Castor Fantoba was crowned champion of the inaugural FAI Desert Challenge after two days of intense competition at the 2011 Al Ain Aerobatic Show which concluded on Saturday, Feb 5. Flying a Sukhoi 26, the Spaniard recorded an overall score of 70.85%, just 1.82% ahead of second place Gerald Cooper in his CAP 232.

Although the show was delayed by a day due to bad weather, the aerobatic skills of the competitors enthralled the large audience which witnessed the show over the weekend.

The ninth edition of the show featured more than 25 aircraft, including some of the world's best aerobatic and formation teams. Taking centre-stage was the multi-discipline FAI Desert Challenge, which saw six of the world’s best pilots flying in classic and free-style competition formats.  They were joined by fighters from the UAE Air Force, aerobatic squadrons from the Turkish Air Force and Royal Saudi Air Force, Team Viper’s Hawker Hunter supersonic fighter jets, and many of the world’s best solo pilots, including Abu Dhabi ambassador Hannes Arch.

The Al Ain Aerobatic Show, was held under the patronage of HH General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and was organized by the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) in conjunction with the UAE Armed Forces.