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 until the end of the event. The YouTube page for Aero GP has not been updated since 2013 and the original website is no longer online so it is assumed that this racing league is now defunct.

Competitive elements

Three primary disciplines in series decide the annual ''World Champion Flying Ace'': Air Racing: All racing at the same time, between six and eight aircraft reach speeds of 500 km/h at just 10 metres above the racecourse. Air Combat: A real air-to-air “dogfight”. Pilots take to the skies in an attempt to outmanoeuvre, hunt down and shoot each other out of the sky, in the style of military air combat. Barnstorming: A third element which can consist of any of the following - depending on the venue: aerobatics, stunt flying or precision target dropping - pilots drop bombs from their aircraft at low altitude, aiming at various targets.

History

The first Aero GP was held in 2005 although the concept dates to 2000. The inaugural event, held in Slovenia, was televised in over 100 countries. Since then Aero GP's have been held in Malta, Romania (twice), The United Kingdom, and Abu Dhabi in the UAE.

The Pilots

Aero GP pilots have backgrounds in flying a range of military and aerobatic aircraft. They come from a variety of countries and backgrounds. Fighter pilots, aerobatics champions, and civil aviation pilots are all known to compete. They are put through tremendous amounts of G-Force when performing in their aircraft.

Regular Aero GP Pilots

Andy Bickmor

br /> Zoltan Vere

br /> "Smokey" Youn

br /> Gerry Coope

br /> Mark Jefferie

2008 series

The series consisted of two Aero GP's. June saw the Aero GP team return to Constant

in Romania and this was followed by a second round in Blackpool, UK.

2009 series

The 2009 series sees Aero GP visit the Middle East for the first time. Aero GP will be headlining the Al Ain air show in the United Arab Emirates between January 29–31. There are multiple other venues being discussed for 2009 and these will be announced in the new year.

Accidents

During the Malta show on 10 September 2006, two planes, an

Extra EA-200 The Extra 200 (Type EA-200) is a two-seat, tandem arrangement, low-wing aerobatic monoplane with conventional (taildragger) landing gear fully capable of Unlimited category competition, built by Extra Flugzeugbau. Designed by Walter Extra, it ...

and a

Yakovlev Yak-55 The Yakovlev Yak-55 is a single-seat aerobatic aircraft. Pilots flying the Yak-55 have won several world aerobatic championships.Gunston, 1997 Development The Soviet team in the 1976 World Aerobatic Championship, although dominating the champion ...

, collided just outside

Marsamxett Harbour Marsamxett Harbour (), historically also referred to as Marsamuscetto, is a natural harbour on the island of Malta. It is located to the north of the larger Grand Harbour. The harbour is generally more dedicated to leisure use than the Grand H ...

off

Valletta Valletta (, mt, il-Belt Valletta, ) is an administrative unit and capital of Malta. Located on the main island, between Marsamxett Harbour to the west and the Grand Harbour to the east, its population within administrative limits in 2014 wa ...

. The Swedish pilot of the Yak-55, aerobatics champion

Gabor Varga Gabor Varga (15 March 1961 - 10 September 2006) was a Swedish aviator who was in the Guinness Book of Records for having performed 256 aerobatic loops in an hour. On 10 September 2006, Varga was performing during the Aero GP air show over Marsamx ...

, died instantly. However, the Irish Extra 200 pilot, Eddie Goggins, suffered only minor injuries and was soon released after the crash.planecrashinfo.com Famous People Who Died in Aviation Accidents: 2000s
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References

{{Reflist, refs= The Aero GP Website
/ref> 17 teams will participate in the show from around the world, Abu Dhabi Tourism, December 28, 2008
{{webarchive , url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090118191602/http://www.abudhabitourism.ae/en/news/alain.fly.aspx , date=January 18, 2009 Swedish aerobatic champion Varga dies in first stage of Malta Aero Grand Prix aerial race in Malta - Print By: Justin Wastnage London, 11 Sep 2006
/ref>

External links

Aero GP