Sky Grand Prix to fly high at Greyville Racecourse

THE Sky Grand Prix of Aerobatics will return to Durban skies on Saturday, 28 May at Greyville Race Course.

The popular event goes beyond any other aviation event that has been staged in Durban or South Africa as spectators can look forward to thrilling sounds and aerobatics of these flying machines as they execute their maneuvers with speed and fine precision. The unique event, is unlike any other aviation event because it’s not happening at an airport but in the skies above Greyville Race Course and the Royal Durban Golf Course.

The Sky Grand Prix will be held in conjunction with the Annual Daily News 2000 horse race, the precursor race meeting for the Vodacom Durban July. The Sky Grand Prix will see over 10 thousand people descending on the Racecourse to enjoy top class aerobatic racing, fly pasts and other festivities that the organizers are planning for the day.

Organisers of the event, Roger Deare and Nigel Hopkins will be pulling out all the stops to guarantee a top rate event for Durban of which it is envisaged will be an annual spectacular. The event is a Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI), FAI Aerobatics Commission (CIVA) internationally sanctioned event and is sanctioned locally by the Sport Acrobatic Club (SAC) and the Recreational Aviation Administration of South Africa. (RAASA). “It’s not just a race, its more like life in 3D and we are adding a verticle element to the event whihc will have audience see stunts that defies everything in aerodynamics,” said aerobatic pilot Nigel Hopkins.

The Sky Grand Prix of Aerobatics is a competition, which will see 10 experienced local and international aerobatic pilots competing against each other over the skies of Royal Durban Golf Course. The competition requires these “Gladiators of the Sky” to perform breath-taking maneuvers using 25 meter pylons as markers. These pylons will be placed strategically on the Royal Durban Golf Course, and the pilot’s technical maneuvers will be analyzed by a panel of SAC judges and will ultimately result in a Champion being crowned. The Greyville Race Course will be the central arena from which the spectators will have a prime view of the competition akin to watching the “Gladiators at the Colosseum”.

Event organizers are hoping the event will also add to the overall Durban event calendar, which will in turn see economic benefits to local businesses and job creation and growth in the tourism sector. This unique one of a kind event concept has the potential to be a major jewel in the crown for Durban.

Tickets cost R220 for adults and R50 for children under 12 and are available via Computicket and will also be available at Greyville on the day.