Latest news with #Challenger
Winnipeg Free Press
2 days ago
- General
- Winnipeg Free Press
Plane crash victim identified by flying club
A Winnipeg man who shared his passion for flying through his YouTube channel has been identified as the sole victim of a plane crash. Peter Toth, who had recently earned his pilot's licence, was confirmed as the victim in the weekend crash by his flying club. 'It is with great sadness that we learned today of the passing of one our most active chapter 63 members,' read a post on the Experimental Aircraft Association Winnipeg Chapter 63 Facebook page. 'Peter Toth loved working on our Emeraude and on his Challenger II, and more recently flying his Challenger. He had only recently received his pilot licence, and continued his training by getting his seaplane rating. Let's remember him by this photo, Peter flying his Quad City Challenger II, doing what he loved. 'Blue skies, and tailwinds, my friend.' Toth's privately registered Quad City Challenger II ultralight aircraft crashed in a field about 20 kilometres east of Winnipeg in the Rural Municipality of Springfield, the Canada's Transportation Safety Board said Sunday. The aircraft collided with terrain in a field near Dugald at approximately 10:50 a.m., the federal agency said. It dispatched two investigators to the area on Sunday. The pilot was the sole occupant onboard the two-seater plane, they said. A Manitoba RCMP spokesperson said Oakbank RCMP responded to the crash at around 11 a.m. on Saturday. Toth's YouTube page said he acquired his licence in 2024, but had loved flying long before that and enjoyed tinkering with his aircraft. 'Join me as I rebuild and upgrade a Challenger II, and learn to fly,' the description of his account said. 'Yes, I got the airplane before I got my pilot's licence. I consider it motivation to finally realize a lifelong dream of flying. Adventures await in 2024, as this is the year I take flight as a licensed pilot, in my airplane, and start to explore.'
Nylon
2 days ago
- Nylon
SHARP launches eco-friendly AQUOS wish5 with vibration-activated SOS alert
A thoughtfully designed smartphone that prioritises everyday safety and sustainability — the SHARP AQUOS wish5 is the first device to feature a vibration-activated SOS security function, an AI-powered call assistant and US military grade toughness. Image courtesy of SHARP. Activated by vibration, the security alert function is a first for smartphones on the wish5 and triggers a loud alarm and automatically calls pre-registered contacts to inform them of the emergency while sending location information simultaneously. It is able to respond even when the smartphone is stored in a bag, ensuring that notifications are sent immediately in case of emergencies. In this day and age where scams are prevalent, the wish5 taps on its AI-powered phone assistant to help analyse call content to block suspicious calls, providing an additional peace of mind. Image courtesy of SHARP. Built with a 6.6-inch display, the wish5 features 120Hz high-speed driving support and improved brightness to provide smoother and brighter visibility when in use. Alongside a large 5,000mAh battery and the newly equipped IPX9 waterproof performance, the device is able to withstand high temperatures of up to 80-degrees and high-pressure water jets, making it suitable for your everyday use. Reflecting environmental considerations, approximately 60% of wish5's casing is made from recycled plastic, and comes in five colour variations that express the beauty of Japan. They are: MISORA (blue), NADESHIKO (pink), WAKABA (green), YUKI (white), and SUMI (black). The AQUOS wish5 is now available at selected Best Denki, Challenger, Courts, and Gain City outlets, as well as dealer stores islandwide. It is also available online at the SHARP CocoroLife store, Lazada, and Shopee.
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Hindu
Challenger tennis: Aryan Shah loses semifinals
Aryan Shah went down fighting 5-7, 6-2, 3-6 to Nicolas Varona of Spain in the semifinals of the €91,250 Challenger tennis tournament in Segovia, Spain. The 19-year-old Aryan won 22 ATP points and €4,550. In the $100,000 ITF women's event in Evansville, USA, Prarthana Thombare made the doubles final with Arianne Hartono. The results: €91,250 Challenger, Segovia, Spain Singles (semifinals): Nicolas Varona (Esp) bt Aryan Shah 7-5, 2-6, 6-3. $100,000 ITF women, Evansville, USA Doubles (semifinals): Arianne Hartono (Ned) & Prarthana Thombare bt Alana Smith (USA) & Kayla Cross (Can) 6-4, 7-5. $30,000 ITF women, Monastir, Tunisia Doubles (final): Tenika Mcgiffin (Auss) & Elza Tomase (Lat) bt Dayeon Back (Kor) & VAidehee Chaudhari 3-6, 6-3, [10-8]. $15,000 ITF women, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain Doubles (final): Victoria Allen (GBR) & Angelina Wirges (GEr) bt Emma Kamper (Den) & Sravya Shivani 6-1, 2-6, [10-6].
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Hindu
Former racer J.D. Madan in top gear as para table tennis player
In the early and mid-2000s, J. D. Madan was a hugely scintillating star on the car racing circuit, revelling in the intense pressure at the Irungattukottai track in Sriperumbudur during the National racing championships. Madan was destined for bigger things when he became the National champion in the Esteem car section at the age of 26 in 2003. But tragedy put paid to that possibility. He met with a near-fatal road accident in 2007 in Mumbai that turned his life upside down. He was paralysed waist down. Not one to be cowed down by circumstances, Madan soon found purpose in life. In early 2021, Madan started playing table tennis, and as a veritable sportsperson found success in it as well. He went on to win medals in National para table tennis tournaments and is now ranked No.2 in India in Class I (wheelchair athlete). Recently, he won multiple medals in ITTF events in Taipei (Future) and Kaohsiung (Challenger). In Kaohsiung, he won silver. Madan is happy that para table tennis is growing in India, but feels it still has a long way to go. Para TT in India, according to the 48-year-old, is growing but not yet at the international level. 'We have only Bhavina Patel and Sonalben Patel at the international level. Our grassroots structure is quite good, it is growing,' he says. The difference between top countries and India who do well in para TT is the absence of a strong programme and exposure. 'Countries such as Korea, Japan and Thailand have a very strong programme for para table tennis. Actually, it's like a job. They give them a salary. They practice everyday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the National Training Centre. We have a long way to go,' says Madan. Table Tennis Federation of India said Madan is making good efforts at providing the best for its paddlers. 'They are taking players internationally twice a year minimum,' he says. A resident of Alwarpet, Madan loves the security the neighbourhood provides, but rues the complete absence of space for pedestrians. Madan is not just a champion paddler. He has been active in ensuring the lives of differently abled persons change for the better. He was part of an NGO called Disability Rights Alliance that has completed big projects with Chennai Corporation. 'One project that we associated was the beach (wooden) pathway for differently abled persons and for every other user on Marina and Besant Nagar Beaches,' he said. On and off the sports field, Madan continues to make an impactful change.
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Daily Mirror
Belgian GP star who raced against Michael Schumacher quit F1 to become aircraft dealer
Thierry Boutsen competed in Formula One for a decade, racing against some of the greatest ever drivers in the sport, but has since made a fortune away from the track Thierry Boutsen once raced alongside Formula One icons, but he is now a multimillionaire aircraft seller. The Belgian competed in F1 between 1983 and 1993, sharing the track in his final years with the likes of Michael Schumacher, Mika Hakkinen, Ayrton Senna and Martin Brundle. He raced for teams such as Arrows, Benetton, Williams, Ligier and Jordan across 164 Grands Prix. Boutsen claimed 15 podium finishes and even beat the legendary Senna on his way to achieving three race wins. Now, aged 68, Boutsen's post-racing career as a businessman in the aviation industry has proven even more successful. Over the past 25 years, the Monaco-based former racer has amassed a fortune selling business jets. In a 2020 interview with Monaco Life, Boutsen explained how his passion for aviation began: 'I honestly had no idea that private jets existed until I was 18-years-old. 'A family friend was CEO at Abelag (a private jet operator) in Brussels and he invited me to work there as a mechanic in the aircraft maintenance department. I enjoyed every minute of it – discovering these extraordinary flying machines. 'I was even invited on board to do a post maintenance test flight. That is when I promised myself, should I one day have earned enough money, I would buy and fly my own plane. I had to wait 12 years for that. Since then, flying has been a passion, like driving race cars.' He went on to say: 'I had no intention of starting a company in the beginning. I was always flying my own plane from racing event to racing event, or marketing event to marketing event, for private or business purposes. 'Then I had a request in 1997 from a colleague of mine, former F1 driver Heinz Harald Frentzen, who wanted to buy the same plane I was using at the time but he didn't know how to get it or how to complete the paper work etc. So, I said I would do it for him, and he ended up being my first customer. 'Immediately afterwards, I had a request from Keke Rosberg to buy a similar airplane for him; then I had to buy one for Mika Hakkinen, and then Michael Schumacher came to me and said he wanted to sell his Challenger. I did about 10 transactions, just in the racing world. I was doing the job as if it was for me – with a lot of passion, dedication and attention to detail. People loved it. 'So, we decided to go further and explore Europe. My wife Daniela and I started Boutsen Aviation: she was in charge of the marketing and presentation and I was in charge of the commercial side. 'At the end of 2000 we had our first employee, Dominique Trinquet – who is still with us today and is now president of the company. We have nine people working with us here in Monaco, and we have representatives in India, Russia, northern Europe, eastern Europe and Switzerland.' Reflecting on his business achievements, he added: "We have sold 385 planes to date, and every time we make a sale, we celebrate it as a success for the whole team. Our team in aviation is like a racing team – everyone is working together to get the job done and using their capabilities to 100 per cent, or sometimes even more. It will be a very important milestone when we get to 400, but it is due to the hard work of everybody of the company." 'We have 16 planes for sale on an exclusive basis. We sell all types of business jets, but 70 to 80 per cent of our planes are transatlantic, like Challengers, Gulfstreams, Falcons… big planes that can travel from Nice to Los Angeles, for instance. We also sell biz-liners like the Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) and Airbus Corporate Jet (ACJ). 'These planes used to sell for between 20 and 35 million. Today, it's between 15 and 25 million for exactly the same airplane. This is because the inventory has increased. 'During lockdown, some people wanted to get rid of their planes because they had no need for them. A plane is expensive to buy and maintain, so if you have one that just sits in a hangar for six months, it's not worth it.' He also runs three other businesses: Boutsen Design, providing decoration services for business jets, superyachts and residences; Boutsen Classic Cars, which sources and sells premium classic road and race cars; and Boutsen Racing Team, which competes all over the world.
