Officially launched in Brazil in 2004, the Air Race is a sport that requires skill and a lot of courage from the participants. After all, aircraft can reach speeds of over 400 km/h, and pilots need to perform a series of stunts in the air during the dispute.
The name Air Race, however, refers to a specific championship, organized by Red Bull, and which is the only one recognized by the FAI (Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, or International Aeronautical Federation, in translation). The fact that the company that manufactures energy drinks is one of the supporters of the sport is no coincidence.
After all, Red Bull also owns one of the main Formula 1 teams, and anyone who has watched an Air Race race has certainly seen that it has similarities with the main category of world motorsport. This is noticeable both in terms of the absurd speed that the competitors arrive in their machines (the cars exceed 300 km/h on the tracks), and the level of competitiveness.
How does an airplane race work?
In practice, the airplane race is really very similar to a traditional competition between cars, as occurs in Formula 1. The “Formula 1 of the air”, as it is intimately called by the organizers, consists of flying along a previously defined path, close to the ground, and in the shortest possible time.
The Air Race “runway” is usually about 1.4 km long and has obstacles along the way. The planes, which reach speeds close to 400 km/h, need to dodge them as much as possible to avoid losing points in the final count.
The so-called “Air Gates” are cone-shaped inflatables 20 meters high, made of material similar to that used in balloons, and weighing 40% less than paper. After all, they cannot cause damage to planes if they are hit by aircraft during the race.
Barriers are usually divided into two colors: red, which means that planes need to pass through them in vertical flight, and blue, which signals to pilots the obligation to cross obstacles in horizontal flight.
The winner of the race is defined after a sequence consisting of two qualifying races, the result of which defines the order of appearance in the round, quarterfinals, semifinals, small finals and grand finals, this one with only the two best drivers in the competition.
When did the Air Race come about?
The sport called Air Race, or airplane racing, originated almost a century before appearing here, more precisely in 1909, in France. It was in that year that the so-called Prix de Lagatinerie was held at Port-Aviation Airport, located south of Paris.
The rules of the world’s first airplane race were different from those adopted in the most recent Air Race. According to the regulations, the rider who covered the longest distance would be determined the winner of the race. As none of the four who participated managed to complete the 10 scheduled laps, the Frenchman Léon Delagrange took the victory.
What are the main airplane racing championships?
The most traditional airplane race, as we said, is the Red Bull Air Race. The tournament even had a hiatus and was no longer played after the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, but it returned and has events scheduled for the 2023 calendar.
In addition to the Red Bull competition, there are other airplane racing championships active today, including one contested exclusively by women. The most popular ones are currently the following:
- ARC (Air Race Classic): Disputed only by female pilots, it is open to women “between 17 and 90 years old”, of course, with the necessary licenses to fly;
- Air Race E: Sponsored by Airbus, it was created in 2020 and is disputed only by 100% electric aircraft;
- Rhine Air Races: Perhaps the second hottest airplane race on the planet, second only to the one organized by Red Bull, has tests scheduled for the month of September in 2023;
How much does a racing plane cost?
Just like in Formula 1, where you need a lot of money to make your dream of participating in the hottest category of motorsport come true, the “Formula 1 of the skies” also requires that participants have a full bank account.
Just to ‘start playing’ it takes about 450 thousand dollars (more than R$ 2 million in direct conversion), the average price of a racing plane in the Zivko Edge 540 V2 or MX Aircraft MXS-R models, the most used in Red Bull competition.
Pablo Branco, head of the Goulian Aerosports team, also recalled that the initial investment in buying the plane is not the only one, and that to ride in the front ranks, that is, to fight for victories, it is necessary to spend almost twice as much on improvements, such as replacing the fuel tank with a lighter one.
Who can participate in an Air Race?
It is not enough to have courage, money and a “steel stomach” to participate in an Air Race. The process to become a pilot of a racing plane demands patience and money, since, in addition to being long, it has an extremely high cost.
The first step is the most basic: obtaining a license to become a commercial and private aviation pilot, the traditional license. Once this is done, the aspiring to participate in an airplane race needs to launch itself around the world and show a lot of skill in the acrobatics championships recognized by the FAI.
The more points the pilot accumulates in these competitions, the greater the chances of finally being able to compete in an Air Race. The next step is not in the hands of those who dream of entering the world of airplane racing. And the reason is simple.
Pilots participating in the Air Race are invited by the organization. That’s right. They receive formal invitations from the organizing committee of the Red Bull Air Race to then get closer to participating in the championship.
The final step is to participate in a selective event designed to impress the judges. And, believe me, it’s the most difficult, because you need to combine courage, boldness and even a hint of arrogance (in a good way) to impress those who live watching the most incredible aerial acrobatics. And then: will you face it?
