Patrick
Davidson
South Africa
·
Aerobatic Flying
Place of birth | Port Elizabeth |
|---|---|
Nationality | South Africa |
Career start | 2017 |
Disciplines | Aerobatics |
Five-time South African aerobatics champion and 2025 Air Race X World Champion Patrick Davidson has been in and around aeroplanes since he was a kid. Strangely enough flying used to make him sick back in the day. Thanks to his ever-present dad's encouragement he persevered and managed to get over the illness. His father Stewart is a world-class pilot himself. Under his dad's watchful eye Pat, by the age of twelve, had flown, and won, his first contest with a safety pilot. Pat continued flying aerobatics, under the guidance of his old man, in a Yak52 until he was able to do his license in a T6 Harvard. He competed solo for the first time on his 17th birthday. "From then I have continued to fly aerobatics and do airshows and contests around South Africa and the world in both aerobatic aircraft and warbirds, which I have been privileged to own and fly," says Pat.
Davidson has logged over 2,500 flying hours in more than 20 different types of aircraft. The list of planes he's taken to the sky in is impressive and includes L39, T6, Sea Fury, Yak3, Yak18, Yak52, Yak 55, Stearman, Sukhoi, Extra, Sbach, T28 and P51 just to name a few.