Air Race World Series – June 20, 2006 – One day before the first training above the Neva River in front of the Hermitage in St Petersburg, the safety committee of the Red Bull Air Race decided to cancel the June 17 race.
Last minute delays concerning authority permissions meant that the high quality and security standards of the air race could no longer be guaranteed, according to the Red Bull Web site.
St. Petersburg was to be the fourth stop in the series, and was to require extra skill since the course was compact and designed with more gates than usual. The event was to be based on the Arrow of Vasilievsky Island, with the race itself taking place over the Neva River, against the Winter Palace, home of Russia’s renowned museum, The Hermitage.
American Kirby Chambliss is currently leading the World Series, having won the first race of the season in Abu Dhabi and last month’s contest in Berlin. Hungary’s Peter Besenyei, who won in Barcelona, follows in second position. It’s currently a close race between Chambliss, Besenyei and last year’s champion, American Mike Mangold, with only one point standing between them in the world rankings.
The next race will occur on July 29 in Istanbul, Turkey.
What are the Red Bull Air Races?
Nine pilots from around the world are pitting their skills against each other for a chance to be known as the best of the best.
It’s the 2006 Air Race World Series, a new chapter in the Red Bull Air Races that is taking these seasoned pilots to nine cities on four continents to strut their stuff.
Withstanding forces up to 10 Gs (or 10 times the force of gravity!), the thrilling air races have taken the sport of aerobatics to a new level and new audience.
The concept of air racing dates back to the early years of aviation, but it took former world aerobatic champion Peter Besenyei, who is also competing, to come up with the idea for today's air races. Unhappy with the way most aerobatic competitions are scored, these pilots are really judged by a stopwatch, eliminating inconsistencies in scoring.
The races are sponsored by Red Bull Energy Drinks.
Can’t make any of the races in the World Series?
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Meet The Pilots
American Kirby Chambliss of Flying Crown Ranch, Ariz. is a five-time U.S. National Aerobatic Champion and 2000 World Champion. Chambliss won both the Budapest and Gloucestershire Red Bull events in 2004. A Southwest Airlines 737 captain and air show pilot, performed at EAA AirVenture 2005.
Hungarian Peter Besenyei is a two-time winner of both the FAI World Grand Prix series and the World Aerobatics Championships. He invented the Red Bull Air Race, won the first race in 2003 and took first place in two of the competitions in 2005.
American Mike Mangold is ranked 1st in the Red Bull Air Races of 2005. He is also a five-time Unlimited Aerobatics Champion of California, a two-time Unlimited Aerobatics Champion of Arizona, US and World Champion and has won other awards. He is also a commercial pilot, flying a Boeing 767.
American Michael Goulian is a Fond du Lac Cup winner and both a U.S. Advanced Champion and U.S. Unlimited Champion in the 1990’s. He also competed in the inaugural Championship Airshow Pilots Association series as a member of the U.S. Aerobatics Team.
Great Britain’s Paul Bonhomme is the winner of one silver and three gold medals in the FAI World Grand Prix series as a member of the “The Matadors.” He is also a 747 captain for British Airways.
Englishman Steve Jones is the 1995 UK Freestyle Aerobatic Champion, 1996 Overall British Aerobatics Champion, winner of one silver and three gold medals in the FAI World Grand Prix series as a member of “The Matadors,” flying with friend Paul Bonhomme. He also is a 747 captain with British Airways.
Great Britain’s Nigel Lamb is an eight-time British Unlimited Aerobatic Champion. Silver medallist of the Masters of Aerobatics South Africa, he was also a member of the British team in three World Aerobatic Championships and two European Championships.
Nicolas Ivanoff is the 2004 French vice champion in Unlimited Aerobatic and the 2000 World Aerobatics Champion with the French Aerobatics Team. He also teaches flying.
Dutchman Frank Versteegh is the Dutch Unlimited Aerobatics champion and competed in the World and European championships from 1982-94. He is also a FAI judge, flight instructor and air show organizer.
Spaniard Alejandro MacLean is a two-time Spanish Aerobatics Champion and winner of the 1998 Lithuanian Aerobatic Championship. In 2005 he was the Captain of the Spanish Aerobatic Team.
Next Race:
July 29
Istanbul, Turkey
For More Information
Red Bull Air Races
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