A Rare Air-Sea Duel: the GEICO Skytypers Air Show Team Races Miss GEICO at the 2017 Ocean City Air Show
OCEAN CITY, Md., June 14, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- What's faster – a World War II-era, open-cockpit SNJ trainer plane at full throttle or the eight-time World Champion offshore racing catamaran? Crowds at the Ocean City Air Show will find out on Father's Day weekend when two GEICO Skytyper planes compete against the superboat Miss GEICO in two, one-mile races along the shoreline.
The race follows the Skytypers' 18-minute low-level, precision-flying demonstration. The squadron of six SNJ aircraft will exhibit more than 20 different tactical maneuvers used by Allied Forces to win WWII and the Korean War, including ground strafing, formation bombardment, and aerial dogfighting.
As the GEICO Skytypers conclude their aerial demonstration, the Miss GEICO will make her entrance on the water. The solo pilots from the Skytypers will break away from the squadron and swoop down to an altitude just above the deck of their water-bound counterpart, and the air versus sea duel will begin.
"Each race is utterly unpredictable," says Miss GEICO throttle man Scott Begovich. "You've got a liquid track with constantly changing conditions like wave size and wind strength. The water conditions greatly affect our speed and handling capability. As the WWII-era aircraft descend for the race, they get so close that it feels like they could land on the deck of the boat."
The planes will pit their 75-year-old, 550-horsepower Pratt & Whitney engines against Miss GEICO's piston-powered engines that produce nearly 4,000 total horsepower. Technically, the WWII SNJs are rated at a top speed of 213 mph at six thousand feet. The Miss GEICO, on the other hand, frequently approaches 200 mph during its 45-minute races against the world's fastest powerboats when conditions are ideal.
Tom Daly, GEICO Skytyper lead solo pilot, says experience and skill are the real differentiators. "The boat will be tough to beat because it has more power and is completely state of the art. But we rely on expert management of geometry and physics to extract the maximum output possible out of these vintage aircraft."
"The Ocean City Air Show gives the public a rare chance to witness this air-sea duel. The race is something we only do a couple of times each year," says Miss GEICO driver Marc Granet. "The GEICO Skytypers fly a tight demonstration, but when it comes to racing, we like to win and that's what we intend to do!"
Air vs. Sea Duel Details
Location – Ocean City, MD – Show Center Point is 16th Street at Ocean City Beach
Race Date – June 17-18, 2017
Race Time - The GEICO Skytypers will race Miss GEICO immediately after their airshow demonstration (approximately 1:40 p.m. each day)
About the GEICO Skytypers
The GEICO Skytypers Air Show Team is based in Farmingdale, NY and has performed at air shows for more than 30 years. During the team's tenure, it has received numerous awards, most recently the Art Scholl Showmanship Award for excellence in air show performance. For more information on the GEICO Skytypers, visit geicoskytypers.com. The team can also be found on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
About Miss GEICO
Miss GEICO is an offshore racing boat sponsored by GEICO Insurance and owned by the country's premier and fastest performing powerboat racing team, AMF (America Moving Forward) Offshore racing. Miss GEICO is headquartered in Riviera Beach, FL. www.missgeicoracing.com