Thirty-five teams will take to the skies on Monday, August 29 for the Lottery Office Outback Air Race 2022.
Marc Sibun and Meade Mackenzie from Sale are among the 35 teams competing in the time trial air race across the remote Australian Outback, raising money for the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
Teams spend 12 months fundraising for the Royal Flying Doctor Service in the lead-up to the race, which sees pilots compete in a time trial race across Australia’s most enduring air safari.
Thanks to their major sponsors, Electroair and Bendix King, who have financed essential work for their 50-year-old plane, Marc Sibun and Mead Mackenzie of team Redneck Aviation will soon depart upon a journey across the Australian Outback.
“This is our first time in the race,” Mr Sibun said.
“I am very excited.”
The inaugural Outback Air Race took place in 1996, with the 29 competing teams raising $130,000 for the Royal Flying Doctor Service before taking off from Jandakot, Western Australia.
The race ran from August 10 to August 24.
Flying a Cessna 172, The Wingnuts, Bill Bell, Patricia Dicks and Robin Dicks, were the incipient Outback Air Race time trial winners.
The first Outback Air Race Charity Queens were Ken Doncon, Peter Bennett, Len Morton, and Ray Ness of the Flynn’s Flyers, raising more money than any other team.
Flynn’s Flyers raised over $23,000 for the Royal Flying Doctors Service in 1996.
The Outback Air Race runs every three years, but due to health mandates and travel restrictions last year, the race committee pushed the event back 12 months.
On May 1, race manager Stuart Payne announced the 11th Outback Air Race was cleared for take-off.
“The Lottery Office Outback Air Race 2022 is the 11th instance of our event and includes about 35 teams and 85 people,” Mr Payne told the Gippsland Times.
“Participants in the event also come from all over Australia and even New Zealand.
“The race ethos has always been fun, flying and fundraising.
“Its popularity and universally positive feedback from participants is that people can go to remote places and meet people in the Australian Outback, indulge their passion for aviation, fundraise for an iconic Australian charity, and to have a great time while doing it.”
The Lottery Office Outback Air Race 2022 will see teams fly across the arid Australian Outback en route from Darwin to Coffs Harbour, the first race in its history to exclude Western Australia.
“This year’s race has extensive consideration of COVID impacts which led to the event being deferred one year,” Outback Air Race race manager Stuart Payne explained.
“There has been a great deal of risk management done as a result.
“The route is always different each year, but this year excludes Western Australia for the first time due to the tight border policies until quite recently.”
The Outback Air Race from Darwin to Coffs Harbour will see the event head to Coffs Harbour for the first time, a decision Mr Payne says the committee made as a result of the region’s enthusiastic support of the last race in 2018.
Mr Sibun and Mr Mackenzie have so far raised nearly $4000 for the Royal Flying Doctors Service.
Mr Payne expects to raise $600,000 for the Royal Flying Doctors Service in this years’ race.
If you would like to donate to Marc and Mead’s team, Redneck Aviation, in support of the Royal Flying Doctor Service, head to their Facebook page.
