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UP, UP AND AWAY AT SECOND RED
BULL FLUGTAG
Red Bull Flugtag 1999 was the
highlight of the Dublin Docklands Festival, where 40
madcap teams realised their flying fantasies and
launched their home-made air craft from the temporary
runway at George’s Dock, IFSC.
Prepare yourself for more crazy
antics this year!
The “Flugtag” created by Red
Bull Stimulation drink, brings the brand catchphrase
‘Red Bull Gives you Wings!’ to life - literally! For
the second time the event will be staged in Ireland this
time as the grand finale to the Dublin Docklands
Festival on Sunday June 17th. It has also taken place in
Berlin,
Barcelona, Johannesburg and Vienna with plans for a
Flugtag in San Francisco this summer.
A uniquely loony competition, The
Red Bull Flugtag, involves manpowered flying machines
and oddball pilots launching themselves off a 6m high
ramp above George’s Dock into the water below! It
demands a cargo load of energy, creativity, bravery and
luck.
Entries were picked from a pool of
over one hundred and ranged from the bizarre to the
ridiculous.
From the all female Belfast
“Pegasus” team to the “Star Ski and Hutch”
inspired team from Dublin.
A group of porters from the
Adelaide and Meath Hospitals created a “Flying
Doctor” machine, while the Dublin Wicklow Mountain
Rescue Team came up with a “U Boot” – a hiking
boot with wings. Over 35,000 enthusiastic plane spotters
viewed the event on a beautiful sunny day. This years
panel of celebrity judges has yet to be revealed,
however star judges from 1999 included Eddie Irvine,
Brendan O’Carroll, and Jean Butler. Each craft is
scored on creativity and originality as well as points
awarded for the distance covered; the grace, style and
side splitting splash of each flight counts for extra
points! Equally important is the crowd appreciation
registered on the electronic Clap-o-Meter.
1999’s winning team “The Spirit
of Saint George” covered a staggering 12 meters to win
a suitably aeronautical prize of £3,000 worth of flying
lessons. This years prizes include flying lessons,
flights in a veteran bomber and seaplane, a tandem
parachute jump and your very own Red Bull wings in the
form of the your body weight (measured on entry) in cans
of Red Bull! So, for any wanna be pilots out there the
number to call is the Red Bull Hot Line on 1800 200 552
to secure your entry form for what is sure to be one of
the zaniest events of the summer- The Red Bull Flugtag
2001!
Click
here for more information
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