Red Bull Flugtag

The 'Flying Pub' at the 2003 Flugtag, Hyde Park, London
Red Bull Flugtag 2011 at Strogino Beach, Moscow

Red Bull Flugtag (German: flight day, airshow) is an event organized by Red Bull in which competitors attempt to fly home-made, size- and weight-limited, human-powered flying machines (max 10m/30 ft, 150 kg/330 lbs). The flying machines are usually launched off a pier about 30 feet (9.1 m) high into the sea (or suitably sized reservoir of water). Most competitors enter for the entertainment value, and the flying machines rarely fly at all.

Background

The format was originally invented in Selsey, a small seaside town in the south of England under the name "Birdman Rally" in 1971 [1] The first Red Bull Flugtag competition was held in 1991 in Vienna, Austria. It was such a success that it has been held every year since and in over 35 cities all over the world.[2] Anyone is eligible to compete in the Flugtag event. To participate, each team must submit an application and their contraption must meet the criteria set forth by Red Bull. The criteria varies with location. In the USA each flying machine must have a maximum wingspan of 30 feet (9.14 m) and a maximum weight (including pilot) of 450 lbs. (204 kg). In Australian Flugtags the wingspan is limited to 26.25 feet (8.0 m) and the weight (NOT including pilot) to 396.8 lb (180.0 kg).[3] The craft must be powered by muscle, gravity, and imagination. Because the aircraft will ultimately end up in the water, it must be unsinkable and constructed entirely of environmentally friendly materials. The aircraft may not have any loose parts and advertising space is limited to 1-square-foot (0.093 m2).[2]

Teams that enter the Flugtag competition are judged in three categories; distance, creativity, and showmanship.

World records

Distance

The record for the longest flight is 258 feet (78.64 m), set September 21, 2013, at the Flugtag in Long Beach, California by the team "The Chicken Whisperers" before an attending crowd of 110,000.[4]

Attendance

The city that holds the world record for attendance to this event is Cape Town, South Africa with 220,000 attending in 2012.

Results

International

USA

Flugtag 2012 in San Francisco, participants being interviewed about their 'flying machine'

First 2 flugtag win's 2002 -Dan's Teacher at College Park

Events with injuries

Accidents:

In video games

The Red Bull Flugtag is featured as a playable mini-game in a special "Red Bull space", called the Red Bull Beach, in PlayStation Home released on November 26, 2009.[7]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ First known Flugtag format event
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Red Bull 2008 Flugtag Tampa Bay / Chicago / Portland Oregon
  3. ↑ http://www.redbull.com.au/cs/userfiles/file/RedBullFlugtag_TC_updated_6.pdf
  4. ↑ http://www.presstelegram.com/20130921/chickens-take-flight-at-the-red-bull-flugtag
  5. ↑ Stupid accident: Woman aged 26 breaks her spine after jumping on piano in Dambovita River ,
  6. ↑ Movie of "piano injury" event and followup.
  7. ↑ Locust_Star (2009-11-25). "This Week in PlayStation Home: New Red Bull Space + Event, Fight Night Producer Chat & More". Sony Computer Entertainment. Retrieved 2009-11-25.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Red Bull Flugtag.