Day one of the Durban Land, Sea & Air Festival has been a huge success with a fantastic crowd turnout, mesmerising flight and water displays and adrenalin-pumping action from the qualifying contest for the SA pilots of the Sky Grand Prix of Aerobatics.
On Friday 21th March 2014, South Africa’s top aerobatic pilots competed for the top five positions going into the second and final round of the Sky
Grand Prix of Aerobatics. Crowds marvelled as the competing aircrafts flew across the beachfront at speeds in excess of 400km/h while being subjected to plus 10 and minus five times the force of gravity. The seemingly effortless manoeuvres through the pylons erected on the piers, were judged by international Aerobatic Judges who adjudicated the competitors based on the accuracy of angles and overall aircraft performance on specific aerobatic figures.
The top five SA pilots who were announced in order of ranking on Day One of the Sky Grand Prix of Aerobatics are:
- – Nigel Hopkins, Pretoria
- – Patrick Davidson, Port Elizabeth
- – Mark Hensman, Cape Town
- – Bertus du Preez, Pretoria
- – Barrie Eales, Johannesburg
The engrossed Durban audience were also treated to practice flight sequences later on in the day by the top three pilots from the recent World Champs and the top five to have competed on the World Freestyle Aerobatic stage.
On day two of the Durban Land, Sea & Air Festival, crowds can expect to see the action turned up full throttle with the final legs of the Sky Grand Prix of Aerobatics being battled out by the top five SA pilots and the five top international pilots for the first-ever Durban Sky GP title.
According to Sky Grand Prix of Aerobatics co-owner, Roger Deare, “We couldn’t have hoped for a better turnout and the pilots really brought out their best.”
The Durban Land, Sea and Air Festival is free to the public. For further information please visit http://www.landseaairfestival.co.za/