My Running Addiction

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

Flugtag is the brainchild of Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz. Although the format was originally invented in Selsey, a small seaside town in the south of England under the name “Birdman Rally” in 1971 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. 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 9.14 mand a maximum weight (including pilot) of 204 kg. In Australian Flugtags the wingspan is limited to 8.0 m and the weight (NOT including pilot) to 180.0 kg. 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).

Teams that enter the Flugtag competition are judged in three categories; distance, creativity, and showmanship. The record for the longest flight is 229 feet (69.79 m), set May 28, 2012 at the Flugtag in Mainz, Germany by the team “Die Rückkehr der Teichfighter” in front of more than 60,000 people.

The US city that holds the record for attendance to this event is Tampa, FL with 110,000 attending in 2008.

Red Bull is excited to announce that for the first time ever in Singapore and South East Asia, the Red Bull Flugtag will take off in Siloso Beach Sentosa on 28 October this year.

The event is expecting 40 teams of wacky and creative pilots who will fly their own man-made aircraft in an attempt to break the current world record of 69m that was recently cut in Germany. 

To enter, head on down to this link and request for an application pack (and to get the full low-down for Red Bull Flugtag). After you’ve received it, send in the entry found found in the pack using the postage-paid envelope to Red Bull Flight Control no later than Wednesday, 15 August 2012.

All members must be over 16 years of by entry deadline and maximum of four people per groupconsisting of one daring pilot and with no more than three helpers to launch the flying machine.

Get all the details on www.redbullflugtag.sg

Cheers! (: