Air Races

Photos: from 3Rs
Ever since the conquest of the air, pilots have sought to compete and perfect their skills. Air racing and the setting of records came to the fore from the earliest of times, although it was not until the 1920s that it took on a formalised and more spectacular form.

In Britain, Royal patronage for air racing came with the annual King's Cup, first awarded by George V in 1922 and hotly contested to this day. In the 1980s the spirit of seaplane racing was rekindled with the rebirth of the famed Schneider Trophy.

These days, Air Races are organised by the Royal Aero Club Records, Racing and Rallying Association, or '3Rs' as it's better known.

2006 is a big year for the 3Rs as it is the 75th anniversary of the Schneider Trophy. This race, and the King's Cup, together with a series of other prestigious events will make up the modern-day handicap air-racing season.

Races are held at venues around Europe but mainly in the UK including Alderney in the Channel Isles. Racing culminates with the British Air Racing Champion and in an effort to make the sport more Europewide a European Air Racing Champion.

Generally, the races comprise four or five laps of a course of 25 miles centred on an airfield, with a staggered start on handicap, designed to produce a simultaneous finish. Spectators are therefore able to see both the start and the finish.

Races are occasionally held from point to point and from country to country. Racing pilots - men and women - come from all walks of life and localities. Recent examples battling for honours range from RAF pilots to airline captains, businessmen, writers, travel agents, policemen and many more.

The aircraft they fly are just as varied. In speed they range from 100mph to nearly 250mph, encompassing trainers through to executive twins, single seat racers to classic tourers, homebuilts to war-birds.

In the year 2005 the Schneider Trophy was won by John Village in a Vans RV6, the Kings Cup for a record 4th time by Roger Hayes, and the British Air Racing Championship by Craig Beevers in a Scottish Aviation Bulldog.

As well as administering handicapped air racing, the 3Rs as they are known also act as agents for the Federation Aeronautic International (FAI), the body that recognises air records throughout the world and ratifies the same.

Aviation speed records can be set from city to city or from country to country and again all types of aircraft can participate from microlights to airliners and military types. To encourage new entrants into the air racing scene, the 3Rs now run an air racing school in April every year.

For more details or to find out how you can take part in Air Racing in 2006 contact the race secretary by

2006 Events
28 January, Sywell. Air Race Symposium & Kings Cup Dinner.
8-9 April, North Weald. Air Race School.
29-30 April, venue tbc. National Championship Air Race.
13-14 May, venue tbc. National Championship Air Race.
10-11 June, venue tbc. National Championship Air Race.
1-2 July, venue tbc. National Championship Air Race.
12-13 August, venue tbc. National Championship Air Race.
2-3 September, Bembridge, Isle of Wight. 75th Anniversary Schneider Trophy

National Championship Air Race
23-24 September, Alderney. National Championship Air Race.
W: www.flyalderney.com/airace.html

For more details or to find out how you can take part in Air Racing in 2006 contact the race secretary,

More info on the web:
Royal Aero Club Records, Racing and Rallying Association

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Air Races