Ever since its debut in 2007, the Race of Champions has proved to be a huge success among pilots because of the unique handicapping format that the very competitive air racer and organiser Chris Briers has come up with for the event. The air race takes place over two days, with the slowest aircraft on day one taking off first on day two. "To fly in the Race of Champions is a lot of fun, there is a lot of competition and it is also a brilliant way to sharpen up your flying skills," Briers said.
To emerge victorious at the Race of Champions, pilots must learn to rely on a navigator and a provided map to guide them throughout the race. This makes the race a two-crew operation because every aircraft carries a pilot and a navigator. "There is no challenge in flying a direct course where a GPS tells you where to go to, but it requires a lot of skill to do your own navigation while flying at a low level," he explained.
This year's Race of Champions will be a little different than the previous events: firstly, it boasts one of the biggest sponsorship values for a sports event in the country, and secondly, it will take place in the heart of Zululand - Ulundi - for the first time. "The KwaZulu-Natal government and the Ulundi Local Municipality have agreed to sponsor a large portion of the race. Also, Ulundi is truly one of the most beautiful parts of our country with very little air traffic," Briers said.
The Race of Champions gives pilots the chance to show off their skills and fly full speed towards the finish line. "If there are any pilots out there that think they are good enough, then this is the chance to come and prove who is the best and fastest in the country," Briers said.
For more information, go to www.airrace.co.za.
