Representatives with the Association of Competition Airshow Pilots, or ACAP, announced Monday the much-anticipated inaugural air competition series has been officially named the "eXtreme AirShow Challenge".

"This is very much an air SHOW competition, not a precision aerobatic competition," said Rick Rushing, founder of the ACAP series (above). "Fans and sponsors can expect all the fun and excitement of a traditional airshow, plus much, much more, including performances by some of the best airshow pilots in the world."

At 12 venues in 2006, the eXtreme Airshow Challenge events will deliver an action packed, turnkey spectacle that includes all of the exciting features of a traditional air show, in addition to a "Made for TV" Air Show Competition between today’s most energetic performers.

Fans at the live events will be able to "ride along" with all of the pilots through the use of on-board camera technology that will be broadcast live to giant LED screens. Each event will also be edited to air on national television to a potential subscriber base of no less than a 65 million viewers in one-hour episodes this fall.

"Our new series name will also translate well to our TV audience," added Rushing.

During the events, the competition will pit top airshow performers against each other in an Airshow Championship Series. Similar to the format popularized in NASCAR, competitors at each event will accumulate points toward the overall Championship Winner. The competition is based on showmanship, and will be judged by aviation celebrities and legends -- including the Aeroshell Aerobatic Team.

The ACAP eXtreme Airshow Challenge series is set to launch in this April, although a location has yet to be selected.

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