Spain’s Alonso wins Al Ain Aerobatics Show

His amazing score of 88.73 on day one clinched the issue. He waited in the pilots’ lounge the whole of day two yesterday to see if any of his competitors could match his score to prevent him from taking away the winner’s cheque of $50,000. He had a total score of 103.26 points.

Chief rival Svetlana Kapanina was always going to pose the primary threat. Though the Russian posted the day’s best tally of 94.6 points, it was no match for Alonso’s stunning first day return, and he got his first Al Ain victory in four attempts.

Svetlana Kapanina came second and Kathryn Boulanger, Hungarian national, came third.

“This is a very special feeling,” said Alonso, who is also a commercial pilot with Iberian Airlines.

“Winning in Al Ain completes a remarkable year for me. I have also won the World Aerobatics and European Aerobatics titles. This is the icing on the cake.

“I find Al Ain amazing. I never expected to find such a green place in the middle of a vast desert. Al Ain is a perfect setting for aerobatics — the view of the desert is breathtaking.”

Tipped as the strongest Al Ain field to date, a host of the world’s best professional solo pilots from eight countries battled it out in a combination of classic aerobatics, a series of unlimited classic manoeuvres performed against the clock, known as AR (Aerobatics Race) and a three-minute freestyle section referred to as AF (Aerobatics Freestyle).

Judged on innovation and entertainment criteria, scores received for the AF was converted directly to seconds and subtracted from the pilot’s AR programme times.

Chief judge Quintin Hawthorne said Alonso’s “unbeatable” day one performance on Friday more than justified his victory.

“The level of competition on show in Al Ain, as well as the breadth and depth of the display field, is the cornerstone of the event’s regional and international appeal. This year’s championship, the largest in Al Ain’s history, has a worthy winner and Alonso’s unbeatable display on Friday was simply sensational. It was electrifying aerobatics at its entertaining best,” said Hawthorne.

“The championship attracts tourists and fans of aerobatics from all over the world every year who come to support their favourite teams and pilots. It is one of Al Ain’s main attractions and we will carry on determined to make sure it goes from strength to strength,” said Mubarak Al Muhairi, Director-General, Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority.

The Al Ain International Aerobatics Championship, held under the patronage of General Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, attracted 110 aircraft. More than 130,000 spectators are estimated to have watched the event.