Faint heart never won air race (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Faint heart never won air race

AIRLINE pilot Steve Jones is swapping his usual Boeing 747 jumbo jet for a Sukhoi 26 to fly tight aerobatic manoeuvres at low level in a constant race against the clock to beat fellow competitors.

The competition - the Red Bull Air Race - is the first of its kind to be held in the UK and will be one of the attractions at the Kemble Air Show on June 20.

Steve, 44, from Driffield, near Cirencester, is one of two British pilots to be taking part.

He said: "It's unusual to do a proper competition with an aeroplane and I like the competitive element.

"You have to practice close to the ground and know your aeroplane.

"Accuracy is an important skill - you're trying to shave a few seconds off the clock every time and the obstructions are pretty close to the wingtips.

"My family tend to look the other way and say 'Oh well done' through gritted teeth."

Steve joined the British Aerobatic Team in 1994 and became the overall British Aerobatic Champion in 1996.

Red Bull spokesman Sarah Christofi said: "Aerobatic flying exerts great physical and mental stress on the pilot who has to cope with forces of up to eight times their body weight and with no margin for error, they need to be totally in control of their plane.

"It's certainly not for the faint hearted!" The competition - between six aerobatic pilots - has previously been held in Austria and Hungary.