Feuding operators of private jets and helicopters are set to battle for supremacy again, but not in the skies – on a polo field.
Feuding operators of private jets and helicopters are set to battle for supremacy again, but not in the skies – on a polo field.
Teams from London Executive Aviation (LEA), one of Europe’s largest business jet charter operators, and top helicopter charter business RotorMotion, will be resuming their rivalry in the first ‘Aviation Polo Challenge’ at Hurtwood Park Polo Country Club (Surrey) on Saturday August 20 this year.
George Galanopoulos, LEA’s managing director and team captain, says: “Polo might not seem the obvious solution, but we will finally discover who rules executive aviation – fixed wing or rotary aircraft.”
A member of Ascot Park Polo Club, Galanopoulos has actually only been playing polo for three years, before which he had never even ridden a horse. His rival captain, on the other hand – RotorMotion’s managing director Philip Louis Amadeus – is a Hurtwood member and has been playing for 15 years.
Amadeus says: “Professional rivalry aside, George and I are good friends. When I started thinking about our shared love of polo, a challenge match seemed a natural idea. George agreed, and now we can’t wait for the day to come.
“We’re inviting everyone involved in the business aviation industry along, with their partners and children, to share the day with us.”
Gates open at 12:00, with the match itself beginning at 13:00. A traditional Argentinean asado (barbecue) and drinks will run through until 16:00. Robert Burke, a highly respected polo coach and, appropriately, a former test pilot, will be commentating on the match and explaining the rules for novices.
Amadeus concludes: “We’d love to make the challenge an annual event and invite other teams to compete too next year.”
Image: Preparing to take to the field of battle: RotorMotion’s managing director Philip Louis Amadeus (left) and George Galanopoulos, managing director of London Executive Aviation, will meet on Saturday August 20 in the inaugural ‘Aviation Polo Challenge’. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/8020communications/5856844704/in/set-72157626889019819/)
About …
London Executive Aviation is one of Europe’s largest executive aircraft charter operators. Under the company’s worldwide air operator’s certificate (AOC), award-winning LEA operates seven fleet types of business jet, ranging from the entry-level Citation Mustang to the transatlantic Falcon 900EX, covering a spectrum of business aviation needs. LEA operates seven bases around London. The company is owned by its management and has maintained a record of unbroken profitability since being founded in 1996. More information can be found by telephoning LEA on: +44 (0)1708 688420 or visiting: http://www.flylea.com.
Based just south of London, RotorMotion operates a fleet of modern Agusta 109 twin-engine helicopters, the fastest helicopters available for hire. The company was formed in 1997 and is managed and owned by Philip Amadeus. When you can fly from The London Heliport (Battersea) to the Paris Issy-les-Moulineaux Heliport, close to the Eiffel Tower, in just 80 minutes, why fly by jet? For further information about the company, please call: +44 (0)1737 823700, or visit: http://www.rotormotion.com. RotorMotion can also be found on Facebook.
Source: London, England (PRWEB UK) 23 June 2011
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2011/6/prweb8589749.htm