Hubert Auriol, who won the Dakar Rally on three occasions between 1981 and 1992, has died following a lengthy illness at the age of 68.
Born in Addis Abeba in Ethiopa in 1952, Auriol plied his early Dakar days in the motorbike category, competing nine times and winning the event for BMW in 1981 and 1983.
Nicknamed “the African”, Auriol was a natural on the fast desert tracks of the Dakar and gained universal admiration in the 1987 edition following an epic rally-long duel with great rival Cyril Neveu.
The pair battled tooth-and-nail all rally, with Auriol crashing agonizingly close to the end on the final stage, breaking both ankles.
Despite this, he made it to the finish broken and in tears as Neveu claimed victory.
Auriol then moved into the car category the following year, contesting the 1988 edition in a factory Mitsubishi Pajero T3.
He won the 1992 Dakar, which finished in Cape Town, South Africa with Mitsubishi before joining Citroën for 1993.

His final Dakar as a competitor came in 1994, marred by controversy when both Auriol and team-mate Pierre Lartigue by-passed a waypoint while the Mitsubishi duo of Bruno Saby and Jean-Luc Fontenay got stuck in the sand dunes.
Auriol still holds the record for the highest number of stage wins in one Dakar in the bike category (9) and has a total of 37 stage wins across the bike and car classes.
After retiring, Auriol joined Dakar organizer, the ASO, and was race director of the event between 1995 and 2004 before handing over to Patrick Zaniroli.
Auriol, who was also crowned cross-country rallies champion five times, was awarded the National Order of Merit and the Légion d’honneur in 1995.

 If there is one thing that you would think wouldn't mix, it would be going inverted in a helicopter. However Aaron Fitzgerald has proved us otherwise. So we sat down, and got the scoop with one of the coolest heli-pilots around. Not only did we get to hang out with Aaron for the day, he took us inverted aswell. However lets first get to know Aaron and how he makes doing aerobatics in an 810hp helicopter look easy.

1.  How many years have you been flying?

Aaron: 26 years

2 .Rough guess on hours you've flown and types of aircraft?

Aaron: 9500 hours. Maybe 20 different types of aircraft.


3. One of your fondest flying memories?

Aaron: Flying for the America’s Cup Racing in Bermuda. I love flying helicopters, I love the Ocean and tropical weather. I love racing. Everything that I love in one job!


4. What was your first thought when you got into helicopter aerobatics?

Aaron: Holy hell, what have I gotten myself into?!

5. Your favorite maneuver to do in the helicopter and why?

Aaron: If I had to pick a favorite, it would be the BO turn. It is a combination of several moves into one beautiful complex maneuver. It looks great for the spectators and is very fun to execute! It is hard to get right, but very rewarding and and fun when it goes well.


6. What is your favorite characterisitc of the BO105?

Aaron: The rotor head and transmission are what sets that helicopter apart from all the rest. It is an extraordinarily robust and capable machine!


7. What are some of the reactions individuals give you when you tell them you do aerobatics in a helicopter?

Aaron: It’s a wide spectrum that spans from ‘You are crazy’ to ’Show me how to do that’.


8. Have you done every possible maneuver in the 105? Or is it always changing?

Aaron: No way have I done every possible maneuver. I was trained by the absolute master of helicopter aerobatics, Rainer Wilke. He is the one who is out there pushing the envelope and discovering what is possible. As time goes on and I practice to get better and better, there are more maneuvers that are now in my skill set. I will never catch Rainer, but I will do my very best to improve everyday. 


9. What would you tell any aspiring pilot?

As in any line of work, the basic elements are the same.  Work harder and be nicer than everyone else. If you do those two things, life will be easier, happier, and more prosperous!

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Look for part 2 of this awesome adventure when we take flight with Aaron and get a first hand look what its like to be in the seat of an aerobatic helicopter. Until then check out the video below of his recent trip to New York doing some amazing maneuvers.

tags: breed of speed , redbull helicopter , helicopter pilot , helicopter aerobatics

Just as sure as there is massive horsepower builds on land, folks will be heading into the water to make power as well. This summer, we have definitely seen some pretty crazy creations come to life. They range in everything from a Hemi powered jet boat all the way to a turbocharged jet ski making 1200 hp.This time, though, we check out a collection of boats that really don’t even fall into the same class as the rest. Let’s just say that these vessels are in a world all their own and the resulting power output is definitely a sight to be seen. This is something that really can’t even be described but one just has to spectate in order to be able to witness the full scope of what these machines are capable of.
In this one, we tune in to what the video uploader calls the quickest accelerating boats on the planet. Fitted with 10,000 hp onboard, the top fuel jet boats use a supercharged V8 engine running nitromethane fuel to make their way to some pretty insane speeds. In fact, we’re informed that they’re able to accomplish 0-270 mph in just 3.5 seconds. Imagine the feeling of the blood rushing straight to your face as the pilot of such a crazy combination.
Now, we’re sure that nothing could quite compare to sitting in the cockpit of such a powerful piece of machinery. However, right behind being able to actually see these things in person, a video like this kind of gives us a little bit of perspective. It’s downright wild how quickly these boats are able to accelerate all while staying in the water. In just a matter of seconds, they propel to crazy speeds as they leave behind a massive roost to really leave all spectators on hand in awe.

top fuel boat , 10,000hp boat , top fuel , horsepower , drag racing boat, worlds fastest boats , nathan finneman , breed of speed , nathan james , boats , boat racing , bos , supercharged

Disgraced Moto2 rider Romano Fenati deservedly lost his spot on the Marinelli Snipers team after he attempted one of the more dangerous stunts we'll see in competitive racing.
As Fenati rode beside competitor Stefano Manzi at the San Marino GP, the 22-year-old reached out and grabbed Manzi's brake at 140 mph.

Luckily, Manzi didn't fall off his bike as Fenati's antics were completely uncalled for. Fenati was shown the black flag and disqualified from the race for attempting to harm an opponent.
While he was banned for two races and fired from his team, Fenati thought the penalty was unfair. Still, he added that he has no plans to race again.
Via Marca.com:
"That world is closed to me, I'll not race anymore," he said in an interview he granted to La Repubblica."It isn't my world. There is too much injustice. I was wrong, that is true, but nobody cares about my pain."I wasn't a real man, I was unable to control my anger but Manzi could have killed me too."

It's called the Strand Craft V8 Wet Rod Super Yacht Watercraft and now we’re going to have to talk about it.
Blogging about the Yamaha SuperJet last week must have put me on a new list because I got quite a few notes about how much fun this type of ’ski is to ride (right on) and now I’ve been blessed with one of my favorite press releases in some time from an ultra-lux nautical design outfit called Strand Craft.

The company seems to have made quite a few visually impressive waterborne vehicle concepts, though I’m not quite interested enough to figure out if it’s actually built anything that made it from rendering to reality. About 60 seconds of cursory research clicks suggest it has not, and illustrations of the illustrious Wet Rod have been floating around (boat pun!) since at least 2015.
So maybe you’ve already seen it and are ready to roll your eyes at Strand Craft’s new proclamation that it will be ready to be prototyped “later this year” and finalized before the next Miami Boat Show.

To hell with it, I’m not sacrificing this headline or my hilarious boat pun from a few paragraphs ago just because the Wet Rod might remain a dream forever. It does make me less inclined to share the promised specs or reach out to the company for details, though. You can peek at the official Wet Rod website (it’s safe for work, I promise) (OK there’s one mildly creepy animated bikini woman, FYI, if you’re offended by such things) if you’re curious about the claims though.OK fine, two “specs:” 6.2-liter supercharged V8, $79,000 list price. And it’s “Wet Rod” because “Hot Rod” but water. I guess “Cold Rod,” “Slippery Rod,” nor “Hydrodynamic Rod” were deemed sexy-sounding enough.
And I have to say, and I mean this earnestly or else I wouldn’t have bothered blogging about this even with the funny name, I think it looks pretty cool. Not in a “hell yeah I’m about to save up 80 grand for one” kind of way, but like, it’s original. It’s interesting. And looks fast? Come on, let’s all whip out our Wet Rods and go for a ride!

tags: breed of speed , wetbike , jet ski , wet rod , nathan james finneman , watercraft news , jet ski news , hellcat , luxury life , luxury yacht

The US Coast Guard and Michigan law enforcement agencies are working to find the pilot who flew a small plane under northern Michigan's Mackinac Bridge earlier this summer.
Video taken from a Coast Guard patrol boat in the vicinity of the suspension bridge shows the aircraft approaching the bridge at a low altitude and flying under the main roadway at 2:50 pm on Sunday, June 28. 
Nearly two months later, investigators are asking the public to help find the renegade pilot.
Authorities say the bridge, which carries Interstate 75, was packed with hundreds of cars at the time, traveling in advance of the July 4 holiday weekend. "This was extremely reckless behavior on the part of the pilot, and it imperiled the safety of everyone on the bridge that day," Sgt. Gary Demers of the state police said in a statement. "We hope that someone can come forward with information to help us make sure it doesn't happen again."

Anyone who took a photo or video of the stunt, or who has any helpful information, can leave an anonymous tip with either the Coast Guard or Michigan State Police. 

Federal Aviation Administration regulations do not specifically prohibit flying under a bridge — common sense does — but do bar pilots from flying within 500 feet of "any person, vessel, vehicle, or structure" when over open water or sparely populated areas. (Otherwise, they must maintain an altitude of 500 feet.) 

The sole driveable link between the lower and upper peninsulas of Michigan, the roadway of the Mackinac Bridge stands just 199 feet above the water at its highest point, according to the Mackinac Bridge Authority, meaning the closest to the span a pilot of a fixed-wing aircraft can legally fly is 699 feet above ground level. 

The FAA's enforcement division can charge between $1,100 and $27,500 for a violation of its rules, depending on the circumstances. 

tags: nathan finneman , nathan james , breed of speed , man flies plane under bridge , faa bridge , plane under bridge, aviation news , news today , bureau of gravity research

After a 14-year hiatus, Microsoft is launching a new version of its "Flight Simulator" video game — now with features like live weather and traffic as well as a massive world map.
"Microsoft Flight Simulator" lets anyone role play as a pilot and fly anywhere in the world, scoping out highly realistic sights along the way.
In the game, players begin by selecting a flight route, which typically begins on a runway. Just as in real life, players achieve liftoff by gaining momentum, and once in the air they must balance speed and momentum while avoiding obstacles like buildings. There are options to skip parts of a flight or accelerate flight time to destinations around the world, but part of the fun is checking out the scenery while en route.
The newest "Microsoft Flight Simulator" is an update to the company's oldest franchise. At nearly 38 years old, "Flight Sim," as its ardent fans call it, predates both Word and Windows and has developed a loyal fan base.

The new version, which starts at $59.99 with extra costs for additional planes and airports, comes out August 18 for both Windows and Xbox. The new live weather feature creates additional challenges when navigating the skies. For example, a storm that recently passed by the East Coast in real life was also visible within the game.
Players who have tried the game in preview have already uploaded YouTube videos of them flying beside skyscrapers in New York City, exploring Chernobyl and even North Korea, among other locales that may not be accessible during the ongoing real-life pandemic.

"I've been in this house now since March; I can't really fly anywhere. I feel like the world maybe shrank a little... [the shutdown] certainly had a psychological impact," Jorg Neumann, head of "Microsoft Flight Simulator," told CNN Business. But in "Flight Sim," he has traveled to Texas, Nepal and parts of Africa.
The game includes 37,000 airports, 1.5 billion buildings and 2 trillion trees — part of why it takes a whopping 150GB to install. It contains 2 petabytes of satellite and aerial imagery, but it runs on cloud streaming to keep the game file size manageable.
Neumann is not a pilot, but he said he and his team solicit feedback from a community of pilots as well as fans, and some of his team members have taken flying lessons.
While the new "Flight Sim" isn't simplified for beginners, there's a new checklist system that helps players figure out what needs to be completed so they can lift off safely. It can be intimidating for newcomers to manage the various controls and unfamiliar terminology like yokes and throttle, but the game offers tutorials and autopilot functions for more complicated tasks such as landing on water."Instead of dumbing down the flight physics... we help you fly the plane, [and make it] physically accurate," said Neumann.
This is the first new installment of the game since 2006's "Flight Simulator X," and Microsoft has said it plans to service this new game for many years.

TAGS: breed of speed , nathan finneman , nathan james , sir drifto , gravity research , flight simulator 2020 , microsoft , xbox , pilot training , simulator , aviation

Lamborghini released a gorgeous boat design in a collaboration with Tecnomar Yachts. The design has true Lamborghini styling, but that’s just the beginning of its appeal; In the engine room, you’ll find two V12 engines that make a combined 4000HP. Its aesthetic is sharp and futuristic and seeks to match its land-based counterpart, the hybrid Sián FKP 37.
This yacht is projected to cost over $3 million and will be produced in limited amounts. Its full title, “Tecnomar For Lamborghini 63” pays tribute to the automaker’s founding in 1963. The yachts are set to be available for the consumer in 2021. “If I had to imagine a Lamborghini on water, this would be my vision”, said CEO Stefano Domenicali. Considering its origins, its sure to integrate luxury and style in a performance package.

The influence of the Sián can be seen in its striking angular accents as well as the streamlined, aerodynamic body. The front has a design that is certainly reminiscent of a Lamborghini hood scoop. Elements such as the Y-shaped lights pay tribute to the Terzo Millenio concept and emphasize the cutting-edge ambitions of the manufacturer.
The Italian Sea Group collaborated with the automaker to produce the yacht, which is set for a 2021 release. “I’m delighted to celebrate this successful collaboration”, remarked CEO Stefano Domenicali. Naval engineers worked to optimize the fluid dynamics of the watercraft while designers created modern renditions of iconic styling from older automotive models.

Beneath the Tecnomar’s roadster-styled hard top is a high-tech control console with an automotive aesthetic. Everything from the classic race-inspired steering wheel to the hexagonal accents are designed with the Lamborghini in mind. If the visual similarities weren’t enough, they even added the same push-to-start button as their supercars.
Owners will be immersed in luxury and have the ability to completely customize the yacht’s materials and colors through the Ad Personam program. Three luxury interior styles will be offered, including the Lounge and single or dual-cabin options.

The lounge version is more of an open layout that includes a kitchen, private bathroom and closet space. Owners that spend a bit more time on the boat may be interested in the cabin models, which can accommodate a king sized bed and two separate rooms in the larger version. With the price tag starting at $3.4 million, the interiors will surely sport high quality materials and luxurious elegance.

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The government of Qatar has divested two opulently-configured VVIP 747s in recent years, a 747SP model that got sold to CSDS Asset Management in 2018 and a 747-8i Boeing Business Jet, or BBJ, that ended up effectively gifted to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that same year. Now another luxurious Qatari VVIP 747-8i BBJ, with fewer than 1,100 total flight hours on the airframe and under 300 cycles on each of its four GE Aviation GEnx-2B67/P engines, has hit the open market. It is without question among the most, if not the most, expensive and opulent aircraft on the market and one of the most incredible luxury aircraft ever built. 


This particular 747-8i, which has the Boeing serial number 37075 and rolled off the assembly line in Everett, Washington in 2012, is presently at AMAC Aerospace Switzerland AG's facility in Basel, Switzerland. AMAC Aerospace was responsible for outfitting the aircraft with its custom interior, which took nearly two years to complete, according to the company's records.


In 2015, this aircraft entered service with the Qatar Amiri Flight, which is technically a division of the country's flag carrier Qatar Airways that serves the Qatari Royal Families and other top government officials. A 2019 story from FlightGlobal indicates that this particular aircraft, which carried the Qatari registration A7-HBJ, was set aside for "executive" VIPs outside of Qatar's ruling House of Al Thani.
In its primary configuration, this aircraft has a crew of 18 and can carry 89 passengers, a relatively small number compared to the 400 or so people that a 747-8i configured as a typical three-class airliner can accommodate. AMAC also says this aircraft can also fly in a medical configuration with its master bedroom transformed into a Patient Transport Unit, perhaps a more significant selling point in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

With a master bedroom, guest bedroom, grand staircase, living rooms, private offices and lounges, general lounges, fully stocked galleys, and more, the art deco-inspired and somewhat timeless interior of this aircraft is extremely lavish, to say the least. However, it is a bit more conservative, at least in color palette, than the interior of the ex-Qatari 747-8i BBJ that flew around members of the Qatari Royal Family and is now in service with the Turkish government. 
Just some of the aircraft's features and amenities are listed below. You can find a full breakdown of what the plane has to offer as well as additional pictures in the listing brochure linked here.

• Insulation blankets installed which provides thermal insulation and noise attenuation functions.
• Zone I and Zone II have 50 dB +/-2dB, Zone III (aft lounge) and Zone IV (upper deck lounge) have 52 dB +/-2dB.
• Electric Window shades and Roman shades are installed.
• Portable fire extinguishers are installed throughout in the interior of the aircraft.
• Anti-intrusion system is installed which provide highly reliable aircraft intrusion monitoring for the unattended aircraft.
• Water system installed to provide hot and cold portable water to each galley sink, each lavatory sink, bidet, hand sprayer and showers, cold water to the lavatory toilets and cold water to humidification system.
• Digital IFE system from PGA with Audio/Video On Demand (AVOD) / Digital Rights Management (DRM) and Game
  capability
• Five (5) GES (Global Entertainment Servers) connected in series via Ethernet, to store and manage the distribution of AVOD audio/video and/or audio only media. Each GES can manage up to 20 AVOD clients.
• Main sources & components
• Camera systems (video only)
• IPod / HD port (audio/video) HDMI/USB/IPod/RCA
• 13 Blu-ray players (audio/video)
• AVOD system (audio/video)
• Airshow Moving map (video only)
• Live TV/radio (audio/video).
• Moving Map (Airshow)
• HD Cameras (FWD CAM, DN ZOOM) and Quad cam in anti-intrusion system
• Passenger Address (PA) System
• 55” monitor X 5
• 46” monitor X 4
• 40” monitor X 1
• 32” monitor X 1
• 17.3” VTS Monitor X 2
• 15.6” VTS Monitor X 31
• IFE speakers
• Subwoofers
• Headphone jack plugs
• Cabin Management System with Five (5) 15.6” CMS VTS
• GCS Panasonic eXConnect Ku-band system provides broadband internet connectivity as well as eXTV global television service.
• Honeywell JetWave Ka-band connectivity system is also installed.
• Honeywell CX900 router makes it possible to provide fall back option in case one of the connectivity system is not available, in sequence of Ka, Ku and SBB system.

The Qatari Royal Family's decision to get rid of the other 747-8i BBJ two years ago was initially unclear. It later became apparent that they had given it to Turkey as a reward of sorts in light of Ankara's support of the House of Al Thani amid a still-ongoing political spat with a number of other countries, chiefly Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
It's not clear why the Qatar Amiri Flight is now getting rid of 37075, though it still has two other 747-8i BBJs in service. The country's authorities had previously sold another one of the Flight's 747-8i BBJ to the Moroccan government in 2010. At present, the Qatari Amiri Flight also has a number of widebody Airbus A340s and A330s, as well as narrowbody A319s and A320s.
It's also worth noting that the ex-Qatari 747SP, which CSDS has now put back on the market, as well as the 747-8i BBJ now in service in Turkey, had been registered in Bermuda and were not technically part of the Qatar Amiri Flight, though they did belong to the Qatari Royal Family.
In addition, in September 2019, the U.S. government approved the sale of two AN/AAQ-24(V) Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures (LAIRCM) systems to Qatar, specifically to equip two 747-800-series "Head-of-State aircraft," indicating that the country's authorities plan to retain the remaining pair of Jumbo Jets for the foreseeable future. The AN/AAQ-24(V) is a directional infrared countermeasures (DIRCM) system intended to defeat incoming heat-seeking missiles, which you can read about in more detail in this past War Zone piece.
The listing for 37075 on Controller.com says you have to contact them to negotiate the price. Even for the richest people on earth, an aircraft like this would be a substantial investment. A "green" 747-8i, meaning it's not outfitted for service of any kind, which may not even be available to buy new from Boeing for much longer, has run roughly $370 million in the past. However, the interior of this particular example, which is one of the most incredible custom jobs we have ever seen, can cost the price of a converted airliner business jet in itself. That's to say nothing of the annual operating costs that would have to be associated with this flying superyacht.
With the 747-8i production line now in terminal status, the last of the Jumbo Jets will become more scarce, especially the few that have been produced as Boeing Business Jets. The 747-8i represents the largest aircraft on earth that has been fully configured for VIP transport. Currently, two 747-8is are being deeply modified to serve as the replacements for the two aging VC-25A Air Force One jets that are based on the 747-200 variant.
So, if you are one of the very few people or institutions on earth that can afford to own and operate one of the most incredible of flying palaces ever created, check out AMAC's listing and give them a ring to see if this rare bird could become yours.

If this doesn't make you want to take it slow on the water, I don't know what will.These guys are lucky to still be alive after attempting to break the world record for top speed on a bass boat. Their video claims they already broke the record once, but they wanted to see if they could do even better, so let this souped-up boat rip across some wide-open water.
Unfortunately, they only made it to ho-hum 102 mph before their vessel caught the speed wobbles as bad as a novice skateboarder going down a steep hill.


If you've ever been on a bass boat, you know how fast even 40 mph feels. So try to imagine moving at this kind of speed on flat, open-top boat. Can you imagine what that wind must've felt like?
Anyone who's spilled while water skiing at 20 mph knows that surface feels like pavement when you fall in. How do you think these guys felt as they climbed back into that boat?
It's honestly a miracle these guys walked away unscathed, although their boat might not have had the same luck; it's hard to tell.