Qualification Training Underway In Texas

The eagerly-anticipated news that the Red Bull Air Race will return in 2014 has been met with overwhelming excitement from fans, pilots and journalists around the world. It has now been revealed that there will be a new dimension to the Championship, bringing fresh flying talent to the race track and nurturing the next generation of race pilots.

To secure the safety and future of the sport there will be a Red Bull Air Race Challengers Cup in 2014. At certain Red Bull Air Race stops a Challengers Cup race will be held on an adapted track at the main location and will be part of the Red Bull Air Race weekend.
 
A host of determined pilots are currently flying at a dedicated Qualification Camp in Texas in a bid to earn a preliminary version of the coveted Superlicence. This means successful pilots will have met the stringent criteria to participate in the new Challengers Cup.
 
There are pilots from across Europe including the UK, France and Germany as well as from Malaysia – where the second stop of the 2014 calendar is taking place for the first time.
 
Three aerobatic World Champions, including France's female ace Aude Lemordant, are testing their skills in race conditions and being trained to fly safely through the track. The step-by-step process is designed to support the pilots as they fly at incrementally lower altitude in the track – without any pressure to beat the clock. They will also undergo rigorous psychological tests to verify their suitability for the fast-paced sport.
 
The competing athletes will be existing male and female aerobatic pilots, who will take part in several training and qualification camps before, during and after the season.

(Image from file)

FMI: www.redbullairrace.com