13 October 2022
We have two new British Aerobatic Champions, following the Advanced and Unlimited championships at Sleap last weekend (8-9 October).
They are Tom Cassells in the Unlimited class and David Thomson in the Advanced category. Both were flying the same aircraft, an Extra NG owned by Tom.
Twelve pilots competed in the late autumn weather to make the most of some fantastic sunshine and perfect flying conditions on Saturday and some challenging winds on Sunday.
After a close fought contest, the judges crowned Tom Cassells as the Unlimited national champion, winning the coveted Neil Williams Trophy, and David Thomson won the Advanced title from a strong field of challengers.
Tom’s win was especially popular with the aerobatic community as he first won the title 20 years ago. This was his fourth win overall and it was no surprise that it was one of his students who took the Advanced trophy. David was pushed hard by British Aerobatic Academy’s Polish resident aerobatic instructor and current World Intermediate champion, Maciej Kulaszewski, flying the Genevation GenPro aircraft, and Lithuanian guest pilot Igoris Lobanovas flying the Xtreme XA41.
Top scorers in the British Aerobatic Championships 2022. From left: Igoris Lobanovas (3rd Advanced), Maciej Kulaszewski (2nd Advanced), Tom Cassells, Chris Brook (2nd Unlimited) and David Thomson
An emotional Tom paid tribute to his fellow competitors and to the tradition of aerobatic competition which remains strong in the UK, even in these challenging times.
Steve Todd, British Aerobatics Chairman, said, “We are extremely grateful to the hard-working team under Bruce Buglass at Sleap for delivering a professional and very safe championships and to the officials for giving their time to ensure a fair contest. For those who were able to come along and watch, they were treated to the very highest standard of aerobatic flying and a memorable weekend.”
Tom Cassells is a Yorkshire born and bred logistics consultant and aerobatic coach, and leads the Nuii sponsored Starlings display team, which can be seen at air shows and displays around the UK. David Thomson runs a creative and branding consultancy in the south west and has represented Great Britain at a number of world and European championships in the last decade.
The Extra NG proved a winning aircraft in the hands of Tom Cassells and David Thomson. Photo: Jez Poller
Tom started flying the NG in 2021 and has already amassed 200 hours in it flying solo aerobatics, air displays and providing dual instruction at the highest levels. Talking about the NG, Tom said, “What other aircraft can fly a full sequence of unlimited aerobatics with two people on board? It makes it invaluable as a training tool for an instructor like me. I can demonstrate complex techniques to students in a way that just isn’t possible with ground coaching alone. It really is a game changer.
“The level of comfort is unlike any aerobatic aircraft I have ever flown before. It is so well sealed that you could drop a feather in the cockpit while cruising at 160 knots and it would gently fall to the floor. This also means that noise levels for the pilot are kept to a minimum, reducing fatigue both while flying aerobatics and on longer transit flights.”
