43 crazy machines took off in Sunday’s Red Bull Flugtag competition over Poznań’s Malta Lake. There were flying twin ducks, a flying National Stadium “Euro 2100 model,” a London bus and even a “stork, hope of virgins.” The craft took off from a special ramp set up over the lake. The jury assessed the flight’s distance, style and originality.
The competition was won by a team from Bolesławiec. Brothers Tomasz, Dominik and Bartłomiej Chodyra, along with Dominik Naglik, prepared a craft titled “Dreams of Alcatraz Freedom.” They won the overall classification and also received the jury’s special award for the longest flight—16.5 m.
The concept of the craft was based on an escape from prison by convicts serving sentences for their love of flying. The team was not only exceptionally well prepared technically, but also presented the best show before takeoff. The vehicle, piloted by Tomasz Chodyra, did not set a new world record for flight distance—which stands at 59.44 m—but it still flew the farthest. “We came to set ourselves free. We want to escape, and the escape has to be a long one,” said the captain of the winning team happily.
(information from Gazeta.pl/RedBull.pl/KG)