Péter Besenyei

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Péter Besenyei

Red Bull Air Race World Series Record
Date of Birth	June 8, 1956
Team	Red Bull
Year of Début	2003
Country	Hungary
Best Position	2nd (2005, 2006)
2006 Position	2nd (35 points)
Plane	Zivko Edge 540
Website	besenyeipeter.hu

Péter Besenyei (1956) is a renowned Hungarian aerobatics pilot and world champion.

He was born on June 8, 1956 in Körmend, Hungary. He lived near the airport of Budapest and became interested in flying as he was a child. From watching 1962 World Aerobatic Championships he decided to become a pilot. At 15 years of age he flew a glider for the first time. In 1976 Peter entered his first flying competition by piloting a glider and showed his talent, finishing at second place.

Peter Besenyei became an aerobatics pilot and won several titles in national and international championships. He won his first gold medal in 1982 at the Austrian National Championships. His specialty is free-style aerobatics. He invented a number of original snap rolls and, in 1984, the "knife-edge spin". In 1995 Peter Besenyei won 2 gold and 2 silver medals and he was named the most successful aerobatics pilot of his time. In 2001 Besenyei flew upside down under the Széchenyi Chain Bridge, that spans the river Danube in Budapest, a maneuver that became a standard in air races today.

He was asked, in 2001 by Austrian energy-drink company Red Bull, to help develop the concept of an air racing competition. With enthusiasm he helped set up the rules and regulations and carefully selected the most daring pilots, with skills and courage, to handle the extreme physical and mental challenges of the air race. The first race was held in 2003 in Zeltweg, Austria. After two years the competition became a worldwide organization of Red Bull Air Race World Series.

He is currently a test pilot for the Hungarian Aviation Office and a flying instructor for aerobatic pilots on Zivko Edge 540. Enjoying car racing, skiing, sky diving and photography, Peter Besenyei is married to Tünde and they have two daughters Dóra and Nicolette.

1 Achievements
2 Honors
3 See also
4 References

[edit] Achievements

1982

Austrian National Championships – overall winner

1990

World Aerobatics Championships – 2nd

1993

Breitling Aerobatics World Cup - 3rd

1994

World Champion of the Compulsory Program

1995

European Champion Freestyle
European Champion of the Compulsory Program

1998

FAI World Grand Prix Series 1st

2000

World Champion Freestyle

2001

FAI World Grand Prix Series 1st

2003

Tokio, Japan - 1st

2005

FAI World Series Grand Prix, Lausanne, Switzerland - 1st

[edit] Honors

1996 - "Gold Medal of the President of the Republic of Hungary" by President Árpád Göncz

Péter Besenyei at the Red Bull Air Race World Series
Year	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Points	Wins	Rank
2003	1st	1st								6	2	1st
2004	3rd	3rd	3rd							12	0	2nd
2005	1st	2nd	2nd	1st	3rd	4th	4th			32	2	2nd
2006	3rd	1st	2nd	CAN	3rd	DQ	2nd	2nd	1st	35	2	2nd
Total										85	6	2nd