In sport aerobatics, precision is everything and mistakes are easily made. Last week, 60 of the top aerobatic pilots in the world gathered in Châteauroux, France, to battle it out, dancing in the sky with their high performance airplanes in the FAI (Fédération Aéronautique Internationale or World Air Sports Federation) World Aerobatic Championships.
With margins of error so narrow, it is rare for any one pilot to dominate. However, the host nation did steal the show. France took home all three cumulative rankings, winning the team trophy, and France’s the men’s and women’s individual competitions with Alexandre Ortowski and Aude Lemordant at the podium.
However, there was some solace for the U.S. team. Rob Holland, who flies an MX Aircraft MXS, wrote a page in the history books with a third consecutive win in the Freestyle program of the world championships. Holland became the first pilot to win three times in the Freestyle class in the 28 years that the competition has been held.
Watch Holland’s incredible four-minute performance here.
Get exclusive online content like this delivered straight to your inbox by signing up for our free enewsletter.
