Flugtag 2021 at Vienna, Austria Flying Puch Maxi, Die Flügelmütter
The 'Flying Pub' at the Flugtag 2003, Hyde Park, London
Flugtag 2011 at Strogino Beach, Moscow

Red Bull Flugtag (German pronunciation: [ˈfluːkˌtaːk], 'airshow' lit. 'flight day') 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) and 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 1992 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 United States 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).[4]

Die Bienenweide - the plane, built completely from wood at Flugtag 2021 in Vienna, Austria
'The Boston Creme Flies' from Motus, LLC at the Flugtag 2016 in Boston, Massachusetts

World records

Distance

The record for the longest flight is 258 feet (78.6 m), set on September 21, 2013, at the Flugtag in Long Beach, California, by "The Chicken Whisperers" team in front of a crowd of 110,000.[5]

Attendance

The largest crowd was in Cape Town, South Africa with 220,000 attending in 2012.

Results

Teams that enter the competition are judged according to three criteria: distance, creativity, and showmanship.[6]

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International

Taichung, Taiwan, Sunday, September 18th, 2022

Auckland, New Zealand, Saturday, December 10th, 2022

United States

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

Incidents

Serious injuries

Cancellation/termination by authorities

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.[18]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ First known Flugtag format event[permanent dead link]
  2. ^ Back, Adrian (22 June 2020). "The day a daring amateur aviator swooped into the history books". www.redbull.com. Red Bull. Retrieved 20 February 2021. ... the inaugural edition was held in Vienna in 1992, ...
  3. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-06. Retrieved July 28, 2010.((cite web)): CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. ^ "Red Bull Gives You Wings". Red Bull. Archived from the original on March 8, 2017.
  5. ^ "Chickens take flight at the Red Bull Flugtag". PressTelegram. September 21, 2013. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
  6. ^ a b "Stupid accident: Woman aged 26 breaks her spine after jumping on piano in Dambovita River". Archived from the original on January 8, 2011. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
  7. ^ "Red Bull Flugtag Moscow". Red Bull. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
  8. ^ "Red Bull Flugtag 2015". Red Bull. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
  9. ^ "Red Bull Flugtag 2015". Red Bull. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
  10. ^ "4. Red Bull Uçuş Günü'nde Neler Oldu?". Red Bull (in Turkish). Retrieved 2022-08-20.
  11. ^ "Red Bull Flugtag Turkey". Red Bull (in Turkish). Retrieved 2022-08-19.
  12. ^ "Red Bull Uçuş Günü'nde Kazananlar Belli Oldu!". Red Bull (in Turkish). Retrieved 2022-08-19.
  13. ^ "Red Bull Flugtag Portland". Red Bull. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
  14. ^ "Red Bull Flugtag Milwaukee 2022". Red Bull.
  15. ^ "Red Bull's Flugtag brings splashes, competitors from all over to Cincinnati". Fox19. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  16. ^ "KDKA-TV's Dave Crawley was 'severely injured' during Red Bull Flugtag stunt last year, his attorney says". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
  17. ^ "Coast Guard shuts down Flugtag after Willamette River traffic jam (video, photos)". oregonlive. August 2, 2015. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
  18. ^ Locust_Star (November 25, 2009). "This Week in PlayStation Home: New Red Bull Space + Event, Fight Night Producer Chat & More". Sony Computer Entertainment. Retrieved November 25, 2009.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Red Bull Flugtag.
Red Bull GmbH
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