The Air Race Is Back—and Mélanie Astles Is Ready

Monday, February 21, 2022 at 06:35 PM ET

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Astles looks forward to competing in the new Air Race with her own team, and guiding young people into aviation. [YouTube Screengrab: Mélanie Astles]

Key Takeaways:

French aerobatic champion Mélanie Astles will lead an elite team in the newly relaunched "Air Race" series, set to begin in May 2022 with competitions planned across at least seven locations.
The new Air Race will emphasize advanced aviation technology, initially using "zero-carbon" fuels and aiming to integrate electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOLs) as they become certified for racing.
Beyond her own competition, Astles is launching a "life project" to create her own aerobatic team, dedicated to training and mentoring young aspiring pilots and inspiring a new generation to enter the aviation world.

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Mélanie Astles hasn’t taken much time off during her career, since the French aerobatic pilot took savings she had from working at a petrol station and turned it into her initial pilot certificate, starting when she was 21.

So, the pandemic presented a somewhat frustrating hiatus for a champion who’s ready to race. The Unlimited and Advanced classes managed to fly some competitions, but it hasn’t been the same in the past two years.