FORMULA AR AEROBATIC RACE

Airport Slovenj Gradec

29th jun 2008

The first Formula Aerobatic Race of the year was held at the Slovenj Gradec airport on Sunday, 29 June. Five excellent aerobatic pilots raced against the clock in front of over 6,000 spectators. The competitors included two Croatian pilots, Ivan Jaklenac and Branimir Ambrekovič, and three Slovenian fliers, Matic Škrlec, Tomo Poljanec and Benjamin Ličer

The rules of the competition were slightly altered this time around and the competitors needed to make four passes between the pylons. They had to start the laps by flying through red gates at the attitude of the pylons. Incorrect attitude was penalised by two seconds of added time. The official part of the race was followed by the freestyle programme in which the competitors demonstrated their know-how and skills of aerobatic flying.

Because the planes were so different, the pilots prepared individual tactics, which they carefully kept to themselves before the race and wisely avoided answering provocative questions.

The order of the competition was set by a draw and the first competitor to take to the air was Ivan Jaklenac on the light Long EZ plane. This was Jaklenac's first Formula AR race and he was worried most about how to exactly count the laps that he had to fly between the pylons. He did not want to fly a lap too few or even one too many. Luckily, this did not happen and Jaklenac clocked in at 2 minutes and 54 seconds, taking the last spot, but missing the fourth by just a few seconds.

The next to take off was Matic Škrlec, an experienced pilot and flying instructor. But he was also competing in the event for the first time. He flew in what was perhaps the most attractive plane for the spectators – a Pitts S2B, a red and green biplane. He needed 2 minutes and 19 seconds to complete the four laps, finishing third overall.

The third competitor was Slovenia’s aerobatic flying champion Tomo Poljanec with his G-202 plane. This plane was famed as the fastest among the competitors, but Poljanec still snatched the victory by a mere hair’s breadth this year. A higher flight speed also means greater forces in the turns and these require more effort to control the plane. Due to a higher speed, the pilot’s turns have to be wider, which costs time. And this is where the strategy and the precision of flying proved to be of key importance. A faster plane does not guarantee victory and it is necessary to battle for every second. Tomo Poljanec needed 1 minute and 50 second to complete the four laps.

The fourth aviator to tackle the course was Benjamin Ličer with his Zlin 526. Even though his plane seemed slow in the air, however also very elegant due to its large wingspan, Ličer finished the race with the fastest time. He flew more slowly, but that allowed him to make tighter turns. This meant that his race laps were faster. The excellent and speedy Ličer was, however, not accurate enough. His entry into the first lap of the race was not in line with the rules as he flew in too high and earned a penalty. He completed the first lap in 25 seconds, two seconds faster than the overall winner Poljanec. His second split time was 53 seconds, one better than Poljanec. The third split saw Ličer tied with Poljanec at 1 minute and 22 seconds, but Ličer pulled himself together to complete the race in 1 minute 49 seconds. If he flew more accurately through the first gate, the victory would have been his. But the resulting two-second penalty pushed him to the second spot. He promised that he would not make the same mistake at the next race.

The fifth to fly was Croatian aerobatic flying champion, the young Branimir Ambrekovič, who was sitting in his Russian-made Technoavia. The attractive plane and the interesting registration number (A9-DOG) drew great interest from the crowd. But Ambrekovič's exhausting schedule and the heat took their toll and he clocked in at 2 minutes and 47 seconds to take the overall fourth spot.

Final results:

PLACE	Country:	Aircraft:	Time:	Info:
1. Tomo POLJANEC	SLO	GILES 202	1:50
2. Benjamin LIČER	SLO	ZLIN 526	1:51
3. Matic Škrlec	CRO	PITTS -S2B	2:19
4. Branimir AMBREKOVIČ	CRO	I-3 TEHNOAVIA	2:47
5. Ivan Jaklenac	CRO	Long EZ	2:54

Lučko Airfield – Zagreb
22 September 2007

More than 10,000 visitors enjoyed this Saturday an interesting three-hour programme, prepared at the Lučko sports airfield by air show organiser Zagrebački zrakoplovni savez. The air show was moved from the banks of the Sava river to the Lučko airfield in order to get the citizens accustomed to the airfield as a location for the city's flying meets as Zagreb gears up to celebrate its centenary of flying.
Presentations of Croatian sports flyers and fly-bys of over 80 planes were also spiced up with an interesting demonstration of helicopter flying skills and a pulse-quickening jump by Birdman Vanja Šiljko, who began his fall at 2,000 metres and only opened his parachute 50 metres above the ground, when the majority of spectators were already shouting “Open! Open!”
A special announcement was also made ahead of the highly-anticipated demonstration of aerobatic pilots Branimir Ambrekovič and Tomo Poljanec, who presented the Formula Aerobatic Race competition, scheduled to take place at Lučko next year. Fast fly-bys between pylons at a specific height, sharp turns, climbs and aerobatic manoeuvres were accompanied by an open-mouthed audience that also welcomed the pilots’ landing with a standing ovation. Their programme was commented on by aerobatic flyer Ivan Jaklenac, who learned many of the tricks of the trade in the USA, and pointed the demands, skills and time required to learn such manoeuvres.
The exhibited planes also captivated the audience, while attractive attendants answered the questions regarding the capabilities of the planes and flying skills.
Branimir and Tomo closed the air show’s programme by performing their free programme. The complex gyroscopic figures at low altitude were the icing on the cake and gave the audience the chance to witness their skills.
The event was organised under the leadership of the meet’s director Domagoj Vodanović and secretary of the Zagrebački zrakoplovni savez Dušan Jurčič. It was extremely well executed and generated a lot of interest, as also confirmed by reports in the Croatian media, which reported extensively on the air show, the Formula Aerobatic Race and the performance of our aerobatic pilots Branimir Ambreković and Tomo Poljanec.

The Race at Dobova at the Mihalovec Airfield on 7 July 2007
The First Formula Aerobatic Race Competition

The Mihalovec airfield was the venue for the first Formula Aerobatic Race event in Slovenia. Four pilots took part - Slovenians Benjamin Ličen with Zlin 526 and Tomo Poljanec with Giles 202, Bulgaria's Svilen Georgijev Ivanov with Pitts S2B and Croatian pilot Branimir Ambreković with his I - 3 Technoavia.
The pilots competed against each other in two legs and the rules of the competition were tailored to the airfield. The gates were set at 400 metres apart and the pylons were placed 35 metres from each other. The judges evaluated the correctness of the passage through the gates, meaning that the pilots were not allowed to fly below 10 metres and not higher than the height of the pylons. The judges also evaluated the aerobatic elements, penalising the pilots with a 5-second penalty for improper passage and poorly executed element.
The victory went to Tomo Poljanec with his Giles 202. However, the second place was contested between Benjamin Ličer and Svilen Georgijev. Ličen came in as third in the first leg, finishing a second behind the Bulgarian, however, employed exceptional tactics in the second leg to take silver with a 25-second advantage ahead of Georgijev.
Regardless of his third place, Svilen’s fighting spirit won the hearts of the audience. Ambreković meanwhile finished fourth in his first appearance at the race.
After completing the race, the pilots then also flew the free programme, finishing the day in a grand style. They have shown what they can do and how they can fly. The only chance for the audience to see a level flight was when the pilots were flying vertically, upside-down or on the knife edge. The remaining elements consisted of demanding and breathtaking aerobatic manoeuvres that included spinning on all three axis.
The aerobatic masters received their awards from the meet’s organiser Jože Cetina and, as is customary for racers, doused the spectators in the front row with sparkling wine.

RESULTS:

PLACE:	Country:	Aircraft:	1.Race	2.Race	Total time:	:
1. Tomo POLJANEC	SLO	GILES 202	3:36+0:05	3:11	6:52	PENALTY -To low through 1st gate
2. Benjamin LIČER	SLO	ZLIN 526	4:00+0:05	3:29	7:34	PENALTY -Incorrectly figure
3. Svilen GEORGIEV IVANOV	BG	PITTS -S2B	4:04	3:55	7:59
4. Branimir AMBREKOVIČ	CRO	I-3 TEHNOAVIA	4:45	4:14	8:59

The Meet in Croatia’s Grobnik on 1st July 2007

The Formula Aerobatic Race event was showcased in Croatia for the first time on Sunday, 1st July. The competition was attended by three pilots - Tomo Poljanec with the Giles-202 airplane, Benjamin Ličer with Zlin 526 and Croatian aerobatic pilot Branimir Ambreković with the Russian-made I - 3 Technoavia - enthralled the crowd at the Grobnik airfield, officially better known for its motorcycle race, close to the port city of Rijeka.
The Formula AR pilots performed breathtaking and attractive stunts and were a real crowd pleaser, even though they only took part in the free programme. You will be able to relive the excitement and pleasure of seeing the best pilots perform in the free programme next year, when the Formula AR competitions will be organised on the Croatian coast.

Murska Sobota Airborne Airshow, on 16th and 17th June 2007

The main Slovenian airshow was organised in the town of Murska Sobota. Two days saw the performances of various aerobatic teams, including the Formula AR team which drew the crowd. An excellent appearance by our pilot Tomo Poljanec also earned him the praise of his colleagues. Our presentation and appearance, our official plane mechanic Fredo Kočevar, our planes on display as well as the charming and friendly hostesses drew a large number of visitors.

Airshow at Novi Sad’s Čenej Airport on 3rd June 2007

The Formula AR made a successful debut at the Čenej airport in the vicinity Novi Sad in Serbia. The hot Sunday saw the organisers prepare a rich and varied programme to serve all aviation enthusiasts. Apart from the reactivated Flying Stars (Leteće Zvezde) aerobatic group, a formation of four G2 Galeb aircraft of the former Yugoslav Armed Forces, the aerobatic pilots were the main stars of the event. Our pilot Tomo Poljanec executed a wonderful programme and his precise flights among the formula's pylons earned him a special prize for an attractive display.
Murska Sobota Airborne Airshow, on 16th and 17th June 2007