As the second round of the 2010 Red Bull Air Race World Championship unfolds in the Western Australian city of Perth on 17-18 April, the two new rookies are carefully evaluating their performances in Abu Dhabi. Czech pilot Martin Sonka and Adilson Kindlemann from Brazil had something of a ‘baptism of fire’ in the UAE capital last month when sweltering temperatures and changeable winds in the track resulted in unexpected results across the board.
Although defending world champion Paul Bonhomme was able to keep his cool to take the top podium spot, many others were caught out with a series of DQs and penalty-ridden runs that enabled some unexpected teams to pick up valuable championship points in the first race of the 2010 season.
DREAM BECOMES REALITY FOR SONKA
Sonka, a former military fast jet pilot and high achieving aerobatic competitor, appeared calm throughout race week but admitted the lead up to the race had been hectic. “Getting the Super Licence is definitely a dream come true,” said a towering Sonka, who stands at well over 6ft. “I first found out about it when I did some race commentary for a local TV station and I knew I had to qualify to race. I must admit it has been a bit crazy though. We had so much to prepare before we went to Abu Dhabi and it was tough to get everything ready on time but I’m really happy to be racing and it’s just amazing. I’m really enjoying this – it was my dream to be a race pilot.”
With a promising start to his debut season, Sonka impressed fellow competitors with his smooth and precise flying style. After making some judgement errors about the wind in the track during the Wild Card round, however, he failed to pick up any points in Abu Dhabi.
“It is totally, totally different to other types of flying. You have to think about everything,” added Sonka. “You have to take into account the wind, you have to think precisely about every curve and every manoeuvre because everywhere you can lose time. You think about the track for days and then it’s just 1:20 in the track for Qualification. It definitely has to be intuitive, as when you’re in the track you don’t have time to think about it. You must be prepared and you must be able to change your plans if the wind has changed. There needs to be some flexibility but you must be ready for it. As a rookie I just have to watch and learn.”
Opting for the Edge 540, the pilot was pleased with his new machine: “The plane is fantastic, it’s beautiful,” he said. “It’s a little bit heavier than the minimum weight so we need to reduce that. The main goals at the moment are to prepare the aeroplane as much as possible to get to the minimum weight and to fly safely. As I get more and more experience I will become more competitive.”
KINDLEMANN OPTIMISTIC
Brazilian pilot Kindlemann was taking a more laid back approach to his 14th place finish in Abu Dhabi and said a ‘step-by-step’ plan was in place. “I’m motivated, happy with the results and pleased with the progress I made on each flight,” said the energetic Team Petrobras pilot, who got his introduction to the sport at the 2007 Rio de Janeiro race. “I didn’t make any big mistakes, I hit the pylons but that’s life. I managed the situation so let’s see how I go in Perth.”
The vibrant Brazilian pilot picked up several penalties in the Abu Dhabi track but wasn’t worried that this would be a recurrent theme in his debut season. Flying the distinctive Team Petrobras yellow and green MXS-R, Kindlemann is looking forward to slightly calmer track conditions in Perth and said he was studying ‘the masters’ in the meantime to try to pick up flying tips and techniques.
“Flying was my dream as a child and now it’s my life,” he added. “Sometimes you have disappointment and make mistakes but you have to just keep going. In Rio in 2007, I knew this was the way I wanted to go. It was a different sport, a different angle in aviation and it was working. It’s really professional. So then I started preparing to become a Red Bull Air Race pilot and I haven’t looked back.”
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