from his grasp at the very end of both the 2007 and 2008 seasons. But Bonhomme will be feeling intense pressure from defending champion Hannes Arch of Austria, who is just four points behind, going into the climatic battle over Spain’s Mediterranean shoreline on the Front Maritim. In a thrilling race in Porto earlier this month Bonhomme topped Arch before a season-record race day crowd of 720,000. Spain’s Alejandro Maclean, who took a promising 7th place in Porto, will be hoping for an even better result and even bigger crowd when the Red Bull Air Race rolls into to his home country for the first time since 2006.

Barcelona is expected to be one of the most challenging races so far this year. With the track located on an open coastline, nature will play a role in the outcome. Sudden shifts in wind direction and ocean swells which could cause the Air Gates anchored to floating barges to rise and fall slightly will require the pilots to be extra vigilant in order to avoid costly time penalties.

Bonhomme, who leads the championship standings with 55 points, has been the epitome of consistency so far this year with 2 victories and 3 second place finishes. He has managed to stay at or near the top this year even at races when he did not have the fastest plane. After stalking Austrian ace Arch and his red-hot “silver bullet” Edge 540 through the first half of the year, Bonhomme finally moved ahead of him in the 4th round in Budapest. He then widened his lead from 1 to 4 points in Porto.

“I’ve been in this situation before and I can tell you that a 4-point lead is not a lot – especially when there’s 13 points available in Barcelona,” said Bonhomme. “It’s not a big gap so we’re still going to have to concentrate hard in Barcelona. It’s a very different course.” The track in Barcelona will be full of non-stop twists and turns that will put a premium on pilot skill in contrast to the sheer power that was required for the straight out-and-back course through the Douro River valley in Porto.

The Red Bull Air Race World Championship has grown even more competitive in its 5th season with the addition of 4 high-flying rookies. In Porto, newcomer Matt Hall from Australia got the first podium of his career with 3rd place, a record-breaking achievement that lifted the former fighter pilot from Down Under from 5th to 3rd overall in the championship.

Arch is relishing his new role as the hunter rather than the hunted since slipping behind Bonhomme with a season-low 4th place finish in Budapest. “Now I really get to put the pressure on and I will hunt down Paul in Barcelona,” said Arch, who has 1 win, 2 seconds, a 3rd and a 4th so far for a total of 51 points. “I have to attack. It suits me better. This game isn’t over yet. Paul is already feeling the pressure. The Barcelona track is better suited to my plane. I’ll go to Barcelona with the mindset of giving Paul a hard time.”

An estimated 1 million watched the 2006 Red Bull Air Race in Barcelona, the Catalan capital widely regarded as one of Europe’s most beautiful cities. Spectators will be able to view this year’s race from the beaches along the Front Maritim when Qualifying takes off on Saturday 3 October at 13:00 local time followed by Race Day on Sunday 4 October starting at 13:00.

Bonhomme wins Red Bull Air Race Porto

Posted by Flightline UK on 13/09/2009 under Red Bull Air Race | Be the First to Comment

Britain’s Paul Bonhomme won a thrilling Red Bull Air Race today in front of a record-breaking crowd of 720,000 in Porto to widen his lead to 4 points over defending champion Hannes Arch of Austria. Australian rookie Matt Hall took a sensational 3rd place, the first podium of his career, and jumped from 5th to 3rd in the overall championship.

Bonhomme stopped the clock in 1:09.23 on his final run through the 6.6-km course set up through 17 Air Gates on the Douro River under brilliant blue skies in the coastal Portuguese city to beat Arch by 0.94 seconds and Hall by 2.00 seconds. It was the second 2009 win for Bonhomme, who now has 55 championship points compared to 51 for Arch. Hall has 33 points and has overtaken both Nicolas Ivanoff of France and Mike Mangold of the United States on the strength of his stirring performance.

“Thank you Porto,” said a delighted Bonhomme upon hearing over the radio that he had won the tight battle. “It’s a beautiful city and we love it here,” he added. The British ace also became the first pilot to win more than one race this year but quickly warned the championship was far from over – he saw it slip out of his hands in the final race of 2007 and 2008. “I’ve been in this situation before. Four points is not a lot when there are 13 points available to the winner. It will be ‘all-guns-blazing’ for Barcelona.”

Arch had been leading this year’s championship until the fourth round in Budapest, when the Austrian failed to get on the podium for the first time in over a year with a disappointing fourth place. Arch came to Porto looking to grab the lead back from Bonhomme. He stumbled in Qualifying on Saturday in front of a crowd of 200,000, finishing ninth after hitting a pylon and had to watch Bonhomme win an extra point awarded to the fastest Qualifier. But Arch bounced back in style on Sunday despite the intense pressure, putting in one brilliant run after another to advance to a Final 4 showdown against Bonhomme, Hall and Hungary’s Peter Besenyei.

“After qualifying yesterday I nearly gave up and said ‘okay I have to fly cautious’,” said Arch. “But that doesn’t fit my style. I have to try to be the fastest. I’ll go to the final race in Barcelona with the same mindset: attacking and giving Paul a hard time. I think Paul is already feeling the pressure he’ll be under. The Barcelona track is better suited to my plane.”

Hall, a former RAAF fighter pilot, was thrilled to become the first rookie to win a spot on the podium after he had come so close in his first two races, taking 5th place in Abu Dhabi and San Diego. After slipping to 7th in both Windsor and Budapest, Hall was determined to focus on flying clean and eliminating errors and it showed on Sunday. “It’s something I didn’t expect,” he said. “People had been saying I’d get on the podium here. But to actually follow through and do it is amazing.”

Porto was a disappointing race for Americans Kirby Chambliss and Michael Goulian. Chambliss was forced to retire with engine problems despite posting the fastest time of the day in the Top 12 placing him 8th. Goulian, who won the first race of his career in Budapest last time out, fell to 9th place. Mangold, the 2007 champion having a remarkably consistent year, salvaged some U.S. pride by taking 5th place, which leaves him 4th overall.

Two other rookies had promising results in Porto. Matthias Dolderer of Germany took a solid sixth place and Japan’s Yoshi Muroya got 10th place after taking a career-high 4th in Qualifying on Saturday.

The 2009 Red Bull Air Race World Champion will be decided at the season finale in Barcelona, Spain on 3/4 October.

Penalty Costs Arch Victory in Windsor

Posted by Flightline UK on 15/06/2009 under Red Bull Air Race | Be the First to Comment

Austria’s Hannes Arch claimed second place in the third race of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship 2009 in Windsor, Canada. Britain’s Paul Bonhomme finally put an end to his series of second place finishes by taking the win on the Detroit River course, with the American Kirby Chambliss completing the podium in third. Reigning world champion Arch missed out on victory after a borderline decision by the race stewards.

WINDSOR (CAN). The 215,000 fans lining the banks of Windsor’s Detroit River were treated to a feast of Air Race action as the event moved into the Final Four stage. Arch threw down the gauntlet to his rivals with a time of 1:07.31, only to be given a two-second penalty for Incorrect Level – much to the surprise of many onlookers.

“The conditions were very windy at times and the course itself was also really difficult. I don’t want to go into the whole question of the time penalty; that’s the stewards’ decision and I will respect it. I know it must have been very close indeed, but I trust the judges. It looks like this season is going to be another nail-biter, but I’ve got the nerves to hold on when it comes to the crunch,” commented Arch, visibly satisfied with second place at the last overseas race of the season to maintain his current overall lead in the Championship.

Winner Bonhomme posted a time of 1:08.16 as he crossed the line, meaning that Arch would have finished 45 hundredths ahead of the Briton had it not been for the time penalty. American pilot Kirby Chambliss was also hit with a two-second penalty on his run as he claimed third spot with a 1:10.19. France’s Nicolas Ivanoff, second behind Arch in the overall standings going into the race, had a day to forget as he was eliminated early in the event, dropping valuable world championship points in the process.

After three races Arch continues to lead the overall standings with 33 points, followed closely by Bonhomme on 32 points and Nicolas Ivanoff on 24 points. The next race takes place on 19 August in Budapest (HUN).

The 15 pilots fly the single-propeller planes with precision, reaching speeds of up to 370 kilometres per hour and enduring forces of up to 12G as they navigate through the turn-filled courses just metres above the surface.

Ivanoff grabs victory in San Diego after Arch stumbles in final

Posted by Flightline UK on 11/05/2009 under Red Bull Air Race | Be the First to Comment

Nicolas Ivanoff of France won the second Red Bull Air Race World Championship of the season in San Diego on Sunday with a superb run in the finals while championship leader Hannes Arch of Austria fell to third after suffering a bird strike that tore a grapefruit-sized hole on the back of his plane. Britain’s Paul Bonhomme took second place in front of 55,000 spectators watching the race over San Diego Bay under bright blue skies. Ivanoff’s victory narrowed the championship race considerably after two races with Arch (23 points) still ahead of Ivanoff (21) and Bonhomme (20).

Australia’s rookie sensation Matt Hall had another outstanding race, taking fifth place for the second consecutive race while America’s Mike Mangold (7th), Kirby Chambliss (12th) and Michael Goulian (14th) were far off the pace.

“This is really nice,” said Ivanoff, who threw his fists into the air in celebration after climbing out of his new Edge 540. Explosive flying from Ivanoff in both the Super 8 and Final 4 proved that he is a force to be reckoned with. Beating his own outstanding personal best from the Super 8, Ivanoff wiped seconds off his rivals with a course record of 1:17:21.
“I’m really happy. The new plane is great. I thought I had a pretty good run in the final but it’s always possible someone else comes up with an even faster time.” It was only the second career victory for Ivanoff, who won the final race of the 2007 season in Perth, Australia.

Arch, who had won a maximum 13 points in the first race and picked up another point by posting the fastest Qualifying time on Saturday, had the speed to win on Sunday and was just ahead of Ivanoff at the first interval. But then a pelican punctured a gaping hole in his horizontal stabiliser shortly before the midway point. Arch said he was startled by the bird hit and was then unable to properly level his wings through the next Air Gate. It was a costly two-second penalty that dropped him behind both Ivanoff and Bonhomme.

“I was having a really good run and then I had a bird strike that distracted me,” Arch said after inspecting the blood-covered hole on the right side of his plane’s tail. “I was off line after that. The bird strike nearly tore off my horizontal stabiliser. It was bad luck but good luck that I was able to fly to the finish line.”

Bonhomme, who had won in San Diego in both the last two years, was not pleased about getting second place again after finishing behind Arch both in Abu Dhabi as well as in the 2008 championship. He nevertheless took solace that the 2009 championship race had narrowed with four races left thanks to Ivanoff’s victory. Had Arch won, Bonhomme could have been six or more points behind. “I would be lying if I said that wasn’t good, although I’m not happy that I’m second,” said Bonhomme, who was hampered by a sore back. “I’m not a second place kind of guy and I’m getting pretty fed up with being second.”

There were more than 100,000 spectators who watched the two days of racing in San Diego. The championship now moves north to Windsor, Ontario in Canada on 13/14 June for the third of six races this year.

Second place for Britain’s Bonhomme in thrilling Abu Dhabi season opener

Posted by Flightline UK on 18/04/2009 under Red Bull Air Race | Be the First to Comment

Britain’s Paul Bonhomme was pipped to the post today in the first race in this year’s Red Bull Air Race World Championship in Abu Dhabi. Hannes Arch of Austria came from behind to win the race with Nicolas Ivanoff of France taking third place. Britain’s Nigel Lamb established himself as a force to be reckoned with this year, taking fourth in the sizzling heat of the capital of the United Arab Emirates.

Australia’s Matt Hall, one of four rookies in the championship this year, had an outstanding performance in his very first race, grabbing a sensational fifth place on the challenging 6.6-km course of Air Gates set up just above the turquoise waters of the Arabian Gulf.

Arch, the defending world champion, saved his best for last, blazing to victory to the delight of the large crowd of spectators watching from the rim of the Corniche with a time of 1:24.60 – a full 0.89 seconds faster than Bonhomme’s outstanding effort just moments earlier. Arch had stumbled in the Super 8 session and only just qualified for the Final 4 in fourth place. Arch, who also collected one championship point with his victory in Friday’s Qualifying session, then opened up his throttle in the final on a day when temperatures hit 40 degrees Celsius to pick up the 12 points. He will take a three-point lead over Bonhomme (10 points) to the next race in San Diego.

Bonhomme, who had won here in Abu Dhabi last year and led the championship for most of the 2008 season before stumbling late in the year to finish second to Arch, was surprised that his fabulous Final 4 time of 1:25.49 was not enough for the victory. “It felt like a pretty good run,” Bonhomme said. “I was actually quite pleased with that.”

Ivanoff, who took delivery of his Edge 540 just four weeks ago, was elated to be back on the podium after spending most of last year in the lower half of the field. “It’s really a surprise because I only got the plane one month ago and you can’t really expect a result like that,” he said. “It’s a new plane. The technicians were working through the night for the last week to get it ready for the race. It’s a good plane. I need to avoid making so many mistakes. But if you want to go fast, you have to take risks.”

Another rookie, Matthias Dolderer of Germany, also had a bright start to his Red Bull Air Race World Championship career, taking 11th place and collecting his first championship point. Dolderer had started the week cautiously and seemed to improve with each training and racing session.

The 15 pilots in the largest field ever assembled in the history of the race fly the single-propeller planes weighing 540 kg with tremendous precision, reaching speeds of up to 370 kilometres per hour and enduring forces of up to 12G as they navigate through the turn-filled courses just metres above the surface. Last year, more than 3.5 million fans around the world attended the Red Bull Air Race World Championship, which were watched by a total of some 500 million television viewers in 115 countries on six continents.

2009 Red Bull Air Race World Championship ready for take off – No UK round!

Posted by Flightline UK on 03/02/2009 under Red Bull Air Race | Be the First to Comment

Fifteen of the world’s top race pilots, including four rookies from four corners of the globe, will compete in the Red Bull Air Race World Championship in 2009, which will touch down in six spectacular locations beginning with the traditional season opener in Abu Dhabi on 17 and 18 April.

The world’s most exciting motorsport will then move to North America for races in San Diego, USA and Windsor in Ontario, Canada, before returning back across the Atlantic to Europe for stops in Budapest, Porto and Barcelona, marking a much-anticipated return to the enchanting Spanish city on the Mediterranean.

In 2006 one million spectators packed the beachfront of the Catalonian capital to witness this breathtaking sport and Barcelona will host the final race of the season where the 2009 World Champion will be crowned.

“We’re really excited to be returning to Barcelona after such a successful race there three years ago with an absolutely fantastic crowd,” said Bernd Loidl, CEO of Red Bull Air Race. “The Red Bull Air Race has advanced considerably since then and thanks to some of the changes we’ve introduced, this season will be the most exciting yet. We’re also delighted to have our first Canadian race in the province of Ontario and to welcome four new pilots on board.”

Flying at speeds reaching 370 km/hr (230 mph) and pulling up to 12 gs, the pilots will navigate unique and demanding race tracks, negotiating their way through 20 metre high inflatable air gates in their bid to become the 2009 Red Bull Air Race World Champion. Austrian Hannes Arch, who became the first European to win the championship last year, will be seeking to defend his title against a talented crop of pilots who have all been busy honing their skills in the off-season and working on improvements to their planes.

They will all be up against four new pilots from four continents who join the elite field this year. At age 25, Canada’s Pete McLeod will be the youngest ever pilot in the high-speed, precision flying race and he will be joined by three other rookies – Japan’s Yoshihide Muroya, Australia’s Matt Hall and Germany’s Matthias Dolderer.

The expanded field of fifteen pilots has led to the creation of a slick new race format that includes a ‘wild card’ session to open race day. The day will provide constant race action and four pilots going up against each other in an all-out final for victory and spots on the podium.

With the dazzling race format, ambitious new talent to shake up the hierarchy and the top veteran pilots from 2008 returning to battle it out for dominance, 2009 promises to be another year of thrills, upsets and nail-biting tension.

* 2009 Red Bull Air Race World Championship – RACE CALENDAR

Abu Dhabi (UAE ) 17/18 April

San Diego (USA ) 9/10 May

Windsor, Ontario (Canada) 13/14 June

Budapest (Hungary) 19/20 August

Porto (Portugal) 12/13 September

Barcelona (Spain) 3/4 October

2009 Red Bull Air Race World Championship – PILOTS

Hannes Arch (AUT) (2008 World Champion)

Paul Bonhomme (GBR) (2nd in 2008)

Kirby Chambliss (USA) (3rd in 2008)

Mike Mangold (USA)

Peter Besenyei (HUN)

Nigel Lamb (GBR)

Alejandro Maclean (ESP)

Nicolas Ivanoff (FRA)

Michael Goulian (USA)

Sergey Rakhmanin (RUS)

Glen Dell (RSA)

Matthias Dolderer (GER)

Matt Hall (AUS)

Pete McLeod (CAN)

Yoshihide Muroya (JPN)

*subject to change

Four new rookies join the Red Bull Air Race World Series

Posted by Flightline UK on 23/11/2008 under Red Bull Air Race | Be the First to Comment

Four new pilots from four countries and four continents will join the Red Bull Air Race World Championship in 2009, the largest crop of rookies in the history of the world’s fastest growing motorsport. At age 24, Canada’s Pete McLeod will be the youngest ever pilot in the high-speed, precision flying race, while the three other rookies – Japan’s Yoshihide Muroya (35), Australia’s Matt Hall (37), Germany’s Matthias Dolderer (38) – are all also younger than reigning World Champion Hannes Arch (41) who joined in 2007.

Muroya said he is proud to be the first pilot from Asia to break into the ranks of the low-flying racing elite while Dolderer is looking forward to putting Germany back on the map after the retirement in 2007 of one of the original Red Bull Air Race pilots, Klaus Schrodt. McLeod’s goal is to become a World Champion before the age of 30 and Hall, the first Australian pilot, has been scrutinizing race footage to prepare for the track and will be looking to turn the field upside down.

“I’m obviously extremely excited and found it hard to keep my emotions in check when I got the news,” said Hall, an Australian Air Force fighter pilot who along with the other three newcomers, were informed this week after having met the requirements with flying colours at a Qualifying Camp in Spain in September. “It’s a great opportunity to represent Australia and I’m excited about being the first Australian in the race. We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us now. The focus is to get a fast plane, learn to fly it quickly and get into the track.”

The rookies were selected from six candidates at the Red Bull Air Race Qualification Camp in Casarrubios, Spain this year where they were put through their paces and given the opportunity to prove their ability to become future race pilots. All four gained the coveted ‘Super Licence’ which is the essential pass needed to compete in a Red Bull Air Race. They impressed the race panel at the Qualifying Camp both with their flying prowess as well as their determination to make their mark on the race early and get onto the podium. As far as 2009 goes, the rookies are looking to Arch and his quick rise to the top as not only a role model but also the man to beat. The highly competitive and talented young guns all made it clear that they see themselves as title contenders in the not-too-distant future.

“Hannes showed that you don’t have to have 30,000 hours flying commercial jets to succeed in the Red Bull Air Race,” said McLeod, referring to Arch’s quick ascent to the top. The first Canadian pilot to enter the championship has a degree in economics and got his pilot’s licence at age 16 even before he got a driver’s licence. McLeod said that he brings unique experience to the race, flying the rugged north of Canada. “I’ve been flying since I was six years old. I grew up in airplanes and was a commercial bush pilot in a demanding environment at a young age. The Red Bull Air Race inspired me from the start. It’s got all the elements that drive me and I’m really looking forward to it.”

Dolderer has been eager to break into the field since 2002. “It’s great for Germany to have a pilot in the race again,” said Dolderer. “I sometimes feel like I was born for this kind of flying. It’s a combination of speed, challenge, adrenaline, precision, aggressiveness and keeping it all in balance. The race has got it all and I’m really looking forward to the start of the new season.”

Muroya, who got his flying licence at age 19 in Los Angeles to save a few yen, said it was his aim to help make the championship a truly worldwide event and he believes his entry will spark a dramatic rise in interest not only in his home country of Japan but across Asia. “It’s going to make the Red Bull Air Race World Championship a truly international race,” he said. “It’s already got a following in Japan but now I think there’s going to be an explosion in interest.”

Red Bull Air Race Aviation Director Heinz Moeller said all four pilots had amply demonstrated that they are among the best pilots in the world. “It’s good to have some fresh new faces in the championship,” he said. “We knew they were all good pilots but they also pleasantly surprised us with their skills and the high quality of their performance. There’s a good chance that they’ll be out-performing some of the veteran pilots in their first season.”

The full line-up for 2009 is yet to be announced although the number of pilots competing may well increase from this year’s field of 12. 2009 will mark the largest number of rookies to ever enter the competition in one year. In 2005 there were two rookies (Spain’s Alejandro Maclean and American Mike Goulian), two joined in 2007 (Austria’s Arch and Russian Sergey Rakhmanin) and one in 2008 (South Africa’s Glen Dell).

Although the 2009 race calendar is yet to be announced, fans can look forward to spectacular and new race locations and exciting developments which are certain to make the Red Bull Air Race World Championship even more thrilling than in 2008.

Bonhomme wins Perth, Arch takes Championship

Posted by Flightline UK on 03/11/2008 under Red Bull Air Race | Be the First to Comment

Britain’s Paul Bonhomme scored a stylish victory in the final race of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship in Perth on Sunday in front of a crowd of more than 200,000 spectators while Hannes Arch was crowned 2008 World Champion after finishing third. It was the 7th podium in 8 races this year for the remarkably consistent ace from Austria. Bonhomme collected his 4th victory trophy of the season with a triumph over compatriot Nigel Lamb on a sunny afternoon in Western Australia to take second place overall for the second consecutive year.

“I was very pleased to win here in Perth,” said Bonhomme, who had dominated the first half of the season before Arch took control in the second half. “I got to Perth early this year to get acclimatised and that paid off. The airplane is not really going that well but at least I have been flying it well here.”

Arch became the first European to win the World Championship after Americans Mike Mangold (2005, 2007) and Kirby Chambliss (2006) won the title for the world’s most exciting high-speed, low-altitude precision-flying competition.

An extreme sports adventurer, Arch said his unusual background in sports, a superb plane, a strong ground crew and tireless efforts to improve helped him shake up the race hierarchy in only his second season. He rose from 10th in his rookie season to first this year. Most of his rivals in the 12-pilot field have backgrounds in military or commercial aviation.

“Paul deserved the win today and I’m thrilled to win the overall Championship,” said Arch, 41, who appeared close to tears on the podium when the Austrian national anthem was played. “Over the whole season I had a very fast plane. The secret was to be consistent. I had the advantage of being behind Paul most of the season so the pressure was on him, not me. Today I felt the pressure and hit a pylon.”

Britian’s Paul Bonhomme to contest Red Bull Air Race World Championship final in Perth

Posted by Flightline UK on 14/10/2008 under Red Bull Air Race | Be the First to Comment

Sunny Perth in Western Australia will host the final showdown of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship on the 1st and 2nd November where the 2008 title will be decided between Austria’s Hannes Arch and Britain’s Paul Bonhomme.

Over 300,000 people are expected to flock to the banks of Perth’s Swan River for the third year running to watch the eighth and final race of this year’s Championship. The Red Bull Air Race runway will be set up at Langley Park, which was used as Perth’s official airport back in the 1920’s. Its proximity to the Swan River will give the pilots a fantastic view of the race track from their hangars.

Australian Drew Searle, Aviation Expert at the Perth Red Bull Air Race believes that some subtle changes to last year’s track design should make for interesting and unpredictable results. “We’re splitting the quadro into two knife-edge gates and adjusting the positions of some of the Air Gates,” said Searle. “This should result in a track that’s much more about pilot judgement than just pure speed. I’m fully expecting the race to be very exciting in Perth. It’s going to be a very difficult, fast, twisting and turning track which will require a refined race line. At this time of year the weather is a big player and winds are certain to affect the track. Taking all this into account, I reckon once again there could be a very interesting set of faces on the podium.”

Last year it was France’s Nicolas Ivanoff who stunned everyone with his first ever win in Perth but it was Mangold who captured the glory coming from two points behind Bonhomme to snatch the Championship in the closest final in Red Bull Air Race history. Bonhomme seemed to be on track through the first half of this season to make up for last year’s disappointment, leading the 2008 World Championship by as many as six points at the half-way point, but he was overtaken by the consistent performance of Arch who moved ahead of Bonhomme at the last race in Porto.

Arch now has a strong 9-point lead with 54 points ahead of Bonhomme in second with 45 points and Chambliss in third with 44 points. Arch just needs one point in the final race in Perth to win the title. Bonhomme can still win the title if he comes first in Perth and Arch finishes with zero points. Arch has worked hard to stomp out speculation that it is in the bag: “For me the championship is absolutely not over yet. There’s still another race and I’ll approach it like the others. After Perth I’ll see where I am.”

The Red Bull Air Race takes place on Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd November, with Qualifying on Saturday and the Finals on Sunday.