World Series Ranking

Nicolas Ivanoff                                        Photo: Rob Vogelaar, air-races.com

Training and Qualification Friday May 5, 2006

2nd Training

3rd Training

Qualification

Mike Mangold                                        Photo: Rob Vogelaar, air-races.com

Thursday May 4, 2006

Training canceled by weather

The training of Thursday were cancelled due to turbulent surf conditions and 2m waves that prevented the 19m Air Gate pylons from standing upright while floating on the surface of the sea. Strong winds along the Barcelona coast reached 39 km/h (24 miles/h).

Public Paddock walk on Saturday                                        Photo: Rob Vogelaar, air-races.com

Wednesday May 3, 2006

1st Training

About Barcelona:

Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain in both size and population. It is also the capital of Catalonia. Barcelona’s most famous son, the modernist architect Antoni Gaudi, whose unique style can still be savored in a number of key buildings around the city. His masterpiece is the unfinished Sagrada Familia cathedral, but his work can be seen even in the lampposts and fountains of Plaça Reial. A notable feature is Les Rambles, a boulevard that runs from the city center to the waterfront, thronged with crowds until late at night and lined by florists, bird sellers in the higher part, craft sellers in the lowest, street entertainers, cafeterias, and restaurants.

The beaches of Bogatell and Nova Icària, in the city of Barcelona, will be the stage for the spectacular "Formula 1 of the air" race on 6 May. This is the second race in the Red Bull Air Race World Series 2006, a race of speed but also skill.

The circuit in Barcelona, which is over the sea, is approximately 1.4 kilometers, with pairs of inflatable 18-metre high pylons, 10 to 14 meters apart, supporting a series of gates. The pilots have to execute specific acrobatic maneuvers passing through all the gates, on the limited course, as fast as possible.

Each race has four sessions, two classification rounds, and two rounds which depend on the speed in the qualifying round. The race is spectacular, with the planes reaching speeds above 400 kilometers per hour, and the aerial acrobatics performed just above the sea.

The race starts at 6.30 p.m. and can be watched from the land or the sea, from the beaches at Bogatell or Nova Icària, or the nearby area.

On 6 May, the public will be able to visit the paddock on the Nova Mar Bella beach, from 11:00 a.m., where they will be able to meet the pilots and see the planes close-up.