Red Bull® Flugtag

Red Bull® Flugtag

Around 30,000 people flocked to Wellington’s Taranaki St Wharf today to witness the Red Bull Flugtag.

“This has been one of the biggest free events to ever hit the water front,” says Tim Crooks, WCC Events Coordinator.

With plenty of sunshine and just enough wind over 40 teams from around the country launched creative and original man powered flying machines off a 25 m long and 6 ft high ramp. The aim was to achieve the greatest distance with the biggest and most entertaining splash.

Competition was tough with many of the flying machines taking flight but it was team Klinging On from Wellington in their Enterprising Escapade that achieved the greatest distance of 23.2 metres. Not only did this team come close to achieving man’s quest to fly, they also managed a 270 back flip on landing.

Such achievement gained them the prize for the longest distance and also the overall first prize of $10,000.

“It’s absolutely fantastic,” says Brian McInnes pilot for Enterprising Escapades. “We all work together and it’s been a great laugh and lots of fun.”

In second place was a group of friends from Wellington with a Catapulting Kiwi. They walked away happy with $5000. Third place and $3000 went to team Lord of the Wings from Auckland in The Beast.

The essence of Flugtag (German for “Flying Day”) is most definitely a day of fun. Flying machines ranged from the weird and wacky to the highly technical - A flying piranha, an ornithopter, a bath tub on wings, a pipe bomber, an UnstopaBULL and even a flying Kiwi.

Each competitor was judged on three criteria, distance, showmanship and creativity. “The day has been one of great imagination, with a real sense of fun,” says one of the judges John Hamilton, Chief Air Vice Marshall RNZAF.

The judges were impressed with the time and effort that had been put into several of the entries with the award for the Most Creative going to Hawkes Bay family team The Hill – Billies in a Sink –A-Bull.

As well as performances from man powered flying machines, the crowds were witness to aerobatics displays by the Red Bull Pitts’ Special Plane and the Royal NZ Airforce Red Checkers.

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