Manchester City stars earn their wings in Etihad airlines flight challenge

Manchester City players have taken to the skies testing their flying skills ahead of the Champions League final.

Fresh from their FA Cup win teammates John Stones, Nathan Ake and Aymeric Laporte took part in the challenge as Etihad Airways simulator pilots.

The players went head to head to safely land a Boeing-787 simulator, to find out which of them could record the fastest controlled landing.

Each took on a pilot name - with Stones picking The Barnsley Beckenbauer, Ake The Flying Dutchman, and Aymeric Laporte choosing Captain Aymerica.

The players all tried to land a plane as safely as they could with changing conditions. Credit: Etihad Airways

Playing in a replica cockpit, the three footballers were handed the controls of the simulator aircraft where they navigated changing weather conditions and wind speeds.

They started from an altitude high above their chosen airport - one of Etihad Airways's new destinations including Copenhagen, Lisbon and Kolkata - with the aim to make the approach and perform a safe landing on the runway in the fastest time.

Ake and Laporte recorded impressive scores landing into Copenhagen and Lisbon respectively, but it was Stones who soared to the top of the leaderboard with the best landing time.

Amina Taher, Vice President Brand, Marketing and Sponsorships from Etihad Airways, said: "Etihad Airways we place great emphasis on training world class pilots.

"While learning how to land an aircraft safely takes significant training and experience, we wanted to see what happened when these same players were challenged to compete in a new type of arena; where judgement, coordination, spatial awareness and reactions were put to the test.

“Congratulations to all the players for landing the aircraft at our new destination airports, but especially John Stones who can now add honorary Etihad Airways’ wings to his achievements.” 

John Stones came out on top with the fastest landing time. Credit: Etihad Airways

Their final landing times were:

1. John Stones, The Barnsley Beckenbauer - 2:59:05

2. Aymeric Laporte, Captain Aymerica - 3:08:27

3. Nathan Ake, The Flying Dutchman - 3:15:02

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To know...