Thursday, 08 March 2012 09:04
Perhaps the greatest addition to the flying events has been the media events as they give the crowd a spectacle to watch and make the competition worthy of been screened on television. Each event is flown against the clock but because there are two helicopters on the course at the same time it created a perfect race! This adds to the pressure for the pilots and co-pilots
Parallel Slalom
The parallel slalom is a race against the clock. Two helicopters set off on parallel slalom courses complete with a bucket of water. The object of the game is to negotiate the six gates, passing each one metre gate twice in the correct order and to keep as much water in your bucket as possible. Communication between the pilot and co-pilot must be excellent to ensure the bucket is skilfully flown through the course still with the water inside it. To complete the race the bucket is placed on a 30 centimetre target table, the best time along with the least penalties wins.
Parallel Fender
Each crew has one course, one boat fender on a rope of varying lengths from 4 to 8 metres and three large containers half a metre in diameter. The object of the parallel slalom is to place the boat fender in each of the three containers. Once past the entrance gate for each container, the fender is skilfully manoeuvred in to each container then the rope is extended to the length required for placing in to the next container before it is lifted out to carry on the course. The pilot cannot see the fender as it below the helicopter and relies on his co-pilot to guide him successfully through the course and avoid such penalties as touching the side of the bucket or the ground. Time stops when the last fender is successfully placed in the last container. The time for the event is two minutes and fifteen seconds.
