A NEW WORLD-CLASS MOTOR SPORT IS BORNE IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Perth is the place to be this November for the Red Bull Air Race World series finale – a brand new international aviation event testing the talents of the most skilled pilots across the globe. Referred to as the ‘Formula One of the sky,’ the global phenomenon that is the Red Bull Air Race will touch down in Perth above the picturesque South Foreshore in Western Australia on 19 November 2006.
Launched in 2003, The Red Bull Air Race is becoming one of the most popular entertainment sports in the world, challenging the world’s most talented pilots in a race against each other based on speed, precision and skill. The race features a dynamic new discipline of flying, where the objective is to navigate a challenging slalom style obstacle course in the sky in the fastest possible time, using some of the lightest and agile planes that exist. American Mike Mangold, a former U.S. Air Force Top Gun pilot was last year’s winner and proved that it is the pilot’s stamina and skill that determines the true champion.
The Red Bull Air Race is fast emerging as one of the largest spectator sporting events in the world attracting over 1.2 million spectators at the Budapest Air Race event in 2005 as the first world series kicked off. Low level flying and the proximity to spectators means that people can experience all the action up-close and witness the real excitement of the competition. The pilots competing this year hail from Hungary, the United States, Germany, Spain, Zimbabwe, The Netherlands, France and the United Kingdom.
Eleven pilots are currently participating in the 2006 Red Bull Air Race World Series which is taking place in nine spectacular international locations including for the first time Perth, Australia. The Red Bull Air Race finale in Perth promises to entertain people of all ages with a fantastic variety of activity supporting the last leg of the Race, including commentary, music and big screens. The best vantage point will be from Sir James Mitchell Park, South Perth.
Perth will also host an Air Festival in the lead up to the race on Friday 17, Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 November that will include the history and heritage of aircraft and other air events. Visitors will be treated to aircraft flyovers, aerial displays and static aircraft displays. The Perth leg of the Air Race is the last of nine races that are being held in various international destinations; Abu Dhabi, UAE (March 18); Barcelona, Spain (May 6); Berlin, Germany (27 May); Istanbul, Turkey (29 July); Budapest, Hungary (20 August); Longleat, UK (2 September) and San Francisco, USA (7 October). Perth promises to be the perfect host to what will be an exhilarating finale.
All of the Red Bull Air Races are free spectator events, including Perth, and the pilots compete to claim the prestigious title of Red Bull Air Race World Series Champion. As for whom that will be? Keep watching the skies…
