Planes light up the Chateauroux skies in World Aerobatic Championships

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SHOWS: CHATEAUROUX, FRANCE (AUGUST 31, 2019) (QUATTRO MEDIA - NO ARCHIVE OR RESALES)

1. AN UNKNOWN COMPETITOR PERFORMING MANOEUVRE IN A PLANE

2. RUSSIAN PILOT MIKHAIL MAMISTOV FLYING HIS PLANE (RED AND YELLOW)

3. ONLOOKERS WATCHING ON

4. MAMISTOV FLYING HIS PLANE

5. ONLOOKERS LOOKING UP TO THE SKY

6. MAMISTOV PERFORMING A MANOEUVRE

7. ONLOOKERS WATCHING ON

8. MAMISTOV PERFORMING A MANOEUVRE

9. FRENCH PILOT ALEXANDRE OWLOSWKI TAKING OFF IN HIS PLANE (RED AND BLUE)

10. ORLOWSKI PERFORMING A TWIRLING MANOEUVRE AS SMOKE BILLOWS OUT OF THE ENGINE

11. CHATEAUROUX BOARD PANNING UP TO THE CROWD IN THE TOWN'S MAIN SQUARE

12. ORLOWSKI FLYING HIS PLANE

13. ON-BOARD FOOTAGE OF ORLOWSKI ALMOST LEANING OUT OF THE PLANE AS HE PERFORMS A MANOEUVRE

14. MAMISTOV'S PLANE NOSEDIVING

15. SKY-CAMERA FOOTAGE OF AN UNIDENTIFIED PLANE TWISTING IN MID AIR

16. FANS WATCHING

17. VARIOUS OF ORLOWSKI TWISTING AND TURNING IN THE AIR

18. FRENCH PILOT LOUIS VANEL GETTING INTO HIS PLANE (BLACK AND YELLOW)

19. VANEL SHUTTING HIS COCKPIT

20. VANEL PERFORMING AEROBATIC MANOEUVRES

21. ON-BOARD COCKPIT FOOTAGE OF VANEL

22. VANEL PERFORMING MANOEUVRES

23. ON-BOARD COCKPIT FOOTAGE OF VANEL AS HE PERFORMS A MANOEUVRE

24. VANEL GETTING OUT OF HIS COCKPIT

25. VANEL IN TEARS AS HE IS EMBRACED FOLLOWING HIS VICTORY

26. FANS WAVING MINI FRENCH FLAGS

27. VANEL ON THE PODIUM WITH HIS GOLD MEDAL AROUND HIS NECK

28. WIDE OF THE PODIUM WITH VANEL (CENTRE), ORLOWSKI (LEFT) AND MAMISTOV (RIGHT)

29. WIDE SHOT OF FANS AND PLANES SPRAYING BLUE, RED AND WHITE SMOKE IN THE AIR

STORY: The World Aerobatic Championships provided ample entertainment in the skies of Chateauroux, France, as home pilot Louis Vanel won the men's event with a wonderful display of stunts.

The 30th edition of the championships drew big crowds to the French town, and they were rewarded with some precise mid-air manoeuvers in the clear blue skies.

Vanel did enough to claim the men's gold medal, edging out compatriot Alexandre Orlowski with Russian pilot and defending champion Mikhail Mamistov having to settle for third.

The Aerobatic Championships feature the same principles of figure skating with pilots marked on finesse and precise manoeuvers rather than hair-raising stunts.

The women's edition was won by France's Aude Lemorant, while Robert Holland of the USA took the freestyle honours.

(Production: Elliot Richardson)