Acrobatic Planes Fly Head-To-Head On Digitally-Generated Course

By David Juwel

Sky Challenge International, a company from New Zealand, has developed a new air racing venture. They forecast that it will change the way we watch the sport. Basically, two aerobatic aircraft fly against each other in a head to head race through a digitally generated interactive course.

The race course has digital gates that the planes must navigate through. The pilot sees these virtual targets in a cockpit monitor, or through a helmet that generates optical images. The public sees the race course images on a large wide screen, on their cell phone, or a laptop. They can even fly the course on their TV at home prior to the race.

The race is not a timed event. The two planes race head to head and whoever crosses the finish line first is the winner. When a pilot makes a mistake, it is shown on the screen and an instant penalty occurs. The pilot always sees two targets in advance so that he can plan his next move.

Because the two pilots are wholly focused on the target, one would think that there might be a risk of mid-air collision. However, there are four anti-collision systems in place to prevent that from happening. For instance, if the computer senses the opportunity for a mid-air collision, the images instantly disappear and the pilots are required to make opposing turns.

The race is intended to be a free show hosted by a city, preferably with a river, beach or harbor near the city center. The images generated can all be sponsor oriented. For instance, the planes can be made to fly through a beverage can or a tire with the sponsors name on it. SKYchallenge will handle all the multi-media set-ups for the spectators, as well as the design of the corporate sponsor images.

FMI: www.skychallenge.com