Red Bull Air Race

Yoshihide “Yoshi” Muroya emerged as one of the most improved pilots in the latter part of his rookie season in 2009, jumping unexpectedly into the top half of the pack in many training sessions and early racing rounds. The man from Japan was ultimately hurt by penalties and pylon hits at the wrong time in races but clearly demonstrated great potential with his strong finish.

Muroya, one of four rookies last year, had the dubious distinction of having the most pylon hits, an award that he hopes to avoid winning again in 2010. But the good-humoured ace from Fukushima took that in his stride, viewing the 15 Air Gates he burst in training and races as part of his learning experience. Indeed, the first Asian pilot in the Red Bull Air Race World Championship did exactly what he set out to accomplish: flying safely and learning the ropes in the first four races before attacking in the final two.

Muroya, who has helped make the sport popular in Japan and dreams of a race being staged in Tokyo, has set his sights on the next level for 2010. He spent the off-season modifying his Edge and training in New Zealand and aims to be in the top half of the field overall. He believes he can achieve at least 7th place. Muroya has studied the efficient and graceful flying styles of Paul Bonhomme, Hannes Arch and Nicolas Ivanoff. His Edge 540 has one of the most powerful engines, as demonstrated by his strong training times on the fast track in Porto.

Muroya, an avid snowboarder, started flying gliders at 18 and got his pilot’s licence at the age of 19. A soft-spoken man, Muroya works hard on his physical fitness to help endure the high Gs in the race and improves his mental fitness with the help of the traditional Zazen meditation.

THE TEAM

Japanese speaking New Zealander Rob Fry is a former international yacht race skipper and a seasoned air show and aerobatic pilot and assists Muroya with operational duties while Takashi Nishimura is responsible for aircraft maintenance and performance. Nishimura is currently based in the US, where he has run a maintenance outfit for several years servicing and test flying light aircraft. Now in the team’s second season, the Formula 1 fan will be able to utilise some of his extensive engineering experience to ensure Muroya’s Edge 540 – already considered fast – to remain competitive throughout the year. Expect some exciting new mods to be unveiled this year.