JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2018 45
flights in the Extra 300L continue
to grow in popularity, while multi-
engine IFR charter flying has been
added to the extent of Matt Hall
Racing’s operations.
Central to this expansion is the
recent approval to build a new
terminal, offices, hangars and a
restaurant at their home base.
Backed by long-term supporters
QBE, Massel and OzRunways, Matt
can still be found flying at airshows
and speaking at corporate events,
while a favourite is the opportunity
to fly the Temora Aviation Museum’s
Spitfire.
Even the Edge 540 V3 is going
through a state of change. Currently
in the United States, its ‘Simply Cola’
paint scheme is set to be replaced
in the near future by a Red Bull
‘Organics’ scheme. As always, beauty
is more than skin deep and Matt will
shortly be travelling to meet up with
the aircraft again for more testing.
And so, even before 2017 had
drawn to a close, the curtain was
starting to rise on the Red Bull Air
Race 2018 with a new venue in
Cannes, France announced. And
unlike the prelude to 2017, a stable
and tested aircraft and team at Matt
Hall Racing looks towards the first
2018 race, thanks to a year of patient
development beyond the eyes of the
crowds and the media.
That is not an easy process in a
world of prize money and podiums,but the team has remained focused
on its long-term goals with
admirable discipline.
After all of the hard work and the
waiting, Matt is quietly candid about
the team’s goals for 2018. He still
holds close the dream of a World
Championship, but also states that
it can only come by focusing on the
race at hand and taking the season
step by step. The key to Matt Hall
Racing’s success and longevity in
the competitive world of air racing
seems to reflect the three pillars he
aims for in the cockpit.
Fly clean, fly precise, fly
consistent – the three tenets that
give this Red Bull Air Racer his
competitive edge.MattinactionattheChiba,
Japan(top)andLausitzring,
Germanyrounds.SAMO VIDIC/RED
BULL CONTENT POOL