18 June 2013
The Schneider Trophy Air Race will be celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, with a competition taking place on the island of Alderney from 28-29 September.
The team behind the race, the Records, Racing and Rally Association, said, “This has become a real favourite with our regular racers and we’re delighted to be staging this race with our friends on that wonderful little island.”
The event will consist of a practice on Saturday morning followed by the Aurigny Air Services Trophy race on Saturday afternoon. The Schneider will be run on Sunday. The race will be six laps of a course, which circumnavigates the island and extends out to the Casquettes Lighthouse some seven miles out to the west of Alderney, before returning to land. The organisers say that the course will be particularly good for spectators as most of it can be seen from the island.
Announced by Jacques Schneider, a financier, balloonist and aircraft enthusiast, in 1911, it offered a prize of roughly £1,000. The race was held eleven times between 1913 and 1931. It was meant to encourage technical advances in civil aviation but became a contest for pure speed with laps over a triangular course (initially 280 km, later 350 km).
To race, all you need is a piston engine aircraft capable of 100mph or more and to have more than 100 hours P1. You will also have to undertake a flight test with one of 3R’s check pilots.
Due to the constraints of the runway and limited accommodation on the island it has been decided to restrict this year’s entry to thirty aircraft. To enter contact Judy Hanson, aviation secretary, on [email protected] or visit <a href=’http://www.britishairracing.com’ target=’_blank’>www.britishairracing.com</a>.
