It Was Amazing
It could very well be the most exciting air race around -- the
Red Bull Air Race in Hungary. Eight of the world’s finest
aerobatic pilots flew across downtown Budapest Thursday and Friday
-– over the Danube and right past the Parliament –- in
a breathtaking competition with one another and against the clock.
Flying the track between Budapest’s Chain and Margaret
bridges, the aerobatic aircraft reached speeds of up to 400 kph.
The winner: Kirby Chambliss, USA, second ranked Klaus Schrodt, GER
and third place for the local hero Peter Besenyei.
The Red Bull Air Race is the latest and thus far most
spectacular flying discipline ever. The pilots have to fly a track
between pairs of pylons. In between, they have to perform aerobatic
maneuvers such as half and full rolls while flying vertically
upwards and flights in knife-edge position. The winner is the pilot
who flies the track in the shortest time while making the fewest
errors. This type of air race is extremely demanding, both for the
pilots and for their aircraft, because of the high-speed turns and
the extreme time pressure.
Friday’s race was the absolute highlight of St.
Stephen’s Day, the Hungarian national holiday. After a
fantastic warm-up program of aerobatics, the whole city was
watching as the American Kirby Chambliss won the race with a time
of 1.29.45 min, barely outstripping German’s Klaus Schrodt
and Hungarian’s Peter Besenyei. "The scenic backdrop alone
made this race especially exciting for me," said Chambliss when it
was over. Why he is the winner? "It was my day today and I had the
fastest plane tough.
The Air Race started as each pilot flew beneath the Chain Bridge
– at full speed, of course. Then the pilots had to fly
through the obstacles in the prescribed order and perform the
acrobatic stunts. After flying a huge figure eight in front of the
Parliament, the pilots crossed the finish line by flying once again
beneath the Chain Bridge.
1. The Location
The historic city center of Budapest - directly above the Danube
River between the Chain and Margaret bridges - is the most
spectacular backdrop imaginable for an air race.
2. The Day
August 20, St. Stephen's Day: on their national holiday, hundreds
of thousands of Hungarians came to the capital to celebrate their
national saint - and to spur on their national hero.
3. The Track
Four pairs of pylons, mounted on pontoons. Following the start
beneath the Chain Bridge, the pilots had to fly through the
obstacles in the prescribed sequence and perform aerobatic
maneuvers (half-rolls and full rolls, also while flying vertically
upwards, as well as the knife-edge maneuver).
4. The Tempo
Within moments after their start beneath the Chain Bridge, the
aircraft were flying at more than 400 kph.
5. The Spectators
Several hundred thousand fans watched the race on the spot in
Budapest, while huge numbers of spectators viewed the live
broadcast on TV and on the Internet at
6. The Supporting Program
A special class of historical aircraft were in the skies over
Budapest: a North American B-25 Mitchell, a T-28 Trojan and a De
Havilland Sea Vixen. In addition, there was a helicopter show and,
of course, a fantastic aerobatics display by Peter Besenyei.
7. The National Hero
The triple World Aerobatics Champion from Hungary is also the
inventor of the Red Bull Air Race: Hungary's national hero Peter
Besenyei was the big star of the race in Budapest.