The Reno Air Racing Association (RARA) has inked a ten-year agreement with First General Aviation Operation & Management (Beijing) Co. (FGAOM) to expand closed course, multi-class pylon air racing into China.
As part of this partnership, FGAOM received a license to use the RARA brand, intellectual property, and consulting support to plan and implement closed-course pylon air racing in the Chinese market.
“This is an exciting opportunity for RARA to grow beyond the United States and collaborate with premier partners from other countries to increase our global presence and provide expanded opportunities for pilots to participate in closed course pylon air racing in other parts of the world,” said Fred Telling, CEO and Chairman of RARA.
The inaugural International Championship Air Races in China will be held Nov. 16-18, 2018, in Wuhan, China.
FGAOM has contracted separately with Air Race 1, an independent body for the International Formula One Air Racing Association (IF1), to organize and operate the 2018 Formula races.
The winner of the Formula race will be awarded the title of “Air Race 1 China Cup Champion” by the IF1. RARA will have personnel on site to provide oversight and assistance to FGAOM as necessary, officials note.
The Race Pilots
According to officials with Air Race 1, 13 pilots from around the world will fly in the Air Race 1 China Cup at Hannan Municipal Airport, the first event of its kind ever to be held in China.
Pilots will fly at speeds of over 450 kph, just 10 meters above the tarmac, as they compete to be the first to cross the finish line of what is known as formula one air racing, the fastest motorsport on the planet.
The 5 km circuit has been designed to challenge pilots in a demanding test of skill in front of hundreds of thousands of live spectators and a global television audience, Air Race 1 officials said. Each race will see up to eight pilots race at a time.
“It’s an exciting milestone for us to be able to bring Air Race 1 to China and showcase the sport to new audiences in this part of the globe,” said Jeff Zaltman, CEO of Air Race 1. “This is a sport that truly tests the limits of human and machine and we’re fortunate to have some of the fastest and most talented pilots in the world competing this year.”
The class of airplanes incorporates the most modern materials and cutting-edge technology, while adhering to formula specifications designed to ensure a level of fairness across the pack. Many of the pilots and crews design and build their own race planes, determined to get an edge over the competition.
Canada’s Scott Holmes and Frenchman Stan Damiron, the two youngest competitors in the field, are also engineers by trade and will look to use their technical expertise to get those marginal gains so crucial in the air.
Air racing veterans Steve Tumlin (USA) and fellow American, reigning Air Race 1 World Cup champion Tim Cone, are both experienced aircraft builders, while a number of the pilots come from a military background with British pilot Trevor Jarvis a former RAF squadron member, Ryszard Zadow a former US Navy F-14 pilot, and America’s Steven Temple a 28-year veteran of the US Air Force.
“Air racing requires such a high level of skill and mental stamina that it is certainly not a sport for the faint hearted,” Zaltman said. “Each of these pilots possesses that rare combination of expertise and a thirst for adrenaline which will make for a great spectacle.
“We’re proud to have such a diverse line-up this year with younger pilots going up against pilots with years’ of racing under their belts. It’s going to be about who is the best on the day and the fans can’t wait to see who comes out on top.”
Air Race 1 China Cup race pilots:
Race number: 592
Pilot: Jason Barksdale
Nationality: USA
Aircraft name: ACME Special
Type: Cassutt III M
Race number: 15
Pilot: Ryszard Zadow
Nationality: USA
Aircraft name: Last Lap Player
Type: Cassutt III M with modified composite wing & T-tail
Race number: 17
Pilot: Philip Goforth
Nationality: USA
Aircraft name: Annie
Type: Cassutt
Race number: 20
Pilot: Steven Temple
Nationality: USA
Aircraft name: Pooder
Type: Cassutt III M
Race number: 9
Pilot: Scott Holmes
Nationality: Canada
Aircraft name: Outlaw
Type: Cassutt
Race number: 99
Pilot: Tim Cone
Nationality: USA
Aircraft name: What Airplane Honey?
Type: Cassutt III M grove-winged
Race number: 52
Pilot: Steve Tumlin
Nationality: USA
Aircraft name: Feisty
Type: Cassutt III M stock continental 0-200
Race number: 58
Pilot: Mike Mundell
Nationality: USA
Aircraft name: Sonic Zoom
Type: Cassutt III M slab-wing
Race number: 4
Pilot: Jerry Marshall
Nationality: USA
Aircraft name: Tumbleweed
Type: Cassutt
Race number: 11
Pilot: Steve Senegal
Nationality: USA
Aircraft name: Endeavor
Type: Arnold AR-6
Race number: TBC
Pilot: Stan Damiron
Nationality: France
Aircraft name: TBC
Type: Cassutt
Race number: 26
Pilot: Paul Newman
Nationality: USA
Aircraft name: Fast and Easy
Type: Cassutt
Race number: 53
Pilot: Trevor Jarvis
Nationality: UK
Aircraft name: Kermit
Type: Cassutt III M