SYDNEY, Australia – Matt Hall gave Australians a thrilling taste of what’s in store for the 2010 season with a dazzling display of his Red Bull Air Race aerial skills over Sydney Harbour that was broadcast live on Australian television just two weeks before the 2010 season opener in Abu Dhabi.

Hall, who shattered all records for a rookie in his first season last year with a sensational third place overall, warmed up for the new season by flying at speeds up to 400 km/h over the Parramatta River to Sydney Harbour. Flying under partly cloudy late summertime skies, Hall then buzzed the bridge and Sydney’s inner harbour area – all the while giving live commentary from his cockpit for the TV broadcast. Afterwards Hall gave media interviews and met with fans who had won packages for the aerial display.

“The interest in the race has increased significantly over the last 12 months and it will be exponential this year with the race in Perth,” said Hall, who last year traded in his career as a Royal Australian Air Force fighter pilot to fly in the Red Bull Air Race World Championship. “It’s definitely healthy for the sport.”

“Flying over Sydney Harbour was a great thrill and a great way to launch my season because it’s one of the most iconic sights in the world,” said Hall. “Now that the start of the season in Abu Dhabi is just a few weeks away, I am very excited to get going. I have a new plane, new team and I have worked harder than ever over the last few months to improve in every area I can. We have had to overcome some obstacles getting the aircraft ready but I am confident that things are on track and that I can have a great season.”

After the season opener in Abu Dhabi, the championship will return to Perth for the second race of the 2010 season. There have always been large and friendly crowds watching the high-speed, low-altitude flying action from the banks of the Swan River in past races in 2007 and 2008 but this year there will likely be many more spectators with the first Australian in the hunt for the world championship.
“I believe the crowds will be bigger than in the past,” said Hall, who is based in Merewether NSW. “Everywhere I go now people are recognising me and saying they will be in Perth to support me. It’s quite amazing how many people do this, just walking down the street.”

Hall said he realises the pressure on him will be greater this year after his sensational rookie season. Expectations were modest last year and he was able to brilliantly translate the discipline of an RAAF fighter pilot to the Red Bull Air Race. Hall’s strategy and race preparation were unrivalled last year but unsurprisingly his rivals have started borrowing a few pages from his game plan.

“My goals for this season are the same as last season – be safe, professional and consistent,” said Hall, who was the epitome of consistency last year. “As far as results go, I can’t predict. I believe my plane will be faster and I definitely have more experience with racing than this time last year. But I’m up against the best race pilots in the world. Who knows what they can do.”

Hall has invested heavily in the off-season to try to further improve his performance and this year will be flying in his own new 380-horsepower MX-S plane after using an older model of the plane last year. He is hoping to team up with a major sponsor – “then we can hopefully open up the research and development budget and really start getting fast,” he said.

There was a lot of hard work and delays for Hall in the off-season. “We ended up getting the plane in the air a lot later than hoped,” said Hall, who made several trips to the MX factory over the winter. “When we did we had some problems with it and needed to replace the engine and some other parts. We now have a serviceable aircraft, ready to race. The hard part is over. Now we just have to go out and race.”

Source and picture: RedBullAirRace.com