Red Bull Air Race
The Red Bull Air Race World Championship features the world’s best race pilots in a motor sports competition that combines speed, precision and skill.
Using the fastest, most agile and lightweight racing planes, pilots navigate a low-level aerial track made up of air-filled pylons, flying at speeds reaching 370 km/h (230 mph) while withstanding forces of up to 12G.
From the heart of the city to the open countryside, over land or water, a Red Bull Air Race can take place almost anywhere. Spectacular backdrops and jaw-dropping action guarantee that spectators experience one of the most innovative and exciting new sports around today.
Speed and skill
The objective is to complete the course, navigating the 20 metre (65 ft) high specially designed inflatable pylons known as ‘Air Gates’ in the fastest possible time. But it’s not just about speed. Pilots must pass between the Air Gates in the correct position (either knife or level flying) taking care not to touch them with their wings. Precision is crucial because any mistakes incur penalty seconds which are then added to the pilot’s time.
The pilots compete for World Championship points at each race and the one who accumulates the most at the end of the season is crowned Red Bull Air Race World Champion.
The world’s best race pilots
Fifteen world-class pilots have qualified to compete in the Red Bull Air Race World Championship in 2009. Flying low to the ground at breakneck speed, attempting difficult turns and Air Gate crossings while coping with the high G-forces requires immense skill that only a certain number of pilots in the world possess. At the Red Bull Air Race Qualification Camp a rigorous selection process ensures that only the most skilled and experienced gain the ‘Super Licence’ needed in order to compete in the World Championship.
These pilots are at the top of their game – they have to be as the Red Bull Air Race puts huge demands on their flying abilities. They are constantly being pushed to their limits in a contest where hundredths of a second can be the difference between winning and losing.
