Austrian pilot Hannes Arch has made it three wins in a row after taking out victory at the Windsor, Canada, leg of the Red Bull Air Race, while former RAAF fighter pilot Matt Hall had to withdraw from the event after his aircraft hit the water during a rare close call.
Once again, Arch saw off tough competition from Briton Paul Bonhomme who was forced to settle for second place, while former Red Bull champion Kirby Chambliss made his first podium appearance this season in third place.
Matt Hall came in 13th place after his aircraft contacted the water during qualification on the Saturday after his MXS-R suffered an aerodynamic wing stall in a tight turn. Hall’s wing and right wheel splashed off the top of the water but he was able to quickly regain control of his MXS-R and return safely to the race airport.
In an interview after the event, Hall said that he was disappointed with the incident. “It was just, you know, a slight slip over the line, which then ends up in near-disastrous consequences. So I’m disappointed I crossed the line there. But positively we’ve got the plane already on its way to get fixed and we should be able to get it back in the air for New York,” he said.
You can read further details of the incident in Hall’s own words here.
After the round, Bonhomme still maintains top spot in the championship rankings, but at 41 is only two points clear of Arch. Nigel Lamb is in third place on 37 points, followed by Chambliss on 26 points, while Hall is fifth on 22 points.
The next round of the Air Race is being flown in New York over the weekend of June 19 and 20.
