Red Bull Flugtag
Red Bull Flugtag (German: flight day, airshow) is an event organized by Red Bull in which competitors attempt to fly home-made, human-powered flying machines, size-limited to around 10 metres (33 ft), weight-limited to approximately 150 kilograms (330 lb). The flying machines are usually launched off a pier about 9 metres (30 ft) high into the sea or body 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 vary with location. In the USA each flying machine must have a maximum wingspan of 30 feet (9.1 m) and a maximum weight (including pilot) of 450 pounds (200 kg). In Australian Flugtags the wingspan is limited to 8 metres (26 ft) and the weight (not including pilot) to 180 kilograms (400 lb).[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 (930 cm2).[2]
Teams that enter the competition are judged according to three criteria: 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 Chicken Whisperers" team in front of a crowd of 110,000.[4]
Attendance
The largest crowd was in Cape Town, South Africa with 220,000 attending in 2012.
Results
International
- Auckland, New Zealand 2002
- Winning team: John's Mighty Flying Gazpacho
- Winning distance: 22 m
- Aircraft Description: Carbon fibre and mylar glider, pilot lying prone.
- Dubrovnik, Croatia 2002
- Winning team: Stonebird
- Winning distance: 17.5 m
- Aircraft Description: Catapulted pilot
- Wellington, New Zealand 2004
- Winning team: Klinging On
- Winning distance: 23.5 m
- Aircraft Description: Starship Enterprise
- Dubai, United Arab Emirates 2005
- Winning team: Cre8tive 1
- Winning distance: 26 m
- Aircraft Description: Polystyrene and aluminum.
- Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada 2006
- Winning team: The Big Shooter
- Winning distance: 26 m
- Aircraft Description: Kevlar, aluminum, titanium, carbon fiber and mylar.
- Rotterdam, The Netherlands 2006
- Winning team: Aquaphobia
- Winning distance: 30 m
- Aircraft Description: Aluminum sheets and wrapping plastic.
- Bratislava, Slovakia June 26, 2005
- Winning team: Red Arrows Brno
- Winning distance: 32 m (105 ft)
- Aircraft Description: Wooden frame, Polystyrene profiles, paper, all-moving ailerons
- Prague, Czech Republic June 25, 2004
- Winning team: Easy Money 3
- Winning distance: 30 m (98.5 ft)
- Aircraft Description: Wooden frame, Styrofoam and Fiberglass with all-moving tailplane
- Kuwait, Kuwait Friday, November 2, 2007
- Winning team: The Flying Stars
- Winning distance: 12 m
- Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 2007
- Winning team: Snoopy vs. the Red Bull
- Winning distance: 21 m
- Aircraft Description: Styrofoam, cardboard and Fiberglass flying wing with canard
- Istanbul, Turkey Sunday, May 25, 2008
- Winning team: Flying Turkeys
- Winning distance: 26.9 m
- Sydney, Australia Sunday, April 6, 2008
- Winning team: Team Mullet
- Winning distance: 18.2 m
- Aircraft description: Giant Flounder on a fishing trawler (overall winners)
- Marseille, France Sunday, September 27, 2009
- Winning team: Savonus vs Virus
- Winning distance: 23.0 m
- Aircraft description: Household soap ("Savon de Marseille" in French) on a huge facecloth.
- Kiev, Ukraine Saturday, June 19, 2010
- Winning team: Kuz'kina Mat'
- Winning distance: 12.0 m
- Aircraft description: The biplane with a cob of corn instead of the fuselage.
- Tel Aviv, Israel June 3, 2011
- Winning team: Arigami
- Winning distance: 21.0 m (Team Dumbo & Co.)
- Aircraft description: Polystyrene and aluminum.
- Mainz, Germany Monday, May 28, 2012
- Winning team: Don Canallie und seine tollkühnen Schurken
- Winning distance: 69,79 m (Die Rückkehr der Teichfighter) (New World Record)
- Aircraft description: Wooden Hang Glider
- Kuwait, Kuwait Friday, Nov 05, 2010
- Winning team: Dragonfly team
- Winning distance: 36.0 ft, 11m (by Divas team)
- Aircraft description: Wood & Polystyrene
- Kuwait, Kuwait Friday, Oct 19, 2012
- Winning team: Dragonfly team (176 total points)
- Winning distance: 59.0.0 ft, 18m (by dragonfly team)
- Aircraft description: Aluminum and Polystyrene
- Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Thursday, Dec 13, 2012
- Winning team: TeamSaher (207 total points)
- Winning distance: 25m (by TeamSaher)
- Aircraft description: Foam, Wood and Aluminum
- Belgrade, Serbia Saturday, June 22, 2013
- Winning team: Flyin’ figuar
- Winning distance: 19,59m (by Flyin’ figuar)
- Aircraft description: Wood and Polystyrene
- Oslo, Norway, Sunday, August 23, 2015[5]
USA
First 2 flugtag win's 2002 -Dan's Teacher at College Park
- Austin, Texas Saturday, September 26, 2003
- First Place: Pop and Fizz- 70 ft (21.3 m)
- Second Place: Team Acme
- Third Place: Winged Jalapeños
- Most Creative: El Sombrerians
- Chicago, Illinois, Saturday, August 9, 2003
- First Place: Sync, Swim or Fly- 51 ft (15.5 m)
- Second Place: Jake and Elwood
- Third Place: The Kicken' Chicken
- Most Creative: Candy Flyer
- Los Angeles, California, Saturday, September 20, 2003
- First Place: When Pigs Fly- 66 ft (20.1 m)
- Second Place: West Coast Flying Machines
- Third Place: The Marine Team
- Most Creative: Red Bull Slugger
- New York, New York, Sunday, October 5, 2003
- First Place: Pedal Power- 39 ft (11.9 m)
- Second Place: Mighty Whirl
- Third Place: Bammr's Ballistic Bedrock
- Most Creative: Urban Rodeo
- San Francisco, California, Saturday, October 25, 2003
- First Place: El Toro Guapo- 61 ft (18.6 m)
- Second Place: Project S.T.O.L.
- Third Place: Running of the Red Bulls
- Most Creative: Snoop's Dogg House
- Miami, Florida, Saturday, April 24, 2004
- First Place: The Resurrector- 33 ft (10.1m)
- Second Place: Three Finger Salute
- Third Place: Believe It or Not (It's Just Me)
- Most Creative: Joy of Birth
- Portland, Oregon, Saturday, July 31, 2004
- First Place: 2004 X-Wing Glider- 39 ft (11.9 m)
- Second Place: Flying Wonka Bar
- Third Place: Oregon Santa Sleigh
- Most Creative: Hair Force One
- Cleveland, Ohio, Saturday, July 31, 2004
- First Place: Rover's Flying Glory- 63 ft (19.2 m)
- Second Place: Aerobus
- Third Place: The Stork
- Most Creative: Flying Musical Sensation
- Tempe, Arizona, Saturday, April 29, 2006
- First Place: The Need for Speed- 26 ft (7.9m)
- Second Place: Air Farce One
- Third Place: El Vuelo Del Lobo
- Most Creative: Dipsomaniacal Devil
- People's Choice: El Vuelo Del Lobo
- Farthest Flight: El Vuelo Del Lobo
- Baltimore, Maryland, Saturday, October 21, 2006
- First Place: Victim's of Soi-cumstance- 81 ft (24.7 m)
- Second Place: Jump the Shark
- Third Place: F-10-75
- People's Choice: 4-4-0 American Flyer
- Nashville, Tennessee, Saturday, June 23, 2007
- First Place: Rocky Top Rocket- 155 ft (47.2 m)
- Second Place: No. 1 Lucky Flyer
- Third Place: Yellow Submarine
- People's Choice: Galapagos Flight Club
- Farthest Flight: Rocky Top Rocket
- Austin, Texas Saturday, August 25, 2007
- First Place: Skate and Destroy
- Second Place: Superman's "Crip"tonite
- Third Place: Billy Ocean's Flying Fish Taco
- People's Choice: Congress Bridge Bats
- Tampa Bay, Florida Saturday, July 19, 2008
- First Place: Team Tampa Baywatch - 109 ft (33.2 m)
- Second Place: Air Gilligan - 32 ft (9.8 m)
- Third Place: The Little Engine That Could - 21 ft (6.4 m)
- People's Choice: Tampa Bay Derby Darlins
- Portland, Oregon Saturday, August 2, 2008
- First Place: Team Yakima Big Wheel - 62 ft (18.9 m)
- Second Place: Greased Lightning - 55 ft (16.8 m)
- Third Place: Free Ballin'
- People's Choice: Space Balls
- Chicago, Illinois Saturday, September 6, 2008
- First Place: The Crustacean Avengers - 120 ft (36.6 m)
- Second Place: New Style Flyers - 75 ft (22.9 m)
- Third Place: Pie in the Sky! - 90 ft (27.4 m)
- People's Choice: The USHE
- Miami, Florida Saturday, July 10, 2010
- First Place: Team Formula Flug - (53 ft)
- Second Place: Ibis Engineers - (need distance)
- Third Place: One Giant Leap - (need distance)
- People's Choice: Team TransPlace
- Saint Paul, Minnesota Saturday, July 24, 2010
- First Place: Team Major Trouble and the Dirty Dixies from Inver Grove Heights - USA Flight Record (207 ft)
- People's Choice: Team FORE Play from West Des Moines, IA
- Long Beach, California Saturday, August 21, 2010
- First Place: Team Peepin' It Real - (98 ft)
- Second Place: Green Machine - (need distance)
- Third Place: Airforce 1 - (need distance)
- People's Choice: Green Army Men
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Saturday, September 4, 2010
- Boston, Massachusetts August 20, 2016
- First Place: Flite-Riot
- Second Place: What Sphinx?
- Third Place: Something Wonderful
- People's Choice: Flite-Riot
- Louisville, Kentucky August 27, 2016
- First Place: MMMad MMMax
- Second Place: Dukes of Hazzardous by Kre8Now Makerspace - 82 feet (25 meters)
- Third Place: Kentucky Power
- People's Choice: Mercy No Mercy - Mercy Academy
Incidents
Injury Accidents
Cancellation/Termination by authorities
- The Portland, Oregon, competition, held on August 1, 2015, at Tom McCall Waterfront Park (wherein craft were launched into the Willamette River), was ended early by the United States Coast Guard after an excessive number of spectator boats (over 500) filled the river, making it impassable to commercial traffic. One collision was reported between a spectator boat and a commercial vessel, though damage was minimal and no injuries occurred.[8]
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.[9]
See also
Notes
- ↑ First known Flugtag format event
- 1 2 Red Bull 2008 Flugtag Tampa Bay / Chicago / Portland Oregon
- ↑ http://www.redbull.com.au/cs/userfiles/file/RedBullFlugtag_TC_updated_6.pdf
- ↑ http://www.presstelegram.com/20130921/chickens-take-flight-at-the-red-bull-flugtag
- ↑
- ↑ Stupid accident: Woman aged 26 breaks her spine after jumping on piano in Dambovita River ,
- ↑ Movie of "piano injury" event and followup.
- ↑ Coast Guard shuts down Flugtag after Willamette River traffic jam, oregonlive.com
- ↑ 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
- "The History of Flugtag." 1st Red Bull Flugtag Sydney. Red Bull. 14 Apr. 2008: .
- "Events." Red Bull Flugtag USA. Red Bull. 2 Aug. 2008: .
- "What is Flugtag?" Red Bull Flugtag USA. Red Bull. 2 Aug. 2008: .
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Red Bull Flugtag. |
- Roundhay Park Leeds UK
- LONDON PIXELS London Flugtag 2008 Photo set
- www.redbullflugtag.hk
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- http://www.redbullflugtag.fr/
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- http://www.redbull.co.il/cs/Satellite/he_IL/Red-Bull-Flugtag/001242937177311/