World Sky Race event is launched in Times Square, New York City

Promotion of the World Sky Race, an unprecedented race among skyships, blimps and zeppelins to begin in September 2011, was launched on two giant screens in Times Square, New York City on September 30 and October 1, 2010. Scheduled to begin next year in London, the race involves competing teams that will fly around the world in 180 days and return to London. The team with the best cumulative time will be named World Sky Champion.

The UNESCO World Heritage Centre is a partner to the World Sky Race which will fly over more than 130 World Heritage sites, including Versailles Palace in France, the Pyramids of Egypt, the Taj Mahal in India and the Statute of Liberty in the USA. The initiative will help educate people of all ages about World Heritage sites and raise funds for their conservation through the World Sky Race and associated activities. 

"We're treating this as part of our communications strategy," says Francesco Bandarin, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Culture. "As an international competition of lighter-than-air skyships, this race will serve not only to provide sporting excitement; it will also provide a means of highlighting the diversity of peoples and places around the world."    

Journey West Media and the World Air League have agreed to create a joint media campaign to launch the World Sky Race in Times Square, and the World Air League has also teamed with Eurosport, the leading pan-European sports broadcaster.
The World Sky Race is a "green" race and environmentally friendly. The flying machines will use approximately 90% less fuel than jets or airplanes.

Advisers to the World Air League include His Royal Highness Prince Faisal bin Al Hussein, Royal Patron for the World Sky Race in Jordan; Jean-Michel Jarre, Artist and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador; and Norman R. Augustine, Ph.D., retired Chairman and CEO of Lockheed Martin. 

Watch the video:
http://worldskyrace.com/jumbotron_2min/