ABU DHABI, 10 February 2006 — When Peter Besenyei takes to the Abu Dhabi skies to defend his 2005 Red Bull Air Race title on March 17, he’ll be facing two new opponents and eight veterans, all world-class aerobatic pilots looking to unseat the reigning champion.
While the Hungarian is considered the most famous and successful aerobatic pilot of his generation, the two-time FAI World Grand Prix Series winner will be up against a distinguished group of men.
Men like former US Air Force Top Gun pilot Mike Mangold. Having secured an impressive five victories from seven different races, Mangold has notched over 2,500 hours of flying time in an F 4 Phantom.
However, he will be up against fellow American Kirby Chambliss, hailing from Corpus Christi, Texas. The winner of two Air Races in 2004, Chambliss was 13 years old when he first took the reigns of an aircraft. As the youngest ever Southwest Airlines captain (at the age of 28), Chambliss, along with Mangold are serious threats to Besenyei’s title.
And then there are the two “Matadors” Paul Bonhomme and Steve Jones, both British commercial pilots as well as aerobatic teammates. Jones, who became the best aerobatic pilot in Britain has been flying Air Races since the inaugural event in Austria in 2003. As for Bonhomme, he has been involved in aerobatics since the young age of 15. Along with his compatriot, they have flown more than 450 formation displays as the Matadors. But come March 17, these two men are flying solo.
While the Matadors can boast of their Air Race experience, newcomers Nigel Lamb and Michael George Goulian will have plenty to prove as they step into their cockpits.
For Zimbabwean-born Lamb, who works as stunt pilot for major movies and has completed over 1,550 displays in 30 countries, the Red Bull Air Race is a new challenge, which will bring into play experiences he’s had from the stunts he’s performed on the silver screen.
As for American Goulian, a former US champion in the unlimited category, his desire to become an aerobatic pilot as a teenager was so strong that he began his training while still a student pilot. From washing airplanes and sweeping the hanger floor of his families flying school to participating in the cutting edge Red Bull Air Race, Goulian will be a face to watch.
However, faces like Dutchmen Frank Versteegh are hard to forget. Standing at six feet tall and a personality to match, he is the biggest pilot in the competition. On the day of the Abu Dhabi race, count on his best friend and pet dog Frank to join him in the cockpit.
