Red Bull Air Races @·AIRCRAFTUBE

  • Zivko Edge 540 (Paul Bonhomme) Zivko Edge 540 (Paul Bonhomme)
    Zivko Edge 540 (Paul Bonhomme)
  • Peter Besenyei (Extra 300L) Peter Besenyei (Extra 300L)
    Peter Besenyei (Extra 300L)
  • Matt Hall Matt Hall
    Matt Hall
  • Matthias Dolderer (Barcelona 2009 Qualifying) Matthias Dolderer (Barcelona 2009 Qualifying)
    Matthias Dolderer (Barcelona 2009 Qualifying)
  • Klaus Schrodt (Interlaken - Extra 300S) Klaus Schrodt (Interlaken - Extra 300S)
    Klaus Schrodt (Interlaken - Extra 300S)
  • Kirby Chambliss Kirby Chambliss
    Kirby Chambliss
  • Peter Besenyei Peter Besenyei
    Peter Besenyei
  • Budapest 2008 Budapest 2008
    Budapest 2008
  • Hannes Arch Hannes Arch
    Hannes Arch
  • Perth 2008 (Chambliss) Perth 2008 (Chambliss)
    Perth 2008 (Chambliss)
  • Paul Bonhomme (London 2008) Paul Bonhomme (London 2008)
    Paul Bonhomme (London 2008)
  • Kirby Chambliss (Zivko Edge 540) Kirby Chambliss (Zivko Edge 540)
    Kirby Chambliss (Zivko Edge 540)
  • Daniel Ryfa Daniel Ryfa
    Daniel Ryfa
  • Francois Le Vot (2014) Francois Le Vot (2014)
    Francois Le Vot (2014)
  • Petr Kopfstein (Extra 330SC - Foligno) Petr Kopfstein (Extra 330SC - Foligno)
    Petr Kopfstein (Extra 330SC - Foligno)
  • Mikael Brageot Mikael Brageot
    Mikael Brageot
  • Steve Jones (Edge 540) Steve Jones (Edge 540)
    Steve Jones (Edge 540)
  • Matt Hall (Chiba - MXS-R) Matt Hall (Chiba - MXS-R)
    Matt Hall (Chiba - MXS-R)
  • Nicolas Ivanoff (Extra 300SR) Nicolas Ivanoff (Extra 300SR)
    Nicolas Ivanoff (Extra 300SR)
  • Nicolas Ivanoff (Edge 540 - 2009) Nicolas Ivanoff (Edge 540 - 2009)
    Nicolas Ivanoff (Edge 540 - 2009)
  • Mike Mangold (2007) Mike Mangold (2007)
    Mike Mangold (2007)
  • Francois Le Vot (Chiba 2015) Francois Le Vot (Chiba 2015)
    Francois Le Vot (Chiba 2015)
  • Hannes Arch (Airpower 2011 - Edge_540) Hannes Arch (Airpower 2011 - Edge_540)
    Hannes Arch (Airpower 2011 - Edge_540)

Red Bull Air Race World Championship

The Red Bull Air Race, established in 2003 and created by Red Bull GmbH, is an international series of air races in which competitors have to navigate a challenging obstacle course in the fastest time. Pilots fly individually against the clock and have to complete tight turns through a slalom course consisting of pylons, known as "Air Gates".

The races are held mainly over water near cities, but are also held at airfields or natural wonders. They are accompanied by a supporting program of show flights. Races are usually flown on weekends with the first day for qualification then knockout finals the day after. The events attract large crowds and are broadcast, both live and taped, in many nations.

At each venue, the top eight places earn World Championship points. The air racer with the most points at the end of the Championship becomes Red Bull Air Race World Champion.

After a three-year hiatus for safety improvements and reorganisation, the Air Race resumed in 2014. There are eight stops planned between February and November.

History

The Red Bull Air Race was conceived in 2001 in the Red Bull sports think-tank which has been responsible for creating a range of new sports events across the world. The aim was to develop a new aviation race that would challenge the ability of the world's best pilots, creating a race in the sky that was not simply about speed, but also precision and skill. The answer was to build a specially designed obstacle course which the pilots would navigate at high speeds.

Development of the prototypes of what are now known as the 'Air Gates' began in 2002 and renowned Hungarian pilot Péter Besenyei successfully completed the first test flight through them. After two years in planning and development, the first official Red Bull Air Race was ready to take off in Zeltweg, Austria in 2003. A second was staged the same year near Budapest in Hungary.

In 2004, three races took place in Kemble (England), Budapest (Hungary) and Reno (USA). The series was expanded in 2005 to become the Red Bull Air Race World Series. Ten pilots competed in seven races around the world – Mike Mangold was crowned the champion with Péter Besenyei and Kirby Chambliss in second and third place respectively. Eight races took place in 2006 with 11 pilots competing. Kirby Chambliss was crowned the champion for the Series' second season. In 2007 the calendar was extended to include ten races with the first race on South American soil taking place in Rio de Janeiro. Mike Mangold reclaimed the title of Red Bull Air Race World Champion 2007. 12 pilots took part in 2008 in eight races around the globe and Austrian pilot Hannes Arch became the first European to win the championship. The largest number of pilots so far took part in six races in 2009. 15 pilots from 12 different countries competed for the world championship title, this time with Brit Paul Bonhomme coming out on top, after coming so close the previous two years.

In the 2010 series, during training runs prior to the race, Brazilian pilot, Adilson Kindlemann crashed his plane into the Swan River in Perth. Rescuers were on site within seconds and Kindlemann was rushed to Royal Perth Hospital where it was determined that he had suffered no serious injury. As of 2014, it is the only crash in the history of the Red Bull Air Race.

2011, 2012 and 2013 series cancelled

The 2011 series of races worldwide was cancelled. The decision was taken by Red Bull on 27 July 2010 to allow for a "headquarters" restructure as well as the implementation of new safety measures.

The 2012 series was also cancelled; "There will be no races in 2012, that's true," said Red Bull Air Race Team spokesperson Nadja Zele in an email message to AOPA. "A revamped concept and a fixed race calendar will be revealed in 2013."

Eventually, the 2013 series was cancelled as well. However, in October 2013, it was announced that the Red Bull Air Race World Championship would return in 2014. Training for the upcoming season took place at Olney airport in Texas. The Championship finally returned in Abu Dhabi on 28 February 2014.

Format

In earlier seasons, 2005 and 2006, pilots first ran two qualifying rounds to determine starting order, with the fastest time starting last. The race was then run over two rounds, and the combined time of both rounds determines the winner. Starting in 2007, a new knock-out format was introduced which was modified for 2008.

Flying sessions

  • Training: Takes place on the days preceding Qualifying Day. There are two training days each consisting of two training sessions. Pilots must take part in at least two mandatory training sessions. Time of final training session (training 4) determines the starting order for Qualifying.
  • Qualifying: Takes place on Qualifying Day, the day before Race Day. Includes two mandatory qualifying sessions. Best time counts.
  • Round of 14: Takes place on Race Day. The fastest seven from each heat and the fastest loser compete for a place in the Round of 8. Results in the Round of 14 determine 9th to 14th place race positions.
  • Round of 8: Eight fastest from Round of 14 compete in the Round of 8. The fastest four pilots from each heat advance to the Final 4. Results in the Super 8 determine 5th to 8th place race positions.
  • Final 4: Four fastest from the Super 8 compete in the Final 4 for 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th place race positions.

    • Starting order

    The starting order is the order in which the pilots will race in each flying session. The starting order for Training is defined by the results of the last year's Red Bull Air Race World Championship standings. The highest ranking pilot starts first. Starting order for new race pilots is determined by a draw. The starting order for Qualifying is defined by the results of the fourth training session. The order is reversed so that the slowest pilot from the fourth training session starts first. The starting order for all sessions on Race Day is determined by the results in Qualifying. The order is reversed so that the slowest pilot from Qualifying starts first.

    World Championship points

    Based on the pilot's place at each race, World Championship points are awarded. The current points scoring format see first place receive 15 points, second place receive twelve, on through tenth who receives one.

    Position 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th 13th 14th
    Points 15 12 9 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 0 0 0

    Rules

    Pilots are required to complete the 5–6-kilometre (3.1–3.7 mi) long track and fly between the Air Gates following a predetermined race track configuration. Failure to do this correctly results in penalty seconds being added to their race time. Penalty seconds can be added for an incorrect passing of an Air Gate or passing an Air Gate at an incorrect orientation. For more serious breaches of the rules, pilots may be ruled as "Did Not Finish" or disqualified.

    Three different gate types require a specific manner of crossing. Double cone gates must be crossed in level flight, single cone gates must be crossed in a 90° angle, and slalom flying through the chicane gates (knife or level flying not mandatory).

    Penalties are incurred for violations of the rules, as follows:

      3 second penalty

      • Hitting a gate (1st time).
      • Hitting a gate (2nd time).

      2 second penalty

      • Flying too high, through or over an Air Gate.
      • Incorrect level (at an angle) crossing through an Air Gate.

      1 second penalty

      • Insufficient or no smoke.

      Did Not Finish

      • Deviating from course.
      • Exceeding 200 knots (370 km/h; 230 mph) when crossing the Start Gate.
      • Aircraft weight below 698 kilograms (1,539 lb) after the race.
      • Exceeding maximum load factor of 10g.
      • Hitting a gate (3rd time).

      Disqualification

      • Uncontrolled movements or flight.
      • Close to ground pull-up from descent.
      • Crossing safety line.
      • Negative g-turn around a pylon.
      • Flying below 15 metres (49 ft) between Air Gates.
      • Flying into clouds.
      • Entering course at an angle exceeding 45 degrees.
      • Ignoring Race Director commands.

    Aircraft

    The competitors use high-performance aerobatic planes such as the Zivko Edge 540, MXS-R , and the Corvus Racer 540, equipped with Lycoming engines. All aircraft have a wingspan less than 7.6 metres (25 ft) and top speeds ranging from 406 to 426 km/h (252 to 265 mph).

    Competitors have tuned their aircraft for better performance. However, the safety implications of engine or airframe failures mean that performance tuning by individual teams, though commonly done in motorsports, is strictly limited in scope.

    Each aircraft carries a TL Elektronic TL-3424_EXT accelerometer. It transmits timing and speed data which is picked up and displayed on large spectator screens.

    Air Gates

    The air gates are made up of one or two pylons, each approximately 25 metres (82 ft) high, and spaced 10 to 15 metres (33 to 49 ft) apart depending on the gate.

    The first prototype pylon was developed by Martin Jehart of Bellutti Protection Systems, an Austrian engineering firm specializing in the manufacturing of technical materials and tarpaulin. They initially used a latex balloon for crash tests and aerodynamic studies and after many tests and research settled on the use of a combination of different materials, the crucial component being spinnaker ripstop nylon, an extremely lightweight and flexible material used for making sails for boats. This would prove to be a breakthrough in the development of the Air Gates producing a pylon that would rip instantaneously when hit by a plane. Over 70 tests of the pylon were carried out on the ground using a car with a wing strapped on the roof before they were ready to undergo tests with a real plane. Eight different cars were used in these tests as well as a trailer and truck. Hungarian pilot, Péter Besenyei worked closely with the team and attempted the first deliberate pylon hit in early 2003 with positive results. The first Air Gates, which were cylindrical, were finally ready to be used at the very first Red Bull Air Races held in Austria and Hungary later that year.

    The Air Gates play a vital role in the Red Bull Air Race, but must also fulfill complex and contradictory demands. They have to be delicate enough to burst apart the instant they are touched by an aircraft and sturdy enough to remain stationary in all weather conditions, including stormy weather and strong winds. The early cylindrical pylons fulfilled the first criterion but proved to be too unstable in the wind.

    The answer came in 2004 with the cone design. These Air Gates measure 5 metres (16 ft) across the base and .75 metres (2.5 ft) at their tip. Inside the Air Gate a relatively high, and carefully monitored, pressure level is maintained with the use of powerful electrical, petrol-powered blowers that help keep the Air Gates steady even in windy conditions. Over the years the Air Gate design has developed and improved and today's Air Gates can withstand wind speeds of up to 60 km/h (37 mph) without being blown over. Their stability is further reinforced with 12 ground attachments, each strong enough to hold 1,200 kilograms (2,600 lb). For races over water, the Air Gates are secured to a floating barge which has stability anchors.

    Unlike early models, the current structures are made up of six sections attached together by zippers and Velcro to allow quick replacement if damaged by a plane. Prior to May 2008, the races had used more than eight tons of fabric for the various pylons, and the average life of each pylon was 15 races. Thirty-five pylons are transported to each race, and at each race's completion, the pylons are sent to Innsbruck, Austria to be repaired.

    If a pylon is hit by the plane, it is designed to break apart, preventing it from harming the plane and pilot. The damaged parts of the pylon are replaced by course personnel nicknamed "Air Gators". It usually takes a few minutes to replace a pylon. The record for the setup of a replacement pylon is 1 minute 30 seconds, set in 2007.

    Champions

    Elite/Master Class

    Season Champion Second Third
    2003 Péter Besenyei Klaus Schrodt Kirby Chambliss
    2004 Kirby Chambliss Péter Besenyei Steve Jones
    2005 Mike Mangold Péter Besenyei Kirby Chambliss
    2006 Kirby Chambliss Péter Besenyei Mike Mangold
    2007 Mike Mangold Paul Bonhomme Péter Besenyei
    2008 Hannes Arch Paul Bonhomme Kirby Chambliss
    2009 Paul Bonhomme Hannes Arch Matt Hall
    2010 Paul Bonhomme Hannes Arch Nigel Lamb
    2011–2013 Not held
    2014 Nigel Lamb Hannes Arch Paul Bonhomme
    2015 Paul Bonhomme Matt Hall Hannes Arch

    Challenger Class

    Season Champion Points leader
    2014 Petr Kopfstein François Le Vot
    2015 Mikaël Brageot Mikaël Brageot

    Most wins

    As of 5 June 2016, up to and including the race of Chiba.

    Elite/Master Class

    Rank Pilot Wins
    1 Paul Bonhomme 19
    2 Hannes Arch 11
    3 Mike Mangold 9
    4 Péter Besenyei 8
    Kirby Chambliss 8
    6 Nicolas Ivanoff 5
    7 Matt Hall 2
    Steve Jones 2
    9 Matthias Dolderer 1
    Michael Goulian 1
    Nigel Lamb 1
    Pete McLeod 1
    Yoshihide Muroya 1
    Total 69

    Challenger Class

    Rank Pilot Wins
    1 Mikaël Brageot 4
    2 Petr Kopfstein 3
    François Le Vot 3
    Daniel Ryfa 3
    5 Cristian Bolton 2
    Halim Othman 2
    7 Florian Berger 1
    Claudius Spiegel 1
    Total 19

    Race locations

    Country Location Rounds in
    2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2014 2015 2016
    Australia Swan River, Perth 9th 12th 9th 2nd
    Austria Zeltweg 1st 3rd
    Red Bull Ring, Spielberg 8th 6th 2nd
    Brazil Rio de Janeiro 2nd 3rd
    Canada Windsor, Ontario 3rd 4th
    China Beijing 9
    Croatia Rovinj 2nd 3rd
    Germany Berlin 3rd
    EuroSpeedway Lausitz 6th 6th
    Hungary River Danube, Budapest 2nd 2nd 6th 6th 8th 7th 4th 7th6 4th 4th
    Ireland Rock of Cashel 4th
    Japan Makuhari, Chiba 2nd 3rd
    Malaysia Putrajaya Lake, Putrajaya 3rd
    Mexico Acapulco, Guerrero 11th1
    Netherlands Erasmusbrug, Rotterdam 2nd 5th
    Poland Gdynia 4th
    Portugal River Douro, Porto 9th 8th 5th
    Lisbon 8th7
    Russia St. Petersburg 4th2
    Sochi 10
    Spain Barcelona 2nd 5th3 5 6th
    Switzerland Interlaken, Bern 6th
    Sweden Stockholm 4th4
    Turkey Golden Horn, Istanbul 5th 4th
    United Arab Emirates Mina' Zayid, Abu Dhabi 1st 1st 1st 1st 1st 1st 1st 1st 1st
    United Kingdom Longleat 5th 7th
    Kemble 1st
    River Thames, London 7th 6th
    Ascot Racecourse, Ascot 5th 5th 5th
    United States Monument Valley, Arizona/Utah 3rd
    Reno, Nevada 3rd
    San Diego, California 10th 2nd 2nd
    San Francisco, California 7th 8th
    Detroit, Michigan 3rd
    New York City/Jersey City 5th8
    Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Worth 6th 7th
    Indianapolis 7th
    Las Vegas 7th 8th 8th

    *1 The 11th round of the 2007 season in Acapulco, Mexico was cancelled.
    *2 The 4th round of the 2006 season in St. Petersburg, Russia was cancelled.
    *3 The 5th round of the 2007 season in Barcelona, Spain was cancelled.
    *4 The 4th round of the 2008 season in Stockholm, Sweden was cancelled.
    *5 Race in Spain was cancelled.
    *6 Cancelled
    *7 Cancelled
    *8 Race location was Liberty State Park in Jersey City.
    *9 Race in China was cancelled. Replaced by Austria.
    *10 Race in Russia was cancelled. Replaced by Croatia.

    — — — = = — — —

    This text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License
    Source : Article Red Bull Air Race World Championship of Wikipedia ( authors )
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