Red Bull Flugtag (, '

airshow An air show (or airshow, air fair, air tattoo) is a public event where aircraft are exhibited. They often include aerobatics demonstrations, without which they are called "static air shows" with aircraft parked on the ground. The largest air ...

' ) is an event organized by

Red Bull Red Bull is a brand of energy drinks created and owned by the Austrian company Red Bull GmbH. With a market share of 43%, it is the most popular energy drink brand as of 2020, and the third most valuable soft drink brand, behind Coca-Cola and ...

in which competitors attempt to fly home-made, human-powered flying machines, size-limited to around and weight-limited to approximately . The flying machines are usually launched off a

pier A pier is a raised structure that rises above a body of water and usually juts out from its shore, typically supported by piling, piles or column, pillars, and provides above-water access to offshore areas. Frequent pier uses include fishing, b ...

about 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 Selsey () is a seaside town and civil parishes in England, civil parish, about south of Chichester, West Sussex, England. Selsey lies at the southernmost point of the Manhood Peninsula, almost cut off from mainland Sussex by the sea. It is in ...

, a small seaside town in the south of England under the name "

Birdman Rally Birdman Rally is a competition where members of the public build home-made glider aircraft, gliders, hang gliders and human-powered transport, human-powered aircraft, ranging from very serious aircraft to mere costumes, leap from a river– or se ...

" in 1971. The first Red Bull Flugtag competition was held in 1992 in

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

, 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

. The criteria vary with location. In the United States each flying machine must have a maximum wingspan of and a maximum weight (including pilot) of . In Australian Flugtags the wingspan is limited to and the weight (not including pilot) to . 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 .

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.

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.

International

United States

Austin, Texas Austin ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat and most populous city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and W ...

, Saturday, April 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 Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, 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 Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, 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 New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on New York Harbor, one of the world's largest natural harb ...

, 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 San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

, 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 Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...

, Saturday, April 24, 2004 ** First Place: The Resurrector – 33 ft (10.1 m) ** Second Place: Three Finger Salute ** Third Place: Believe It or Not (It's Just Me) ** Most Creative: Joy of Birth *

Portland, Oregon Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...

, 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 Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–United States border, Canada–U.S. maritime border ...

, 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 Tempe ( ; ''Oidbaḍ'' in O'odham language, O'odham) is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, with the Census Bureau reporting a 2020 population of 180,587. The city is named after the Vale of Tempe in Greece. Tempe is located in t ...

, Saturday, April 29, 2006 ** First Place: The Need for Speed – 26 ft (7.9 m) ** 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 Baltimore is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the List of United States ...

, 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 Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...

, 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 *

, 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 Tampa Bay is a large natural harbor and shallow estuary connected to the Gulf of Mexico on the west-central coast of Florida, comprising Hillsborough Bay, McKay Bay, Old Tampa Bay, Middle Tampa Bay, and Lower Tampa Bay. The largest freshwater in ...

, 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 *

, 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 *

, 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 *

, Saturday, July 10, 2010 ** First Place: Team Formula Flug – 53 ft (16.2 m) ** Second Place: Ibis Engineers ** Third Place: One Giant Leap ** People's Choice: Team TransPlace *

Saint Paul, Minnesota Saint Paul (often abbreviated St. Paul) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County, Minnesota, Ramsey County. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, ...

, Saturday, July 24, 2010 ** First Place: Team Major Trouble and the Dirty Dixies from Inver Grove Heights – 207 ft (63.1 m) ** People's Choice: Team FORE Play from West Des Moines, IA *

Long Beach, California Long Beach is a coastal city in southeastern Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is the list of United States cities by population, 44th-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 451,307 as of 2022. A charter ci ...

, Saturday, August 21, 2010 ** First Place: Team Peepin' It Real – 98 ft (29.9 m) ** Second Place: Green Machine ** Third Place: Airforce 1 ** People's Choice: Green Army Men *

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

, Saturday, September 4, 2010 *

Tampa, Florida Tampa ( ) is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. Tampa's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and t ...

, Saturday, October 8, 2011 ** First Place: Willy Wonka's Amazing Flying Flugtag Adventure ** Second Place: Adventure Team Bigstuff ** Third Place: U.S.A. Team ** People's Choice: Stumble Force *

, Saturday, November 3, 2012 *

, Saturday, November 10, 2012 *

, Saturday, September 21, 2013 *

Dallas, Texas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

, Saturday, September 21, 2013 *

, Saturday, September 21, 2013 ** First Place: The Chicken Whisperers – 258 ft (78.6 m) *

, Saturday, September 21, 2013 *

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, Saturday, September 21, 2013 *

, Saturday, August 1, 2015 *

Boston, Massachusetts Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

, Saturday, August 20, 2016 ** First Place: Flite-Riot ** Second Place: What Sphinx? (a Secret Boston team) ** Third Place: Something Wonderful ** People's Choice: Flite-Riot *

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the List of cities in Kentucky, most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeastern United States, Southeast, and the list of United States cities by population, 27th-most-populous city ...

, Saturday, August 27, 2016 ** First Place: MMMad MMMax ** Second Place: Dukes of Hazzardous by Kre8Now Makerspace – 82 ft (25.0 m) ** Third Place: Kentucky Power ** People's Choice: Mercy No Mercy – Mercy Academy *

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

, Saturday, August 5, 2017 ** First Place: Flight at the Roxbury – 78 ft (23.8 m) ** Second Place: Survivor Tractor – 121 ft (36.9 m) ** Third Place: Left Field Loonies ** People's Choice: The Flite Testers * Team Ground Control

, Saturday, September 23, 2017 ** First Place: Ground Control – 81 ft (24.7 m) ** Second Place: His Majesties Royal Circus and the Flying Irish Woman ** Third Place: YMCA ** People's Choice: Team Smashville *

St. Paul, Minnesota Saint Paul (often abbreviated St. Paul) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 311,527, making it Minnesota's second-most populous city a ...

, Saturday, September 7, 2019 ** First Place: Spooners' Revenge – 54 ft (16.5 m) ** Second Place: Ferris Bueler's Takeoff – 63 ft (19.2 m) ** Third Place: Flying POS ** 24 Hour Greatness Award: Spooners' Revenge *

Milwaukee, WI Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

, Saturday, July 16, 2022 ** First Place: Flight For Your Right to Party – 66 ft (18.9 m) ** Second Place: ** Third Place: Bear-Naked Chonkers ** People's Choice: FLYING SCHMEAT *

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...

Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...

, Saturday, August 12, 2023

Incidents

Serious injuries

Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...

, September 19, 2010: broken back,

skull fracture A skull fracture is a break in one or more of the eight bones that form the cranial portion of the skull, usually occurring as a result of blunt force trauma. If the force of the impact is excessive, the bone may fracture at or near the site of ...

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

, August 4, 2017:

ruptured spleen A splenic injury, which includes a ruptured spleen, is any injury to the spleen. The rupture of a normal spleen can be caused by trauma, such as a traffic collision. Signs and symptoms In minor injuries with little bleeding, there may be abdomi ...

traumatic brain injury A traumatic brain injury (TBI), also known as an intracranial injury, is an injury to the brain caused by an external force. TBI can be classified based on severity ranging from mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI/concussion) to severe traumati ...

Nashville Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...

, September 23, 2017:

Lumbar vertebrae The lumbar vertebrae are located between the thoracic vertebrae and pelvis. They form the lower part of the back in humans, and the tail end of the back in quadrupeds. In humans, there are five lumbar vertebrae. The term is used to describe t ...

(L1)

Cancellation/termination by authorities

* The

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: *Portland, Oregon, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon *Portland, Maine, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine *Isle of Portland, a tied island in the English Channel Portland may also r ...

Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...

, competition, held on August 1, 2015, at

Tom McCall Waterfront Park Governor Tom McCall Waterfront Park is a park located in downtown Portland, Oregon, along the Willamette River. After the 1974 removal of Harbor Drive, a major milestone in the freeway removal movement, the park was opened to the public in 19 ...

, wherein craft were launched into the

Willamette River The Willamette River ( ) is a major tributary of the Columbia River, accounting for 12 to 15 percent of the Columbia's flow. The Willamette's main stem is long, lying entirely in northwestern Oregon in the United States. Flowing northward ...

, was ended early by the

United States Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and Admiralty law, law enforcement military branch, service branch of the armed forces of the United States. It is one of the country's eight Uniformed services ...

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.

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 PlayStation Home was a virtual 3D social networking, social gaming platform developed by Sony Computer Entertainment's London Studio for the PlayStation 3 (PS3) on the PlayStation Network (PSN). It was accessible from the PS3's XrossMediaBar (XM ...

released on November 26, 2009.

Notes

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

Roundhay Park Leeds UK

LONDON PIXELS London Flugtag 2008 Photo set

www.redbullflugtag.hk
* http://redbullflugtag.se * http://www.redbull.com/flightlab * https://web.archive.org/web/20080922004420/http://www.redbullflugtag.at/ * http://www.redbullflugtag.com.au * http://www.redbullflugtagusa.com * https://web.archive.org/web/20030809102902/http://www.redbullflugtag.co.uk/ * http://www.redbullflugtag.ae * http://www.redbullflugtag.com.br

* http://www.airplix.com * https://web.archive.org/web/20110714170032/http://www.netnewspublisher.com/more-than-80000-turn-up-for-the-red-bull-flugtag-in-portland-oregon/ * https://web.archive.org/web/20090930183313/http://www.redbullflugtag.fr/ * https://web.archive.org/web/20100722033255/http://www.redbullflugtag.ro/ * https://web.archive.org/web/20110610220355/http://www.redbull.co.il/cs/Satellite/he_IL/Red-Bull-Flugtag/001242937177311 * https://tnflugtag.com {{Red Bull Aviation competitions and awards Mechanical engineering competitions Recurring events established in 1991 Flugtag Webby Award winners Articles containing video clips

Background

World records

Distance

Attendance

Results

International

United States

Incidents

Serious injuries

Cancellation/termination by authorities

In video games

See also

Notes

References

External links