How will the GEAAR Work?
The following bullet points outline the basic premise of the air race. Detailed planning, rules and logistics will of course have to be developed, should someone decide to proceed and promote the concept.
Route
- The race will be held over a series of 24 point to point flying legs, commencing, and finishing in a different capital city (to be determined). It is envisaged (hoped) that there will be significant competition between cities to hold a part of the event, given effective marketing and sufficient interest.
- Aircraft may be obliged to transit over certain waypoints on each leg, however the option to just fly point to point may also be mandated.
- The race will be held over a 28-day duration, commencing on a weekend, and finishing on a weekend to maximise crowd attendance.
- All legs will start and finish during daylight hours. No night-time flying operations are envisaged, as broadcasting night flying ops is not optimal.
- The start/finish landing zones for each sector shall be, where possible, selected to be off-field e.g. away from established general aviation airports in order to maximise crowd attendance during arrival, overnight and for departures the next day.
- It is envisaged that crews will camp at each ALA.
- Such landing, overnight parking and take off locations (subject to approval....), could be horse or motor racing circuits, ALAs on private property, beaches, estuaries, parks or such like.
- The race will be open to entrants from Australia and any other country.
- Prize money will need to be significant to attract the right level of local and international interest. Corporate sponsorship will play a role here.
- It is hoped that a significant level of competition will ensure between towns, cities and regional centres that may care to nominate as a landing and departure destination as significant publicity will be associated with hosting the event if it is marketed correctly
Aircraft- Shall be powered solely by electric means. No internal combustion engines of any type will be permitted.
- Any design of aircraft (e.g. fixed/rotary wing, lighter than air, multi-rotor craft) will be admitted subject to meeting minimum airworthiness requirements.
- It may be desirable to consider different classes of aircraft which compete simultaneously.
- Aircraft shall be a minimum of two-seats and shall always carry a minimum of two persons e.g., pilot and navigator.
- All aircraft will be fitted with a standardised modular array of communications and video equipment, e.g. the Race Comms Pack (over and above minimum comms equipment required to achieve airworthiness).
- All aircraft will be fitted with a permanent array of internal and external cameras that interface with the Comms Pack.
- The Comms Pack will be designed to store and broadcast video footage and audio to race organisers/promoters throughout the race for media use.
- The Comms Pack shall include a dedicated battery supply that will be independent of aircraft power supplies, which shall be replaced with a freshly charged unit at the end of each leg. This power shall not count towards the teams overall Carbon Footprint (CF).