Race Articles

The 2011 President's Trophy Air Race was be hosted by the Beauchamp-Proctor Flying Club at Mafikeng International Airport from 26 to 29 May 2011.

The winners were William Devine and Carina Bekker in ZS-KPU, an Aero Commander 500-B.
President's Trophy handed to winners

■ Refer to the attached articles for a report on the event - thanks to SA Flyer

■ Full results now available with leg by leg times

Isn’t amazing how the years fly by quicker than a turbo charged Lancair as we get older. Just finished the President’s Trophy Air Race 2009 in Bloemfontein and, as we were catching our breath, we found ourselves in Rustenburg getting ready for the PTAR 2010.

Neels van Deventer and Solly Pretorius, flying a Cessna 172D, are the winners of the 2009 Suzuki President’s Trophy Air Race, one of the premier events on the South African aviation calendar.

The Gauteng-based duo pipped the Cessna 182P of Fabian Cairns and Wade Gomes to the post after a closely contested battle that saw adverse conditions and strict handicaps put many of the fancied crews out of contention. Third place went to the Lancair 360 of Dave Mandel and Rod Crichton.

For Van Deventer and Pretorius, who fly out of the Kitty Hawk airfield near Pretoria, it was a dream debut in what is generally considered the toughest air race on the calendar.

Vliegkoors, The Meercat and PTAR 2008

A Participant's Story of the Race - by George Brink

As usual vliegkoors ran high leading up to the 2008 Presidents Trophy Air Race to be held at Witbank from 28 to 30 May 2008. Doctors orders were, 1 dose of PTAR and the vliegkoors should subside for another year. Our entry was in, in Jan literally minutes after entries opened, but Murphy would play a huge role in this year’s annual PTAR pilgrimage…

Article by Robin Spencer-Scarr, Pictures by Dirk de Vos & Chris Breet

Race 81 – Quinton Warne and Lloyd McKayThe morning was crisp, clear and freezing cold. The nervous energy on the Klerksdorp Airfield could be felt miles away as the sound of more than 100 aero engines combined with the smell of burning Avgas heralded the arrival of the contestants on their way to do battle in the skies of the North West Province.