French pilot looking to make his mark among world’s best in Red Bull ‘Master Class’

Former French air force pilot Francois Le Vot aims to repeat his Challenger Cup victory last year by topping the podium in next week’s Red Bull Air Race Master Class. He has had his sights set on the skies since he was three.

Francois Le Vot joins 13 other pilots to compete in what is described as the world’s fastest motorsport series. Samo Vidic / Red Bull Content Pool

ABU DHABI // Aerobatic pilot Francois Le Vot returns to Abu Dhabi next week where he hopes to make it to the top of the podium again in the Red Bull Air Race.

But maintaining supremacy will require the 44-year-old to elevate his game as he enters the sport’s top league.

The Frenchman is one of two new pilots Red Bull Air Race will be adding to its Master Class for the new season, which begins in Abu Dhabi next week.

Along with Juan Velarde of Spain, Le Vot joins 12 other pilots to compete in what is described as the world’s fastest motorsport series.

The former French air force captain and aerobatics pilot returns to the capital after two previous visits – the first time in 2011 when he displayed his skills at an air show in Al Ain, and last year, when he won the Challenger Cup.

“I’m looking forward to the heat,” he said from his home in France, where it is in the middle of winter.

This year Le Vot is competing in Red Bull’s Master Class, which requires contestants to fly through a series of mid-air obstacles at speeds of up to 370kph.

“The most obvious change is the performance of the aircraft and the focus you need to fly the track,” he said. “Last year the planes were just regular acrobatic planes, so quite slow. What has changed is the plane – it’s much faster.”

Joining the Master Class also means taking the sport more seriously. The Frenchman has registered his own company, bought a new aircraft, and assembled a team consisting of a technician “who’s relentless about flight safety” and a coordinator who is responsible for logistics.

Making it to the top of the sport is part of a lifelong dream for Le Vot, who has had his sights set on the skies since three years of age. “I would say the first thing is to have a will to fly,” he said on what it takes to turn the dream of being an aerobatic flier into reality. “It’s a long-term project, just like climbing a mountain. You don’t focus on the destination, you focus on the road.”

Jim DiMatteo, Red Bull’s race director, describes the pilot selection process as demanding.

Candidates need to have 1,000 logged flight-hours as a pilot in charge, top results in international competitions, and “a good psychological and physical profile”.

Upon selection, the pilots undergo further training before getting their “Super Licence”, making them ready to compete for the Challenger Cup.

After a year, they are then eligible for the Master Class.

Le Vot gets few opportunities to train with his aircraft, which is kept in a shipping container for most of the year.

Before a race, he will make a few flights to familiarise himself with the aircraft and the course.

On the ground, he keeps fit by doing four to five hours of cardio workout a week, with an overall focus on keeping weight off and maintaining a slim physique.

When not flying competitively, Le Vot looks for jobs as a commercial pilot. But ironically for someone of his skill, he has not achieved much success.

“I’d like to be an airline pilot indeed, but companies seems reluctant to hire experienced aerobatic pilots,” he said.

If all else fails, Le Vot said he would look for work in the field where he excels – aerobatic flying.

Will he be able to build on his Challenger Cup victory last year and win in Abu Dhabi?

The odds may be stacked against him. Most of the competitors have a spare aircraft at their disposal, allowing them to keep up with their flying at home and “submit themselves [to g-forces] and keep their aerobatic accuracy”, according to him.

No matter what happens next week, Le Vot, the world aerobatic champion in 2013, said he was living his dream.

“My wife is an aerobatic pilot as well, so she perfectly knows what is happening in my career,” he said. “It’s an opportunity I couldn’t miss. So I’m very lucky to have people that can understand that.”