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27-466: The Western Australian Centenary Air Race (also known as the East-West Air Race ) was a 2,450-mile (3,940 km) air race held in 1929 from Sydney to Perth to commemorate the centenary of Western Australia . The £1000 handicap winner was Horrie Miller and the £300 fastest overall time prize was won by Briton Major Hereward de Havilland (22 hours 50 minutes 23 seconds), who flew

54-623: A Douglas DC-7 , with one aircraft completing the circuit. In 2003, Red Bull created a series called the Red Bull Air Race World Championship , in which competitors flew individually between pairs of pylons, while performing prescribed manoeuvres. Usually held over water near large cities, the sport has attracted large crowds and renewed media interest in air racing. The inaugural season had stops in Austria and Hungary. In 2019, Red Bull decided not to continue

81-634: A 2,700 mi (2,346 nmi; 4,345 km) route from Long Island, New York to San Francisco, California , and back, which would see widespread carnage; including seven fatalities (two en route to the race). Of the 48 aircraft that started, 33 would complete the double crossing of the continent. In 1921 , the United States instituted the National Air Meets, which became the National Air Races in 1924 . In 1929 ,

108-409: A fault, his aircraft overturning and catching fire, and Pierre Landron was killed when his aircraft caught fire near Chateaux-Thierry . René Vidart , flying a Deperdussin monoplane , was the first to arrive at Liège; his time for the course was 3 h 9 m 54 s. Jules Védrines , flying a Morane came second and Charles Weymann , flying a Nieuport , third. Only eighteen pilots managed to complete

135-519: A hot air balloon with a promotional parse touting his newspaper. The event attracted 43 entrants, of which 16 appeared. It was there that aviation pioneer and military pilot Jimmy Doolittle , then thirteen, saw his first airplane. In the years before the First World War , popular interest in aviation led to a large number of air races in Europe; including the 1911 Circuit of Europe race,

162-889: A large static aircraft display. Other promoters have run pylon racing events across the US and Canada, including races in Las Vegas, NV in 1965 , Lancaster, CA in 1965 and 1966, Mojave, California in 1970-71, and 1973–79; at Cape May, NJ in 1971, San Diego, CA in 1971, Miami, FL in 1973 and 1979, Moose Jaw , Saskatchewan in 1984; Hamilton Field, California , in 1988; at Dallas, TX in 1990, in Denver, CO in 1990 and 1992, in Kansas City in 1993, in Phoenix, Arizona in 1994 and 1995; and in Tunica, Mississippi in 2005. Numerous other venues across

189-473: A specific type or design creates a competition that focuses on pilot skill. Air racing events such as the Reno air races, incorporate multiple classes or aircraft. These may be defined by the race organiser, or by a sanctioned group. Some air races are limited to a single class. Classes used at the Reno races are as follows: 1911 Circuit of Europe air race The first stage was held on 18 June. Most of

216-546: Is a type of motorsport that involves airplanes or other types of aircraft that compete over a fixed course, with the winner either returning the shortest time, the one to complete it with the most points, or to come closest to a previously estimated time. The first 'heavier-than-air' air race was held on 23 May 1909 - the Prix de Lagatinerie , at the Port-Aviation airport south of Paris , France. Four pilots entered

243-710: The Daily Mail Circuit of Britain Air Race , and the Aerial Derby . In 1913 , the first Schneider Trophy seaplane race was held. When the competition was resumed after the war, it was significant in advancing aeroplane design , particularly in the fields of aerodynamics and engine design, and would show its results in the best fighters of World War II. On 19 October 1919 , the Army Transcontinental Air Race began along

270-679: The Women's Air Derby , nicknamed the 'Powder Puff Derby', became a part of the National Air Races circuit. The National Air Races lasted until 1949 . The Cleveland Air Races was another important event. In 1947 , an All-Woman Transcontinental Air Race, also dubbed the Powder Puff Derby was established, running until 1977 . In 1934 , the MacRobertson Air Race from England to Australia took place, with

297-755: The Red Bull Air Race World Championship. Aero GP has multiple aircraft racing together pik around pylons, and is based in Europe where it has held an air race each year since 2005 . In June of 2005 against all odds and extreme pressure from the Reno Air Race Association not to start another race, entrepreneur Jeff Landers, a Memphis native, organized the Tunica Air Races in Tunica, Mississippi with Unlimited, T-6, and Sport classes represented. After

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324-527: The United States, Canada, and Mexico have also hosted events featuring the smaller Formula One and Biplane classes. In 1970 , American Formula One racing was exported to Europe (Great Britain, and then to France), where almost as many races have been held as in the U.S.A. Also in 1970, the California 1000 Air Race started at the Mojave Airport with a 66 lap unlimited air race that featured

351-572: The audience can see the pilots up close as they carry out spectacular manoeuvres swooping close to the ground-pylons during the race. In November 2021, the first remotely-piloted eVTOL drag race between two Airspeeder craft took place. In 2022 , The remotely-piloted racing series (Airspeeder EXA Series) began in 2022 with Zephatali Walsh named as the inaugural season champion. The aircraft, built by Alauda Aeronautics, use electric vertical take-off and landing ( eVTOL ) technology and are designed to be crewed by human pilots. Restricting aircraft to

378-486: The competitors started from the military parade ground at Vincennes , watched by around 500,000 spectators. A few who were members of the French army took off from Issy-les-Moulineaux . In all, 43 pilots started the race. The event was marred by three fatal accidents: Léon Lemartin crashed on take-off from Vincenness and died on arrival at hospital, Lt. Pierre Princeteau crashed at Issy while attempting to land to repair

405-408: The course solo, the only competitor to do so, in a modified de Havilland Gypsy Moth . Determining results in the handicap event was found to be a difficult task, with type of machine, weather conditions, wind direction and strength of wind for each half day's hop, supplemented by times of starting being taken into consideration. 700 people had turned out at Kalgoorlie to see the competitors off on

432-430: The course within the allowed time. The second stage was to have been held on 20 June but poor weather forced a postponement to the next day. The stage was won by Jules Védrines, René Vidart coming second and Jean Louis Conneau , flying as André Beaumont in a Blériot third. 19 pilots started the third stage, of whom 14 finished. The stage was won by Gilbert with a time of 2 h 4 min 25 s. Roland Garros

459-536: The final leg of the race. Victorian C.D. Pratt and his co-pilot J.R. Guthrie were both seriously injured when their Gypsy Moth Corio crashed near Baandee , 230 kilometres (140 mi) east of Perth. Weather conditions after leaving Tammin were said to be atrocious, with at least one forced landing and one crash. The 17 teams left from Mascot in Sydney on 29 September 1929 and 14 finished at Maylands Aerodrome on Sunday 7 October. Air race Air racing

486-423: The prize for the stage with a time of 2 h 56 min. Vidart was second (3 h 27 min) and Beaumont third (3 h 32 min). Held over two days, the section from Hendon to Dover being made on 6 July. The cross-channel flight from Dover to Calais was held the following day. Ten competitors set off from Hendon: the only one to fail to reach Dover was James Valentine , the only British competitor in

513-554: The race, two started, but nobody completed the full race distance; though this was not unexpected, as the rules specified that whoever travelled furthest would be the winner if no-one completed the race. Léon Delagrange , who covered slightly more than half of the ten 1.2- kilometre (0.75  mi ; 0.65  nmi ) laps was declared the winner. Some other minor events were held before the Grande Semaine d'Aviation de la Champagne in 22–29 August 1909 at Reims, France . This

540-483: The race. The next day the first of the nine contestants still in the competition taking off at 4.30 am and followed at three-minute intervals by all but one of the others who was slightly delayed by engine trouble. All made the crossing safely. Held on 7 July. Lt. Jean Louis Conneau (flying as André Beaumont) completed the circuit with a total flying time of 58 h 36 s, Garros was second (62 h 18 min) and Vidart third (73 h 32 min). The stage

567-526: The stage that day. The delayed start of the previous stage caused a postponement until Monday 3 July to avoid interfering with the Gordon Bennett race being held at Eastchurch that weekend. The fastest pilot over the first leg was Gilbert, winning a £100 prize with a time of 37  min 57 s. Beaumont won the Standard prize for the best overall time between Paris and London, and Védrines won

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594-636: The start was postponed. The weather did not clear until 26 June. Nine pilots started the stage on 28 June, Weyman having withdrawn from the race in order to take part in the Gordon Bennett Trophy race. Védrines won with a time of 58 min, Kimmerlin was second (1 h 11 min) and Garros third. (1 h 15 min) After a delayed start due to fog at Calais, the stage was won by Védrines in 1 h 16 min, Vidart coming second (1 h 32 min) and "Beaumont" third (1 h 44 min): only three other competitors completed

621-743: The successful and safe race in 2005 RARA fought any and all efforts for the growth of this motorsport and any effort for a 2006 race there and one in Tucson Arizona. Powered paragliding or paramotor races have been organised by the Parabatix Sky Racers made up of the world's top paramotor pilots. The first occurring on 4 September 2010 in an airfield in Montauban , Southern France. These are foot-launched ram-air wings powered by small two-stroke engines , and allow for much smaller race venues such as city parks or beaches, where

648-853: The winning de Havilland Comet flown by C. W. A. Scott and Tom Campbell Black . In 1964 , Bill Stead , a Nevada rancher, pilot, and unlimited hydroplane racing champion, organised the first Reno Air Races at a small dirt strip called the Sky Ranch, located between Sparks, Nevada , and Pyramid Lake . The National Championship Air Races were soon moved to the Reno Stead Airport , and have been held there every September since 1966 . The five-day event attracts around 200,000 people, and includes racing around courses marked out by pylons for six classes of aircraft: Unlimited, Formula One , Sport Biplane, AT-6, Sport, and Jet. It also features civil airshow acts, military flight demonstrations, and

675-502: Was second (2 h 10 min 21 s) and Vidart third (2 h 17 min 20 s). The fourth stage was to have started on 24 June. However, although the organisers decided that weather conditions were suitable the pilots disagreed, and hauled down the white flag that had been hoisted as the signal that flying would take place. It was immediately rehoisted but the pilots refused to fly, saying that they would reconsider their position later. Weather conditions did not improve, and

702-496: Was the 1910 Los Angeles International Air Meet at Dominguez Field , just south of Los Angeles, from 10 to 20 January 1910 . The event was organised by pilots A. Roy Knabenshue and Charles Willard, who raised funding from railroad magnate Henry Huntington , and the Los Angeles Merchants and Manufacturers Association. William Randolph Hearst carried coverage of the event in his Los Angeles Examiner , and hired

729-458: Was the first major international flying event, drawing the most important aircraft makers and pilots of the era, as well as celebrities and royalty. The premier event — the first Gordon Bennett Trophy competition — was won by Glenn Curtiss , who beat second-place finisher Louis Blériot by five seconds. Curtiss was named 'Champion Air Racer of the World'. The first air race in the United States

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