The 2018 Outback Air Race (OAR) kicks off in Brisbane on Sunday when a record field of 40 aircraft set out to cross northern Australia in a race for line honours.
A fundraising event for the Royal Flying Doctor Service, the OAR has been held every two or three years since 1996, bringing together flyers from right around Australia for two weeks of spirited friendly competition that carves great memories for the participants and organisers alike.
Sunday's race begins at Archerfield Airport, and the organisers are aiming to beat the $585,000 raised in the last OAR held in 2015. It is timely, given that it also marks 90 years since the very first RDFS flight, out of Cloncurry in 1928.
“This event provides competitors with a unique opportunity to raise much needed funds for Australia’s most iconic charity, to see the beauty of outback Australia from light aircraft,” OAR event manager Stuart Payne said.
“Teams will also get the opportunity to visit outback centres and meet new people there, people who are so appreciative of the life-saving service that the RFDS provides.
“For the one hundred plus people participating in our event, it really is a case of ordinary people doing extraordinary things.”
The OAR is a GPS-based navigation time trial where pilots are scored based on their ability to predict the time taken to fly each leg (timed down to fractions of a second), and their accuracy at flying over visual start and finish points.
The race leaves Archerfield Airport on Sunday and finishes in Broome on 31 August after travelling through towns including Bundaberg, Longreach, Mount Isa, Adels Grove, Daly Waters, Katherine and Kununurra.
Details of the teams and more information is on the Outback Air Race website.