Vintage aircraft launch route race

Twelve vintage biplanes from the 1920s and 1930s set off from the Greek island of Crete on Saturday bound for South Africa for a 12,800-kilometer race that has never been attempted before by so many antique aircraft.

The planes are following the route plied by Imperial Airways, a British commercial air transport company that linked Britain's colonies in Africa.

The trip is expected to take 35 days and teams are representing 18 countries, including Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Russia, South Africa, the United States and Britain.