Sameer Wali (60958)

Air Racing
History:

Air racing, sport of racing airplanes, either over a predetermined course or cross-country up to
transcontinental limits. Air racing dates back to 1909, when the first international meet was
held at Reims, France.

Sporting aviation dates back to the early days of flying, when aviation pioneers used distance
and speed contests as a means of developing and testing airplanes. Early manufacturers also
encouraged such events as a forum to demonstrate their most advanced airplane designs. Most
of the early aviation meets were held in France and were attended by many famous aviators.
The strong competitive rivalry between contestants proved very good for the advancement of
flying.

Historical Championships

World War I interrupted these sporting events, but during the 1920s and ’30s air racing came to
the fore as a result of some now famous events and trophies. For example, the Pulitzer Trophy
(1920), the Thompson Trophy (1929), and the Bendix Trophy (1931) in the United States and
the Kings Cup (1922) in England attracted some of the best pilots from around the world. The
most famous event, though, was the series of races for the Schneider Trophy, a truly
international speed contest for seaplanes, which was held at various locations around the
world, starting with Monaco (1913). The racing series ended in 1931, following three
consecutive victories by the English entrant (in 1927, 1929, and 1931), as under the trophy rules
the first country to win three times within five years would permanently retain the trophy.

With the outbreak of World War II in 1939, sporting races halted again, and aeronautic pioneers
and manufacturers put their efforts into the development of highly complex military aircraft. By
the end of the war, the cost of sport racing with open (unrestricted), or state-of-the-art,
airplanes had become prohibitive.

The best option for resuming sport air racing seemed to be in the development of formula
racing (competitions organized according to factors such as engine size), using surplus military
aircraft, which could be bought quite cheaply, and small, fast planes built specially for racing.
Formula races around pylons originated in the United States in 1947, the principle being that
aircraft of a similar performance would race round a fixed course defined by pylons, rather like
an automobile racetrack. The Air Racing Council of the United States (ARCUS) recognizes several
fixed-race classes, including Formula 1, Formula V, Biplane, T-6, T-28, Sport Class, and
Unlimited. Formula 1 pylon races are held regularly, mainly at Reno, Nev.

The United Kingdom also runs some Formula 1 races. The Royal Aero Club is almost unique in
continuing to organize prewar-type handicap air races, including the famous Kings Cup.
Handicap races have a staggered start time, calculated to get theoretically the whole field over
the finish line together, which allows aircraft of very different sizes and powers to race fairly
together and produces an exciting spectacle. A few Formula 1 races are held in France also, but
most European countries instead favour air rallies and precision flying events.

Active Air Races

Most Popular Active Air Races Championships

Aero GP (2005)

Aero GP is an international air racing series with up to eight specially designed high-
performance sports planes all racing together at speeds of up to 400 km/h (250 mph) around a
tight circuit just metres off the ground and from each other. The competing pilots are military
and civilian pilots from around the world. Aero GP is the only international, televised event
where aeroplanes race simultaneously. Aero GP officially started in 2005 in Slovenia. From
there it has travelled to several countries in Europe and Middle East. Instead of the checked flag
pattern, Aero GP judges its participants on the basis on points won in individual events and
hence, there is no clear winner till the end.

Air Race 1 World Cup (2014)

Air Race 1 is pure motorsport at its fastest. It is a thrilling test of pilot skill in a class known as
formula one air racing. 8 airplanes race directly against each other at speeds of 450kph,
together on a race circuit just 1.5km end to end. Top pilots from around the world compete on
the tight circuit just 10 meters above the ground, all easily visible to thousands of live
spectators and broadcast on global media. The first aircraft to cross the finish line after eight
laps wins!

The race planes, referred to in the sport as formula one airplanes, are the only class of airplane
built specifically for racing – and for racing fast! This highly competitive sport is rapidly growing
into a mainstream popular series that is the ultimate test of both human and machine. Air Race
1 is the first official international series of formula one air racing in the 70-year history of the
sport.

Red Bull Air Race World Championship(2003)

The Red Bull Air Race, established in 2003 and created by Red Bull GmbH, is an international
series of air races in which competitors have to navigate a challenging obstacle course in the
fastest time. Pilots fly individually against the clock and have to complete tight turns through a
slalom course consisting of pylons, known as "Air Gates".

The Red Bull Air Race World Championship is an international series of races. The objective is
for pilots, in their single-engine, piston raceplanes to navigate an aerial racetrack featuring air-
filled pylons in the fastest possible time incurring as few penalties as possible.

Pilots can win World Championship points at each race and the pilot with the most points after
the last race of the season becomes the Red Bull Air Race World Champion.
PILOTS

For 2018, 14 pilots will take part in the Red Bull Air Race World Championship. Master Class
pilots will have obtained their Master Class Super Licence, as issued by the Red Bull Air Race
Committee.

New pilots who wish to participate in the World Championship must first fulfil the minimum
criteria set by the Red Bull Air Race Committee, which include top achievements in international
flying competitions organised by the FAI. They must also be active aerobatic air display pilots.
Eligible pilots that prove their skills at the Red Bull Air Race Qualification Camp can achieve the
Red Bull Air Race Challenger Class Super Licence. Once they have the Challenger Class Super
Licence, they then qualify to take part in the Red Bull Air Race World Championship in the
Challenger Cup.

RACE FORMAT

The Red Bull Air Race consists of the following flying sessions: Free Practice, Qualifying, Round
of 14, Round of 8, Final 4. In all sessions, only one pilot races in the track at a time.

FREE PRACTICE: Takes place on the days preceding Qualifying Day. The Free Practice sessions
differ from Training, they give the pilots an opportunity to fly the track, but they are not
restricted to flying laps. As long as they stay within the safety lines they may practice any part
of the racetrack they would like in their allotted slot time.

QUALIFYING: Takes place on Qualifying Day, the day before Race Day. It includes two
mandatory Qualifying sessions. Best time counts. Results of the Qualifying session determine
the order of racing on Race Day.

ROUND OF 14: Takes place on Race Day. This flying session is completed in head-to-head heats;
the seven winners plus the fastest loser move forward to the Round of 8. The head-to-head
pairings are based on the qualifying session results.

ROUND OF 8: Seven winners from the Round of 14, plus the fastest loser, race in head-to-head
heats again. The four winning pilots advance to the Final 4. The eight pilots will be reseeded for
the Round of 8 and head-to-head pairings are based on the Round of 14 times. For the losing
pilots, their time in the Round of 8 will determine 5th to 8th place race positions.

FINAL 4: The four heat winners from the Round of 8 compete in the Final 4 for 1st, 2nd, 3rd and
4th place race positions. The pilots fly in the same order as the for previous round. They race
individually and victory is based on the quickest time recorded for the session.
STARTING ORDER FOR FLYING SESSIONS

The starting order is the order in which the pilots will race in each flying session. The starting
order for Free Practice is defined by the results of the current Red Bull Air Race World
Championship standing. The highest ranking pilot starts first, new pilots start at the end. If
there is more than one new pilot, the starting order of these new pilots is determined by a
draw.

RACE WINNER

The winner is the pilot who is ranked number one in the final flying session.

RED BULL AIR RACE WORLD CHAMPION

The Red Bull Air Race World Champion is the pilot who achieves the highest aggregate score in
the given Red Bull Air Race World Championship season. The winner is crowned Red Bull Air
Race World Champion at the last stop in the World Championship.

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS

World Championship points are awarded after each race, and will decide the Red Bull Air Race
World Champion at the end of the season. The points system is as follows:

RANK (RACE) POINTS

1st: 15

2nd: 12

3rd: 9

4th: 7

5th: 6

6th: 5

7th: 4

8th: 3

9th: 2

10th: 1

11th – 14th: 0
European Air Racing Championship (2000)

In 2000, the organization launched a European Championship aimed at attracting a wider

audience of European competitors. This championship is run within the Royal Aero Club RRR’s
normal season of races but the champion is the pilot/navigator combination that scores the
highest number of aggregate points over 6 races held at 3 different venues. These venues have
included the UK, France, Spain, the Channel Isles, Ireland and the Isle of Man.

New Advancements:

Drone Racing

MultiGP has chapters all over the U.S. from Florida to California. They are a huge FPV drone
racing league that hosts frequent competitive tournaments, free-fly gatherings, and casual events.
All it takes is a sideways glance at their race schedule to see how active these chapters are, and
how earnest their pilots are about the sport.

Drones 101 is an introductory series to multicopters (helicopter with multiple motors) and how
they operate. In this inaugural episode, we delve into the different types of drones and the
components that make them up.

Drones, quadcopters, unmanned aerial vehicles. No matter what you call them, by now you’ve
no doubt heard about these radio-controlled marvels. However, what you might not be familiar
with is the latest craze currently sweeping the aerial R/C community. I’m talking about the
increasingly popular sport of First Person View (FPV) drone racing.

FPV puts you, the pilot, inside your drone’s cockpit, where you must rely on quick reflexes and
split-second decision-making to navigate a course, avoid obstacles, and best the competition—all
at breakneck speeds of up to 80 mph! If that sounds a little like a video game, it’s because the
experience is remarkably similar, only more intense and with higher stakes.

MultiGP provides community standards for their chapters to safely design their own courses and
also generates individual pilot competition through their Universal Time Trial Track program
which ranks pilots worldwide on standard measured courses.
DRL creates complex, three-dimensional race courses in locations internationally.The Sci-Fi
inspired tracks stretch around a mile-long.
DR1 Racing’s Champions Series is an outdoor racing circuit, flying in iconic locations around
the world. Each location or race uses a mixture of environmental and manmade elements to
create the course.
Air Racing E

As electric airplanes seem riper than ever for takeoff, Air Race E is seeking to accelerate the
adoption and acceptance of electric aviation with a (hopefully) highly-entertaining, high-speed,
all-electric airplane race.

Starting in 2020, Air Race E will supplement the existing annual Air Race 1 World Cup, which
features the world’s fastest pilots, flying at speeds up to 280 mph a mere 10 meters from the
ground. The organization is still in the developmental stages, as airplane design is still being
worked out as are partnerships and sponsors.

Air Race says the event will follow traditional formula 1 air racing guidelines, while they further
describe the eventual event as a “multi-plane race on a closed-circuit around six pylons”, and
details the airplanes as “driven by a propeller and powered only by an electric motor, [it’s] light
and sleek and built solely for racing”.

With such an ambitious and rather imminent launch date, it’s no secret electric aviation is closer
to reality than ever before. Just last week, easyJet CEO Johan Lundgren announced it would
begin testing its first all-electric 9-seater aircraft as early as next year.

While both the Air Race E tournament and the aircraft easyJet are developing are for shorter
travel distances, it’s no mystery that as electric aviation is refined in more compact packages, the
technology will eventually spread to the major jumbo jets average consumers fly.Also Slovenien
small plane manufacturer Pipistrel has seen some success with its Alpha Elctro but has also seen
some heartbreaking setbacks.