THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE
WWW.REDBULLAIRRACE.COM
BUDAPEST, AUGUST 19&20
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RED BULL AIR RACE MAGAZINE
INSIGHT
THE CONTENT
HELLO AND WELCOME TO…
Pure performance Absolute precision
OFFICIAL TIMEKEEPER
W W W. B R E I TLI N G .C O M
Chrono-Matic A tribute to the first ever selfwinding chronograph (1969), bearing the Breitling signature. Officially chronometer-certified by the COSC.
Cover Photomontage: Red Bulletin/ Creative Retouching: Lee Laughton; Cover Photography: Markus Kucera, Russell Cheyne/AP Images; Photography: Russell Cheyne/AP Images, Markus Kucera, Bob Martin/AP Images
another promising season of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship.
04 GALLERY
The best pics from the Windsor, Ontario, race
10 BULLEVARD
We look back at the last race and forward to the next one, plus what’s going on in Hannes Arch’s head
16 HERO
What’s Matthias Dolderer’s retirement plan? Did you know he dislikes Sushi
and that he can’t wait for October 11? Find out why
18 PORTRAIT
Peter Besenyei has
seen it all from day one. The man who co-developed the Red Bull Air Race, was also the first pilot to fly upside down under the Chain Bridge. Get to know this sporting hero better
26 INTERVIEW
Mike Mangold is the man to talk to if you want straightforward answers
to difficult questions. So, how has the Red Bull Air Race changed in the past few years? Is it more serious; is the party still fun enough to attend?
30 TECH TALK
Nigel Lamb has always
been a pioneer. Now he and his chief technician, Nigel Huxtable, have developed a championshipcalibre plane out of the MXS-R prototype
36 CHARITY
To support the Wings for Life
Spinal Cord Research Foundation some of the pilots have donated very personal items and cool days out. Check them out and place your bids for a good cause all 15 Red Bull Air Race pilots
42 THE PLANE
38 PROFILES
Close-ups of
A detailed look at the mechanics
So much has changed since last year. We have a bigger pilot line-up, a new race format and new rules. The minimum weight of the plane is now 540kg, there is a 12G limit, a clear no to asymmetric wings and a must-have to engines with a 10:1 compression ratio. Many of the planes have been modified to the max during the off-season and also now, just before the Budapest race, where the second half of the World Championship starts. As the official Red Bull Air Race World Championship magazine, we’re here to keep you up-to-date with every development. We bring you behind-the-scenes insights, as well as fresh and exciting interviews and features with the pilots and their teams. You can download the latest issue of the magazine online at www.redbullairrace.com In this, the fourth issue of this race season, you’ll discover more about Peter Besenyei, get to know Matthias Dolderer better and you’ll find out how this sport has changed in the past few years from Mr Outspoken, Mike Mangold. Plus, we’ll show you the planes and explain the rules and the format of this breathtaking motorsport.
More about the rules governing the race as well as an explanation of the format
This season definitely is a thrilling one. The first three rounds have shown that the Red Bull Air Race has made another big leap forward since last year. Join us and celebrate competition, excitement and fun.
50 LOCATION
The editors
of the MXS-R
44 THE COCKPIT
46 CALENDAR
Take a seat in a race plane and get the pilot’s view
Find out where the races take place this year
48 THE RULES
All you need to know about the location for an exciting Race Day
IMPRINT THE RED BULLETIN GMBH, Heinrich-Collin-Straße 1, 1140 Vienna, Austria e-mail: redbullairracemagazine@at.redbulletin.com Managing Directors Karl Abentheuer, Bernd Fisa Project Director Jürgen Eckstein Editors in Chief Robert Sperl, Nadja Žele Editor Matt Youson Chief Sub-editor ˇ Nancy James Art Directors Erik Turek, Markus Kietreiber Designers René Andritsch, Claudia Drechsler, Dominik Uhl Photo Editor/Photographer Markus Kucera Illustrators Almut Becvar, James Greenhow, Dietmar Kainrath, Seso Media Group Producers Michael Bergmeister, Wolfgang Stecher Lithography Josef Mühlbacher, Clemens Ragotzky Printed by Offset 5020, Bayernstraße 27, A-5072 Siezenheim www.redbulletin.com RED BULL AIR RACE MAGAZINE
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Gallery
InsIde
Whether on land or water, Red Bull Air Race fans are always in the thick of the action, experiencing this thrilling motorsport at close quarters.
Photography: Matthias Hangst/AP Images
Paul Bonhomme, Windsor, ontario, June 2009
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Precision Manoeuvring this silver bullet through a tough track demands skill, experience and knowledge. Only the world’s very best pilots compete in the Red Bull Air Race World Championship.
Photography: Bob Martin/AP Images
Hannes arcH, Windsor, ontario, June 2009
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speed
The race’s top pilots know exactly which speed is right for each sector. Flying too slow means losing the race. So does flying too fast: over 370kph.
Photography: Matthias Hangst/AP Images
Kirby Chambliss, Windsor, ontario, June 2009
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BULLEVARD
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS The podium: Hannes Arch in second, winner Paul Bonhomme and Kirby Chambliss in third place.
REVIEW
WINDSOR, ONTARIO
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RED BULL AIR RACE MAGAZINE
14:09
Canadian Rookie Pete McLeod, just back from a fabulous run. He was 0.75s ahead of Rakhmanin on the first lap, before a two-second penalty and his slow plane resulted in 1:16.48. That’s 11th place and his first point.
“It’s just overwhelming, an amazing feeling,” said Hannes Arch, after he won his first ever Red Bull Air Race over the Danube River last year. And now? “Budapest is like a home race for me. There is a lot of pressure, so I’ll just stick to my recipe and focus mentally. We know that we have a very fast plane. And I'm also happy about my flying style. Obviously I want to win the race, and I hope that it’s going to work out.” It certainly
Super 8. Matt Hall hits the starting gate, and shortly after a pylon of the Quadro. He has to pull out of the tricky track in a safety climbout: all podium chances gone.
Plane
AUT
Edge 540
Points
2
Paul Bonhomme
GBR
Edge 540
32
3
Nicolas Ivanoff
FRA
Edge 540
24
33
4
Matt Hall
AUS
MXS�R
19
5
Nigel Lamb
GBR
MXS�R
18
6
Mike Mangold
USA
Edge 540
18
7
Sergey Rakhmanin
RUS
MXS�R
17
8
Kirby Chambliss
USA
Edge 540
13
9
Peter Besenyei
HUN
MXS�R
10
10
Alejandro Maclean
ESP
MXS�R
8
11
Michael Goulian
USA
Edge 540
6
12
Glen Dell
RSA
Edge 540
3
13
Matthias Dolderer
GER
Edge 540
1
14
Yoshihide Muroya
JPN
Edge 540
1
15
Pete McLeod
CAN
Edge 540
1
15:32
Hannes Arch is not very pleased with his result. He received a two-second penalty and although his 1:09.31 time was strong, it wasn’t good enough to beat Paul Bonhomme’s 1:08.16.
could be another win for Arch, but there are other gentlemen after the victory. Paul Bonhomme, for example. “We’ve done a bit of work on the engine and some general tweaking on the plane. It should be in top shape now.” After the short summer break, the European teams, especially, have been doing a lot of work on their planes. It’s halftime, with three more races to go before the new Champ is crowned.
Photography: Balazs Gardi
15:30
Mike Mangold starts off the Final 4 with a two-second penalty, but lands in fourth place: an unexpected result. “Fantastic, we’re happy!”
15:42
Nationality
Hannes Arch
BUDAPEST
15:01
The great Brit Paul Bonhomme wins his first race since Perth last year, finally smashing the curse of second place. But will it stay that way?
Pilot
1
PREVIEW
Photography: Matthias Hangst/AP Images (1), Markus Kucera (3), Bob Martin/AP Images (2)
Paul Bonhomme won the Windsor race. The Brit managed to say goodbye to second place at last. But it nearly didn’t work out... “That was extremely hard work today,” said Bonhomme, after he posted a time of 1:08.16 over the Detroit River. “Out of all races I’ve flown so far, this has been the most challenging track. The wind conditions changed all the time. I’m really pleased with my result.” And where was Hannes Arch? The man who still leads the World Championship by one point, attacked a bit too aggressively in the Final 4. That attitude lead to a two-second penalty (incorrect level). “This was a very close call. I’m not happy with that,” said Arch. Third-placed Kirby Chambliss struggled in the first two races of the season (ninth place in Abu Dhabi, 12th in San Diego). But the American surprised with his performance in Canada. The key: a new engine, that at first didn’t fully comply with the rules (it exceeded the allowed compression ratio). He had tuned his 50hp stronger Edge 540 down by Qualifying Day, but still managed to clock a sensational 1:07.95: a new race record over Detroit River, and with it the bonus of one World Championship point for the pole. On Race Day, though, he ‘only’ made it to third. Windsor was a very demanding race, peppered with pylon hits, safety climbouts, disqualifications and penalties. Two pilots didn’t even make the race. Muroya damaged the right wing of his plane, while Besenyei had to make a forced landing: “The engine failed.” Will the action in Budapest be able to top all this?
Pos
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bullevard
hannes arch Where’s your head at?
ARchitectuRe
When I’m not flying, the thing I think about most is my future of house. It’s a long-term project se. hou a d buil and ign des mine to A couple of years ago I bought n some land in Styria, in the tow itect where I grew up. I have an arch – in California – another Austrian and we like to play around with the ideas for it. Right now, with all travel, it doesn’t make sense for … me to have a place, but one day
KAINRATH
Red Bull Air Race World Champion Hannes Arch is the living embodiment of a work hard, play hard lifestyle – but what’s on his mind? MountAineeRing
I’m always dreaming abo ut climbing, or dreaming abo ut finding the time to go clim bing with my friends, completely away from flying and the Red Bul l Air Race and everything else . Just me and my friends, out in the natural world, doing what we enjoy. But like everything else, I just do not have enough time…
Red Bull X-Alps
I spend a lot of time thinking about the Red Bull X-Alps Challenge. It’s my project and a big part of my free time goes into organising it. It isn’t money-driven or success-driven, it’s just a passion of mine that comes from my background as a paragliding pioneer. It’s a big project, a big responsibility and I love it and want to protect it as the even t it is right now. [Red Bull X-Alps is a 818km adventure race in which 30 elite athletes race from Salzburg to Monaco with only a pair of hiking boots and a paraglider.]
Music
I like to listen to music. I listen to all kinds, but when I’m trying to relax and calm down then it’s always a classical composer who I go for. I listen to a lot of Mozart’s work, but also Vivaldi and Mendelssohn. My favourite piece is called Für Alina by the Estonian composer Arvo Pärt. It’s a wonderfully calming piece of music. I first heard it when I was sleeping in a strange place and I was woken up in the morning by this strange melody. It made me quite emotional, but at the same time very tranquil, because it was so beautiful. Since then, whenever I’m having trouble being calm or if I can’t sleep, that’s the piece for me.
G-SHOCK. My t
eAM I try not to think about racing wh en I’m not racing, but I do think about the future of my team a lot, spec ifically about wh at’s going to happen next ye ar and the year after: what to do where to go… th , at sort of thing. Basical concentrating on what I have to do ly, I’m now, to make sure I’m re ady for next year .
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Illustrations: Almut Becvar, Dietmar Kainrath
Engineered for Aviation. done ReAding ’s something I haven’t t It n . g re in fe if ad about d yself re ten I find m rest me are at really study of te in re o at m th d ks boo More an gues th my life. The and travelo TV. I’m enough of in s and points of view, e antidote to many th e ar n ey io th lig k so in re s th s, te I re it crea cultu untry. und of a co and the way efore I go to sleep, the backgro st the stupidity of TV ,b gs in en ev n e ai pages. read in th to a warrior ag e after a few lik ep I . le d rl as o ll w fa e I t, th in in o at that p problems ally so tired but I’m usu
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BULLEVARD
THE SOUND OF IVANOFF Nicolas Ivanoff lives without music during the race week: “It distracts me. Songs get in my head and make me start singing when I’m racing,” he says. But the Frenchman can’t live without rhythm during his ferry flights. Here are some songs he’ll be listening to on his flight from Budapest to the next race stop, Porto.
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1
LIFESTYLE
4
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Photography: Markus Kucera (3), Tom Lovelock/AP Images (3)
1 Actress Jacqueline MacInnes Wood from The Bold and the Beautiful came to see the race action in her hometown of Windsor, Ontario. The 22-year-old beauty was amazed by the speed and performance as the pilots took to the sky. She crossed her fingers especially tight for her compatriot – the young man pictured top right 2 Ice hockey is obviously still a big part of Pete McLeod’s life – or is it air hockey that Canadians can’t get enough of? Give them a stick and they’re happy either way 3 Yeah, yeah, yeah! Red Bull Air Race fans rock all around the world. It doesn’t matter who they’re cheering for, they spread positive energy and good vibes wherever the entourage stops 4 This is where Hannes Arch feels most comfortable, apart from in his plane’s cockpit, of course. Beautiful girls always make the Austrian smile, no matter how stressful the race weekend 5 This dancing bear is Chicago Bears football player Devin Hester. His groovy offense and defense moves took him through the hangars of Red Bull Air Race Airport in Windsor
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hero
ThaT’s who I am Matthias Dolderer, 38, has 24 years of flying experience and runs a flight school with his sister Verena. But we bet you didn’t know that his shoe size is 46 and he won’t eat Sushi. WorDS: NADjA ŽElE
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red bull air race magazine
Something that you wouldn’t eat… Sushi. It just looks yucky. Raw fish is not my thing. And then I simply don’t know what’s in it. Sushi, not my thing. What character trait do you dislike? Superficiality. Your favourite item of clothing... My Diesel jeans. That’s what I wear as often as I can. These jeans have high priority when I’m doing my laundry. I’ll wear them as long as I can, until they fall apart, then I’ll by myself a pair of the same cut again. If you could fly away to any place in the world right now, where would you fly to? Argentina. It’s a fantastic country, with lots of nature, beautiful, friendly people. Once there I’d be off to the Iguazu falls, then I’d fly upcountry and then to Tierra del Fuego to do some hiking and horseback riding. What’s your shoe size? It’s 46 – I’m a man who wears big shoes. Big feet are a trait in my family. My daughter Lara has big feet, too. She’s 11 years old and she takes a size 39. Do you have a favourite flower?
I like the rose. A beautiful flower. Red and white. That’s why my plane is red. Which day on the calendar are you most looking forward to? There are a lot of days that I’m looking forward to. All the race days, for example. But besides those, I’m very much looking forward to October 11, that’s when my daughter will turn 12. And I always look forward to Christmas. What can you hear right now? The power units in the back of the hangar, other people talking, birds twitting. Do you make a wish, when you see a falling star? Yes, always. It’s often the same thing, until it becomes reality. Until now, all my wishes have come true. Summer or winter? Predominantly summer. Chocolate or vanilla? Vanilla. When did you last cry? I don’t know that anymore – no idea. It must have been a long time ago. What scares you? I’m afraid of snakes and spiders, and I don’t like sharks.
“I’d fly to ArgentInA. It’s A fAntAstIc country, wIth lots of nAture, beAutIful, frIendly people. I could ActuAlly see myself lIvIng there..”
Photography: Markus Kucera
Do you have a middle name? Yes, actually I have two middle names. Maximilian and Willibald. Maximilian is my father’s name and Willibald was my grandfather from the mother’s side. Are you a morning or a night person? I love the morning, when the sun rises. You get more of the day, nobody disturbs you, you’re fit and can start the day slowly – although, my days are always pretty long. Since the age of 15, I’ve worked until one o’clock in the morning, nearly every day. I had to work on the business side of our flying school – do the accounting. That was only possible late in the evening, as it was too busy during the day. What was the last movie you saw at the cinema? The last time I went to the cinema is so long ago that I can’t remember it. But the last movie I watched on a plane was Yes Man with Jim Carrey. Since I saw that film, I tend to say yes more often. A TV series that you like to watch… I don’t watch a lot of TV. I don’t have time for that, to be honest, and I’d much rather do a bike tour than sit in front of the TV in the evenings. But as a kid, I was crazy about The Programme With The Mouse, a German children’s series. Later on, it was Magnum, The Fall Guy and Knight Rider. I was fascinated by KITT, the car. Your day-to-day breakfast… Muesli with milk. I normally chop fresh fruit into it. When I’m travelling I also like bacon and eggs, omelette, or smoked salmon and peppers.
What was your favourite toy during your childhood? My model planes. I had lots of Matchbox planes and cars. My whole bedroom was full of them. I even built myself an airport. Then came the remote-controlled model planes, which weren’t interesting for long. As soon as I got my first proper glider, I was up in the air as well. How’s the weather? It’s great. The weather is a pretty tricky phenomenon. I always try to make the best out of it. A lot of pilots can’t stop complaining if it’s raining. I accept the fact
and try to see the advantages. If it’s raining hard, then we have the time on the ground to do other things. Sure, the weather can be a pilot’s enemy. It may lead to a complete cancellation of a race. We constantly have to deal with weather issues, think about the weather. What’s your favourite day of the week? Monday is a pretty cool day. It’s a quite relaxing day. And the week starts on Monday. Usually people are in a good mood, as they had the weekend to chill. Monday is a ready-for-take-off, full-throttle kind of day.
Do you make new friends easily? Yes. Do you have lots of friends? You mean really good ones, who’d give away their last shirt and their last euro for me? A few, not many. A circlet: there are five of them. Out of those, are more female or male? More or less even. How do you want to retire? In freedom, hopefully healthy and not on my own. Somewhere in the countryside. I could see myself living in Argentina.
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portrait Words: Matt Youson
AN An AUDIENCE Audience WITH with THE the GODFATHER GodfAther 18
red bull air race magazine
Photography: Tom Lovelock/AP Images
The affinity between Peter Besenyei and the Red Bull Air Race is one of the strongest and most enduring in motorsport, but the Godfather had to sit out the last round of the World Championship. He didn’t like it – and tells us why.
RED BULL AIR RACE MAGAZINE
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PORTRAIT
P
eter Besenyei is never still. Even sitting cross-legged on the floor of an aircraft hangar, the Godfather of air racing is a study in perpetual motion. Ostensibly watching his rivals practising out on track, he’s tapping the floor, shifting position, carrying on conversations in two languages. It has all the hallmarks of nervous energy, but Besenyei – and the Red Bull Air Race pilots in general – don’t do nervous. Restless, perhaps, would be a better description. It’s a trait not uncommon in sportsmen, but slightly at odds with the image of the racing pilot as a cool, focused individual, who makes decisions calmly, in split-seconds. If you had to guess, the man with the iron-grey hair, the lean athleticism and the dancing hands might be a successful blues musician. But today, at least, rooted to the Red Bull Air Race Airport in Windsor,
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RED BULL AIR RACE MAGAZINE
Ontario, Besenyei has a better reason than anyone to feel restless. His hopes for a good weekend over the Detroit River ended before they even began; the result of a mechanical failure that led to a smashed race plane and a bruised Hungarian pilot. The plane is already on its way to the MX aircraft factory in North Carolina. Peter, however, is still in Canada, sitting in an empty hangar watching a monitor showing the other pilots doing what he wants to be doing; grounded he may be, but there is much to learn simply by paying attention. “There’s always something to learn,” offers Peter. “We watch because we can always see something useful in the way each other flies, but also because we get better just from looking at the track. The more I look at it, the more I learn.” It seems heartless to point out that, without a plane to fly, the knowledge is next to useless; Peter hastily pre-empts the
observation. “It doesn’t help me this weekend, but maybe for the future…” He watches the practice session with different eyes to those of a spectator, murmuring observations about minor details of course and correction. In common with a spectator, however, he has his favourite. “Paul Bonhomme. No question, Paul is the pilot I like to watch. He’s very precise, his style is smooth. He’s very stable and very focused, so it’s always good to watch when he’s flying. Sometimes, when the other pilots are in the air it can make you anxious because they’re…” Failing to find the word he makes a hand gesture that indicates a certain lack of steadiness… “They’re up and down. But never with Paul.” Of course, watching is no substitute for flying. Peter explains that his routine during these practice sessions might incorporate things he picked up from watching the competition, but mostly
Photography: Russell Cheyne/AP Images
“There’s always something to learn. We watch because we can always see something useful in the way each other flies.”
With eight Red Bull Air Race victories, Peter is one of the Championship’s most successful competitors – but to the uninitiated he’s still ‘the guy who flew under the Chain Bridge’.
The Besenyei hangar in happier times. Peter studies data with technician Tibor Nagy (standing) and team co-ordinator Sandor Kordas.
And that was it: I got out as soon as possible because I was a little worried about the plane catching fire. There wasn’t much room underneath the plane, and it wasn’t easy to escape, but I managed to get out and away from the aircraft in under a minute.” His fellow pilots talk about how Peter’s experience and skill allowed him to make the right decisions in a pressure situation. The local press injected the incident with plenty of sensationalism; Peter, on the other hand, describes it with all the drama of a man discussing a shopping trip. When the emergency services (led by a very worried Nigel Lamb), arrived on-scene he was taking photographs. It brings to mind an old adage: any landing you walk away from… “I suppose, looking back, it could have been really, really bad, but at the time no, it wasn’t frightening. In that sort of situation, you don’t have time to be worried; you have a job to do and thinking about doing it is what occupies your mind.” While few outside professional aviation would want to jump straight
“One mile before the runway I lost the engine completely. I was at 400ft, the plane was full of fuel and so very heavy”
back into an aircraft soon after a forced landing, Besenyei found the whole process of being grounded a painful one to endure. Until Windsor, he had been an ever-present; a constant in the expanding story of the Red Bull Air Race. If his first-ever no-show were not alone cause for gloom, this race track also happens to be his favourite. “It is the kind of track I like because it’s technical and tight, with a lot of turns. Last season I thought the track over the Detroit River was the best of the year, and I had been looking forward to racing on it again ever since the 2009 calendar was announced. It was my track, it suits my style, so not flying it is an awful feeling. Our preparation had been good as well. We were in the Final 4 in San Diego [the previous round] and had made some modifications to the plane after that race, so we should have been even faster.” It is interesting to note how strange a Red Bull Air Race without Besenyei feels. He is, in the best possible sense, part of the furniture; inseparable from it. Combined with his role in the creation
be about honing the routine he pictures in his mind before the first run. “When you fly it the first time, you’re sometimes surprised, because the way it looks in the drawing doesn’t always match up with the reality. Sometimes it looks easy on the drawing, then you realise a part of the course is very tough. But after the first flight you have a good mental picture, and after that you modify your plan, change the image in your mind. That’s why each flight is better and better, and faster and faster. At least that’s how it works for me, but I think also for the other pilots.” It’s the voice of experience speaking. Peter isn’t quite the elder statesman of the Red Bull Air Race (that honour goes to Mike Mangold), but with four Rookies entering the field this year, and the average age dropping appreciably, he certainly sits comfortably in the veteran bracket. Inevitably, the more experienced pilots are frequently asked for their opinion of the next generation. Despite their odd moment of youthful naivety, Peter’s judgment is overwhelmingly positive. “The more pilots we have, the more colourful the
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racing and the more interesting the World Championship is for everyone. It’s good to have the Rookies, and actually they’re doing very well. They’re learning fast and their time is coming.” And does he have any specific advice? The answer is short and delivered with a tight smile. “Fly safe.” There is a certain amount of irony in that pronouncement, given Besenyei’s experience earlier in the week. There is an inherent danger attached to any form of motorsport but it wasn’t a racing incident that led to his plane crash-landing in a farmer’s cornfield. His problem was a mechanical failure in transit to a photo-shoot; not the sort of issue that commonly plagues those involved in earthbound motorsport. “When I lost my oil pressure I tried to reach the nearest airfield. I saw the runway, but, of course, I could not maintain altitude because I had to reduce the throttle to save the engine. I was descending quite quickly, and one mile before the runway I lost the engine completely. I was at 400ft, the plane was full of fuel and so very heavy. I had one or two seconds to make a
decision. I thought about it and decided that I wouldn’t make it to the runway, so I made a left turn and started looking for the nearest piece of agricultural land – and hoped that the field I found was good enough for a landing. “Actually it was. It was nice and flat and quite smooth. The only problem was the soil was a little bit soft. Had I been using just the fuel tank for the race, I think it would have worked out fine, but with the plane’s wing tanks full of fuel also, it was very heavy. That made the landing speed higher, the deceleration much longer and, of course, the weight pushed the plane into the ground. “When I touched down I felt it. The ground was soft. I rolled along the ground for maybe 200 to 300m, gradually decelerating. Obviously I was worried about flipping over, I knew it could happen at any second on that sort of ground, and so I didn’t push the brakes, as that would almost certainly have caused the wheels to dig in. All I could do was wait for the plane to decelerate – and it nearly worked but at the very end of the roll out, doing only about 20kph, it dug in and flipped over.
Photography: Markus Kucera
Watching the live feed and timing screens, earlier in the 2009 season.
of the championship it’s this that led to the ‘Godfather’ label. Although kindly meant, it’s the sort of nickname that might not always endear the user to the subject. Besenyei, however, greets it with a wry shrug. “I have been involved since the beginning, and so it’s very nice to see how popular it has become and how big the sport is now. I sometimes feel like the Red Bull Air Race is my child and I’m watching it growing up. So the nickname is… OK.” Besenyei’s comments allude to his role with the think tank that devised the Red Bull Air Race format, rules and Air Gate technology. “I had some basic ideas and some simple drawings, and then I worked for a year with the team to create the full picture. I was the only pilot in that team so, yes, some of the concept came from me. “Today I can see how that original idea is still evolving, and see how improvements are being made. I’m confident that the championship is going in the right direction. I like the new format for this year – which is actually the old format. Of course we still have
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After being off the pace in Abu Dhabi, Peter’s MXS-R was at the sharp end of the field in San Diego.
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RED BULL AIR RACE MAGAZINE
“There’s always more pressure flying in your home country… but at the same time it’s a good feeling.”
Flexible furniture concepts provided by Artificium for the Red Bull Air Race in San Diego in May 2009.
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Advertorial; Photography: Markus Kucera
process to improve it is something that we’re working on all the time now. It takes up a lot of time. I still get to fly at airshows – which I enjoy because of the freedom a freestyle programme lets you have – but much less than before; the Red Bull Air Race consumes a lot of attention.” Missing the race in Canada effectively ended Peter’s championship aspirations, but with his aircraft repaired, he can have a big say in where the title does go, starting with a race over the Danube that he would dearly like to win. A home race is, he says, more exciting than any other, but it doesn’t come without a cost. “There’s always more pressure flying in your home country – of course there is, but at the same time, it’s a good feeling to have that level of support from the crowd. It’s a special feeling, though not an advantage because the track is the same for everyone and knowing the history of the Chain Bridge or the parliament doesn’t help, but to get that level of support is different. Having a little bit more pressure to succeed is a price that’s well worth it.”
Photography: Tom Lovelock/AP Images
things learn and we need to work on the rules to make them more precise; especially the technical regulations. This is a high-technology sport and we really need to have good rules that make the race fair, and ensure we don’t have big performance differences between the different engines and planes. Apart from that it’s all very good.” After the session, with pilots preparing themselves and their planes for Qualifying, Peter’s attention is already turning to the next round of the World Championship; his home race in the city of Budapest. That the gap between Windsor and Budapest is more than two months is, he says, not a factor any more; the competitive nature of the championship ensures that the next race is always foremost on any agenda. “The Red Bull Air Race is becoming – has become, maybe – a full-time job. Between the races you constantly have to think about the future, working on the engine and the plane. If you don’t concentrate on the work, then you will get left behind. Because my plane is new, and was only finished at the factory shortly before the start of the season, the
rtificium is a new furniture store in Vienna that dedicates itself to awakening emotions and offering selected pieces of trendy and designer furniture. Already providing furniture to wellknown hotels such as the Grand Tirolia Resort and Arosa Spa in Kitzbühel, as well as the Hajszan winery in Vienna, the store was chosen as the official supplier for the Red Bull Air Race Tour 2009 at San Diego. Artificium’s first priority was to create a ‘feel-good’ atmosphere for
the visitors to this world-famous event. The target was to turn the High Flyer’s Lounge into an up-to-the-minute space. This was achieved by installing generous loungers, huge, rotating umbrellas and using stylish new colours, such as black and white. The store’s product range includes rare Indian trunks and cupboards, and cool outdoor loungers. And because many of the items are limited-edition, buyers can purchase a piece of personalised luxury for their homes – Burlesque star Dita von Teese took
the opportunity to register herself as a client during a visit to Vienna. Plus, through a service package that includes free shiping and a 30-day money-back guarantee, you can enjoy a ‘no-risk shopping experience’ and dip into different cultures. ARTIFICIUM GmbH Wattgasse 35 A-1160 Vienna Tel: + 43 (0)1 481 9000 www.artificium.co.at RED BULL AIR RACE MAGAZINE
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At 53, Mike still enjoys the pressure of competition. “It has toINTERVIEW be a good party. If not, I’ll go home. I’m still here, so it must still be a good party, yeah?”
LUNCH BREAK TALK
Outspoken by nature, Mike Mangold is probably the most charismatic man in the Red Bull Air Race, and the one to talk to if you want honest answers to rather nasty questions. WORDS: NADJA ŽELE
B Photography: Markus Kucera
een there, done that, felt it in every nerve and fibre: Mike Mangold can’t get enough of racing. Will there ever be a time to stop, sit down in a rocking chair and reminisce about the good ‘old’ days? Maybe. Mike, twice World Champion (2005 and 2007), says he’ll stop racing when the party gets boring, but this isn’t likely to happen. So, how were the past five years of partying? Let’s find out... Mike, you’ve been part of the Red Bull Air Race for more than five years. Has much changed since 2005? So much has changed! Some things for the better, some maybe not. But this is just one man’s opinion. The amount of fun during the race week has definitely decreased. Before, everybody had respect for each other and the job they did. Nobody was trying to protect their own little empire. Now everybody is worried about their job
because of the economic situation. There’s a lot more tongue biting and a lot more isolation. And what has changed for the better? What makes it better now is definitely the media presentation. We didn’t have as many cameras before. It’s a better experience if you come to a race now than it was in 2005. The tracks have changed, too. We used to do more aerobatics in 2005. The tracks were much more complicated. I thought there was much more pilot skill involved in winning a race or winning a championship in 2005 than there is now. Now, it’s definitely gone down the road of motorsport. The skill of the pilot is minimised compared to the performance of the engine. Now we are pushing the limits of the machine. In 2005 we made very few or no modifications, now all of the planes are modified. The technology has changed, the character of RED BULL AIR RACE MAGAZINE
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interview
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“You have to invest a lot of time, a lot of money, a lot of resources in order to have a championship-calibre plane now.” I feel like 33 or 35. I don’t know how you’re supposed to feel at 53. I feel good, I’m strong, I can do pretty much what I want. Will you stop racing one day soon? I don’t know. When I want to stop, I’ll stop. When the time comes, I’ll know it and I’ll do it. So it’s a feeling and not circumstances? Well, everything goes into it. The money, the time. And I don’t like to be down in the standings, not being the winner. It has to be a good party, with good music, good drinks, nice people. If it’s not, I’ll go home. I’m still here, so it must still be a good party, yeah? Your team is struggling a bit this year… We are struggling because we don’t have a good engine, a good plane, we don’t have good resources. I only have one engine, I can’t afford more. Yes, I am struggling, if you want to call that struggling. But that’s just life, that’s what we can afford, that’s the best my resources can do. I’m sorry, this is the best I can do with what I have, but am I upset about it? Not really. Am I angry? No. I’m glad that I’m still alive. I have a great family, I have good friends, a great team. We have a good time at the Red Bull Air Race, whether we’re winning or losing, we enjoy the experience. But in order to be able to win we need time and money. Do you need a new plane? Not necessarily. It’s sometimes good to improve on what you know and have, but all things considered, if I had an unlimited budget, time and resources, yes, we would design a completely new plane. Design a new plane? Yes, I would have my people design it. We have something that we could put into production. But now we are talking about millions of euros. We would call it the Mangold, or the Flash, or the Nonstopper. At Budapest, do you prefer to start the race under or over the bridge?
Under the bridge, always. Come on! It’s not that hard. It’s a very good starting point, in fact it’s much more difficult to go over it and then dive towards the water and pull up. It’s easier to stay level, 3 or 5m above the water, than to make all these transitions in altitude. From every standpoint: under the bridge! Six, eight, 10 or 12 races, what race season would be best? Honestly? I think 10. But it has to be no less than two weeks in between every race. Three weeks would be good. And the kick-off month? Well, if you go to Abu Dhabi in March – it’s too hot there in April. And the last race? That should be in Europe. Like this year, Barcelona, in October. Do you have a life besides flying? You know, I fly less now than I have in the past. I am too busy co-ordinating work on my planes, making deals for more speed, and searching for more support. My flying time is going down each year in comparison with what it was 10 or 15 years ago. To make this plane go fast, for every hour you fly, you spend five hours working on it. Is 2008 World Champion Hannes Arch a good pilot? He is a good pilot and he’s getting better. You were something of a mentor for him, back in 2007… Does Hannes know that? Did you think that he’d make it to the top so fast? I’m not that surprised. The way it unfolded in the first half of last season, I predicted: “Ah-oh, Hannes could be the champion here, if he plays his cards right.” He was very lucky and a lot of things happened. For example there was the disqualification of Paul Bonhomme in Porto, when he went over the G-limit. By Porto, we knew
Mike prefers little portions. “What’s nice about the High Flyer’s Lounge is that they have all these small dishes. Everything is top drawer, it’s the best food you can taste from around the world.”
Photography: Markus Kucera
the aircraft. The risk of mechanical failure is much higher than it was before. What do you have to do in order to become a champion now? You have to invest a lot of time, a lot of money, a lot of resources in order to have a championship-calibre plane now. And where does it come from? It comes from our air race earnings, a private investor, or a big sponsor deal. That is one of many tasks and decisions for each pilot-manager-team owner. And this is one thing that hasn’t changed between 2005 and 2009. We are still the team owners, the team managers, and we are still the pilots, too. One person. That’s a very big burden on one’s shoulders. Does your profession pay out at all or does it just cost? It can pay out, if you’ve managed it as such. It is fun to do, it is rewarding and it is a challenge that I still love. It is very hard work, you have to be careful, because you can overspend your budget quite easily with all the things that you want. The fact is, you must pay in some way for everything you want. Was it easier to find sponsors in 2005 than it is now? It’s difficult to say, because it depends what kind of sponsor you’re looking for. Are you looking for a big sponsor like Sony or Nokia? If so, you’re asking for big money. If you’re looking for a little sponsor, for somebody who could give you some tyres or carbon-fibre wingtips or a headset, that’s pretty easy to get. It always has been easier to get the small sponsors. Obviously, in 2009 the world economy is affecting us. But that’s life. So we’re going to do the best with what we’ve got. Peter Besenyei had to make a forced landing in Windsor. His plane was damaged as a result. What if that had happened to you? Specifically what happened to Peter’s plane I don’t think is going to happen to mine, but if we’d had an engine failure, and if I’d had to do an off-airport landing, I hope I’d be able to do it as well as Peter did. And afterwards? If it had happened to me, unfortunately, because I don’t have the resources, I think I’d be finished. I’d be home with my kids for the rest of the year. Talking about kids and family, and age, actually, you’re 53, the oldest guy in the field. How old do you feel? Sometimes I feel like 53... but I’d say
Hannes was the winner. It was a little bit surprising, but not impossible. Well, he had a good mentor, right?! What exactly did he learn from you? He learned the overall method, what a team owner and manager must do, and he took it a step further. He was able to employ and pull in resources. He has a better team than anybody here. I’m talking of the resource team and support team, his backing is strong. That was, and is, my deficiency. How philosophical are you about your life nowadays? Unfortunately, I’m getting more and more philosophical. This is what’s amazing to me. When I was young, I was always like: what’s the next mission, what do I have to do? Boom, boom, go do it, do it! But as you get older, you get so much more philosophical. Maybe it’s because we know we have less time on the planet or maybe because we’ve seen so much and
we’ve seen so many mistakes. All we are trying to do is pass on the keys, the wisdom to people, so they have an easier life. That’s what I tell my kids: “I tell you this, not because I’m mean to you, I want you to have an easy life. If you listen, it will be easy, if you don’t, it’s going to be difficult.” I pass it on for those who listen, but maybe I talk too much for my own air racing good?! Well, occasionally you eat, too. Kitz Catering is the caterer at the races nowadays. How has the food changed? It’s improved tremendously from 2005 to 2009. It’s unbelievable! In 2005 we went to a fast-food restaurant or we were at the airport eating nuts and fruit and that’s all we had. Now we’ve got our own dedicated catering, so we can control the food we get. At the airport during the race week, we have vegetables, meat, fruit and there’s a nice dessert, of which I have only a small piece. And what’s nice
about the High Flyer’s Lounge is that they have all these small dishes. Everything is top drawer, it’s the best food you can taste from around the world. And I love the portion size, because it’s small. Would you be faster by eating less and shaving some more kilos off your body? Well, you can’t pull 12Gs on an empty stomach! Obviously kilos is mass or weight. If the engine has to carry an extra 5, 10 or 15kg, it has to work harder and it cannot go as fast. We do have a minimum weight that we must maintain, so even if you get down to the minimum weight, that doesn’t include the pilot. So the pilot can be as light as you like, maybe 60kg, maybe less. Are you at the right weight? I am still losing weight. I would like to get rid of another 5kg, that would be nice. It’s possible to do that during the race week, but it’s a lot of hard work. red bull air race magazine
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Beating the edge Nigel Lamb’s 2009 MXS-R is much-changed from the stock plane that rolled off the MX Aircraft production line – and he hasn’t finished yet.
Photography: Markus Kucera
Words: matt youson
T
ake a look at the livery of the Team Breitling plane this weekend. Take your time, look properly, what do you see? If you think Nigel Lamb’s MXS-R is painted in a strikingly waspish yellow and black, then you’re mistaken; it’s only painted yellow; the contrasting black is exposed carbon fibre. It’s a rather more complicated process than applying an all-over coat and a series of transfer logos, but it results in an aircraft that’s a few grams lighter than it would otherwise be. And Nigel isn’t doing excess baggage this season. Compared to some of the more high-tech
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race engineering that went on over the winter, it’s a relatively trivial example, but it does provide ample illustration of the attention to detail that goes into turning a stock (if that word can be used for a plane of which only five examples are currently flying) MXS-R into something capable of winning a Red Bull Air Race. As the World Championship matures, the performance gaps are getting smaller and smaller. Tenths, sometimes hundredths of a second are now the deciding values between qualification and elimination. An extra kilo here or there is enough to make that
sort of difference. Under the guidance of team technician Nigel Huxtable, the Breitling boys got rid of 45kg of superfluous weight from their race aircraft over the winter months. If that figure doesn’t impress, consider the fact that it only weighed 590kg to begin with. “As the first MXS operator, we were very disappointed in the plane last year, it was simply too heavy,” says Lamb. “There was probably 30kg more in the machine than we had hoped, and I doubt any of the other planes was less that 10kg lighter than us. We were 45kg over what is now
the minimum weight [540kg], so we had a job to do over the winter getting down to that level.” From the outside there are few telltale signs; the wheel pans have been reshaped, for example, but most of the changes are hidden in the plane’s interior. “Basically, we studied every component within the aircraft to figure out how we could make it lighter,” says Huxtable. “We would look at the component itself, its cabling, how it was attached, and then explore the use of lighter materials, repositioning, etc.” The result was an aircraft that turned up in Abu Dhabi right on the
minimum limit and immediately impressed with a place in the Final 4. Along with Lamb, MX Aircraft have delivered MXS-Rs for Peter Besenyei, Matt Hall, Alejandro Maclean and Sergey Rakhmanin. Despite the early promise of great speed, they’ve been overshadowed by the Edge 540s that have locked-out the podium positions in all three races to date. But no one in the gang of five is claiming to have backed the wrong horse, rather the prevailing opinion is that the Edge 540 is a known quantity, whereas the five MXS-Rs are the first five in the world, and inevitably getting the best from them will take some time. It is,
say the pilots and crews, a superior aircraft for air racing. “It’s a modern way to go, racing with a plane that’s made of a composite construction,” says Huxtable. “Versus an Edge – certainly against a stock Edge – it’s a more aerodynamic plane with a much cleaner design. It doesn’t have add-on fairings, everything is moulded and fits together well.” One criticism of the MXS-R, usually hurled by a member of the Edge 540 club, is the difficulty of carrying out work on a monocoque fuselage. While agreeing that access can be awkward if things do go wrong, Huxtable counters red bull air race magazine
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Tech Talk
becomes a nightmare to work on. That wouldn’t make sense. We have to achieve a balance. We would be happy with a plane that is a little bit more difficult to work on, but obviously faster. That’s the plane you want, because we’re here to win races.” To talk in terms of MXS-R versus Edge 540 is, of course, to ignore the modifications that make each aircraft unique. In this, the Team Breitling plane, number 002 in the MXS-R production run has potentially fallen farther from the family tree than the rest of the crop. While the other MXS-R pilots worked in a vague partnership at the MX Aircraft factory, Lamb chose to base his aircraft in England during the off-season, preferring isolation to collaboration. “I had three very good reasons for doing that,” he says. The first being that it was close to home for both myself and Nigel, so we could drive to the
“Obviously I want the fastest plane possible – however I accept there should be a sensible compromise.”
Unlike the rest of the MXS-Rs, the Team Breitling plane spent its winter in isolation.
Photography: Markus Kucera
the argument by pointing out the plane is easier to work with when they don’t. “Of course the Edge is steel-tubed, and taking off a panel to get at a buried component is easier than it would be for us. We do have to crawl around a lot more and maybe strip out the tank to get further down the fuselage if there’s a problem with the telemetry cabling or the SkyMedia boxes for the onboard cameras – but in the general run of things, in terms of what we’re doing at the race, the MXS-R is certainly the much easier aircraft to dismantle and reassemble.” Lamb adds that ease of access isn’t really a primary concern. “If the question is, do I want the fastest plane or the one that’s easiest to engineer? the answer is obviously that I want the fastest plane possible. However, I accept there should be a sensible compromise. I wouldn’t want a plane that, for the sake of being a couple of knots quicker,
hangar. As much as I love the States, I wanted to be going home every night. We already spend much of the year away, and I wanted to be able to spend time with my family rather than be in North Carolina. “The second reason was that we simply didn’t want the others to see what we were doing. If you have four other teams operating on the same airfield, let alone in the same hangar, you’re not going to have any secrets for long; people will see what you’re doing. Of course, we weren’t able to see what they were doing, but we’ve been operating the plane for a year and I’ve been in an MX for over two years, so we felt we had enough knowledge to do it on our own. “Finally, we also didn’t want to be part of a melee with five planes all trying to test at the same time, and the inevitable chaos that would bring. So we did our work at home, with peace and quiet. We wanted to do what we were going to do in our own way, and we achieved every single weight reduction objective we set ourselves – though we did run out of time with aerodynamics.” Pressure of time and pressure on budgets meant that, wherever they were working, most teams had to make a choice in their pre-season preparations between aerodynamic enhancements and weight savings. Given Team Breitling’s issues in 2008, for them it really wasn’t much of a choice, though they came into the season acknowledging their aircraft wasn’t quite where they would like it be aerodynamically. Of course, there were aero-modifications, such as the smaller rudder and the tiny tail wheel that appears when the length and smoothness of the taxi allow, but the bulk of the work they would like to do is being carried out in-season when opportunities permit; the long gap between Windsor and Budapest being viewed as a prime chance to introduce some more modifications. While the focus has shifted to aerodynamics and engine power, Lamb is quick to point out that the governing principal isn’t simply a quest for greater speed. “You need to be getting the
Among the changes to the Team Breitling plane are the trimming of the large rudder, designed for manoeuvres in unlimited aerobatic competition but unnecessary for racing. Also new is a low-drag, race-specification tail wheel.
maximum amount of power you can out of a power plant that’s legal. You need a plane on the minimum race weight. You also need it to be aerodynamically efficient with minimum drag, and you need it to be agile, stable and easy to control. Those are the four criteria and they’re all important. Most of these planes are pretty much there now and so it’s a case of making tiny improvements. “Speed certainly isn’t everything. If you have an incredibly fast plane, but one that’s difficult to fly accurately, you’re going to lose a huge amount of time on the track because you won’t hold the racing line. There’s no point in having a fast plane if you can’t handle it. Like a racing car, you want stability, and the handling to suit either the pilot or the track. For us, probably the pilot, since racing in the air means you won’t need a different feel for each track. It means handling is high on your list of priorities because you need to feel confident in the aircraft. “This would be a great conversation to have with Nicolas Ivanoff, as he spent two years in an aircraft that was inherently difficult to handle. We’ve come through the MX route, having
started off in an MX2. We’ve got to a position now where the handling is pretty much were we would want it to be and we’re not investing a huge amount of time on handling improvements now, but nor do we want to go backwards by changing other aspects of the plane.” “We’ve also got the weight to where we want it now, so from here on, it’s more aerodynamic upgrades and increasing the power – they are the two important things, really,” says Huxtable. “The problem for us has been finding the time to do alterations to the plane, so the mid-season gap is a good opportunity to introduce some fairly major changes, certainly some modifications and some testing. Without being too specific, there are aerodynamic changes we would like to make to the shape of the cowling and the air intakes, and we would like to modify our cooling as well. Of course, it’s very difficult to measure whether or not changes have been successful.” “In an ideal world, I’d like to have the plane for three weeks now,” adds Lamb. “Not to make sure it’s ready for the next race, but just to fly it to try out new components. It’s the same for red bull air race magazine
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Tech Talk
Improving the aircraft does nothing to detract from the requirement for skilful flying, insists pilot Nigel Lamb.
Technician Nigel Huxtable has masterminded a comprehensive modification programme that, having met its weight reduction goals, will now focus on aerodynamics and engine power.
everybody. We struggle to scientifically assess whether something new is having an effect. This isn’t like wheeled motorsport where you have a road surface and hundreds of telemetry channels – working in the third dimension involves quite a bit more thumb-sucking. “I’ll give you a simple example. If you had access to a race track for a whole day, with weather conditions staying the same, you might get in seven or eight flights. Say you decided to run with two different propellers. At the end of the day, unless they were radically different, you wouldn’t know which was better, because there are just too many variables to arrive at a scientific answer. The wind might have shifted imperceptibly; you might have flown a slightly different line. There are many things that can affect times when your race course is in the air.” Ultimately, as for any Red Bull Air Race team, the value of changes is measured by experience rather than telemetry, and therefore the dialogue
of a long development process that takes in simulation, analysis and wind-tunnel testing: aerodynamics as the province of Bernoulli’s principal rather than the rule of thumb. It isn’t something that’s going to find its way into air racing any time soon, but Lamb definitely has a covetous tone when discussing it. “It would be nice to introduce things that limit the guesswork; computer modelling, for example, might be a better way of working than simply having an idea, building a part and trying it out. I wouldn’t say it’s never going to happen, but if you’re talking about the way in which F1 teams work, for example, then forget it. There’s no way that air racing is going down that route. Just building an accurate model is prohibitively expensive, then buying the time in a wind-tunnel… even if we had the time – which we don’t – the cost would be astronomical. “What we could do, though, and this is how I’d like to work, is for the
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between pilot and technician is what drives the process forward. In this, Nigel and Nigel count themselves as particularly fortunate. “You need respect and trust,” say Lamb. “He needs to trust that I’m giving him good information, otherwise he’s going to be swimming in syrup. Equally, I need to trust that he knows what he’s doing with the plane. Fortunately, we’ve known each other for a long time, so he doesn’t have
any trouble understanding where I’m coming from. One of our advantages is that he has a lot of flying experience, but it’s important for a pilot to have a reasonably practical understanding of engineering, too – if you don’t have that capacity for two-way communication, you’re going to struggle.” While this dialogue between pilot and engineer is present in earthbound motor racing, it usually comes at the end
Photography: Markus Kucera
“It’s important for a pilot to have a practical understanding of engineering– if you don’t have that capacity for two-way communication, you’re going to struggle.”
team to have two planes. We would be working on the 2010 entry right now, knowing exactly what the rules and technical requirements are. Actually, in this ideal world it would be better to have three planes. The race plane for this year, which usually you don’t have much access to, a test plane where you could develop new ideas for the current plane, and then the third plane being developed for the following season. That sort of set-up would really be something.” It isn’t an opinion with universal agreement and, if other forms of motorsport can be used as a yardstick, is an issue that has the potential to be quite divisive. There are those who would like the technological arms race removed from the sport, with pilots competing in aircraft that are evenly matched. Lamb is more a fan of the high-technology approach, believing in a sport that requires the a little bit of everything. “I think it has to be a package. You can have the best, fastest plane, but
if you haven’t got a pilot capable of flying it on an invisible race line, it isn’t going to happen. If any part of the package is missing, you won’t do well. You need the plane that is light, powerful, aerodynamically efficient and agile. And you need the pilot who is on the ball on the day; who is able to find that line in the sky, fly consistently and not make any mistakes. There’s lot of different segments that make up the package, and if you’re deficient in any of them, then you will struggle. “I’d also say that the Red Bull Air Race is becoming better over time. There are a lot of competitive planes now; it’s not like it was before. Just to put that in perspective, a few years ago, before we introduced the head-to-head, Mike Mangold took a 10-second penalty on Race Day and still came third. The way it is now, I think even a two-second penalty would make it near-on impossible to be on the podium.” red bull air race magazine
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PROFILES
THE PILOTS Speed, precision and skill are the attributes needed by every Red Bull Air Race pilot if they’re going to be successful in this highly demanding royal league of aviation. Here they are, the 15 heroes of the World Championship.
HANNES ARCH AUSTRIA, EDGE 540
KIRBY CHAMBLISS USA, EDGE 540
DATE OF BIRTH: September 22, 1967 BIRTHPLACE: Leoben, Styria, Austria HOME: Salzburg, Austria HOBBIES: mountaineering, climbing, music WEBSITE: www.hannesarch.com
DATE OF BIRTH: October 18, 1959 BIRTHPLACE: Corpus Christi, Texas, USA HOME: Flying Crown Ranch, Arizona, USA HOBBIES: skydiving, running, motocross WEBSITE: www.kirbychambliss.com CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: 2008: Red Bull Air Race World Championship, 3rd 2007: Red Bull Air Race World Championship, 4th 2006: Red Bull Air Race World Champion 2005: Red Bull Air Race World Championship, 3rd FAI World Aerobatic Championships, 3rd (solo and team) 2003: FAI World Aerobatic Championships, 2nd and 3rd 2000: Free Programme World Champion 1998: FAI World Aerobatic Championships, 2nd and 3rd 1997: International Aerobatic Champion 1979: First solo flight
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: 2008: Red Bull Air Race World Champion 2007: Red Bull Air Race World Championship, 10th 2006: European Champion in Freestyle Aerobatics 2005: Red Bull Air Race Race Director 2003: BASE-jump, Matterhorn (SUI) 2000: BASE-jump, Eiger North Face (SUI) 1991: Ascent of Mount Balrog and Mount London (Alaska) 1983: First solo flight WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2009: 1ST
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2009: 8TH
DATE OF BIRTH: June 8, 1956 BIRTHPLACE: Körmend, Hungary HOME: Herceghalom, Hungary HOBBIES: fishing, parachuting, photography, car racing WEBSITE: www.besenyeipeter.hu
DATE OF BIRTH: September 22, 1964 BIRTHPLACE: Buckinghamshire, England HOME: Cambridgeshire, England HOBBIES: motorcycling, mountain-biking WEBSITE: www.teambonhomme.com
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: 2008: Red Bull Air Race World Championship, 5th 2007: Red Bull Air Race World Championship, 3rd 2006: Red Bull Air Race World Championship, 2nd 2005: Red Bull Air Race World Championship, 2nd FAI World Grand Prix, 1st 2001: FAI World Grand Prix, 1st 2000: Freestyle Aerobatics World Champion, Unlimited 1998: FAI World Grand Prix, 1st 1995: European Champion of the Compulsory Programme Freestyle Aerobatics European Champion, Unlimited 1994: Compulsory Programme World Champion 1972: First solo flight
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: 2008: Red Bull Air Race World Championship, 2nd 2007 : Red Bull Air Race World Championship, 2nd 2006: Red Bull Air Race World Championship, 4th 2005: Red Bull Air Race World Championship, 5th All FAI World Grand Prix results in the formation team category as the Sukhoi Duo/Matadors: FAI World Grand Prix SUI, 1st FAI World Grand Prix UAE, 3rd 2004: FAI World Grand Prix UAE, 1st 2002: FAI World Grand Prix CZE, 2nd FAI World Grand Prix JPN, 1st 2001: FAI World Grand Prix JPN, 2nd 2000: FAI World Grand Prix JPN, 1st 1981: First solo flight
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2009: 9TH
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2009: 2ND
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MATTHIAS DOLDERER GERMANY, EDGE 540
Photography: Daniel Grund
PAUL BONHOMME ENGLAND, EDGE 540
Photography: Daniel Grund (2), AP Images for Red Bull Air Race (1)
PETER BESENYEI HUNGARY, MXS-R
GLEN DELL SOUTH AFRICA, EDGE 540 DATE OF BIRTH: April 9, 1962 BIRTHPLACE: Johannesburg, South Africa HOME: Kyalami, South Africa HOBBIES: vintage aircraft, helicopters WEBSITE: www.glendellaerobatics.com CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: Eight times South African National Aerobatic Champion (Advanced) 2008: Red Bull Air Race World Championship, 12th 2004 : FAI Advanced World Aerobatic Champion 2002: FAI Advanced World Aerobatic Championships, 10th 2000: FAI Advanced World Aerobatic Championships, 20th 1999: FAI Advanced World Aerobatic Championships, 5th 1995: FAI Advanced World Aerobatic Championships, 13th 1978: First solo flight WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2009: 12TH
MICHAEL GOULIAN USA, EDGE 540
DATE OF BIRTH: September 15, 1970 BIRTHPLACE: Ochsenhausen, Germany HOME: Tannheim, Germany HOBBIES: tennis, skiing, cycling WEBSITE: www.matthiasdolderer.com
DATE OF BIRTH: September 4, 1968 BIRTHPLACE: Winthrop, Massachusetts, USA HOME: Maynard, Massachusetts, USA HOBBIES: ice hockey, skiing, golf WEBSITE: www.mikegoulian.com
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: 2008 : Red Bull Air Race Qualification Camp, Super Licence, Rookie German Aerobatic Championships, Freestyle, 2nd German Aerobatic Champion, Unlimited World Aerobatics Cup, Unlimited, 2nd European Aerobatic Championships, Unlimited, 19th 2007: World Aerobatic Championships, Unlimited 2006: German Aerobatic Championships, Advanced 1991: Microlight European Championships, German Champion 1990: Microlight World Championships 1988: Microlight European Championships 1988-1991: Microlight German Championships 1984: First solo flight
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: 2008: Red Bull Air Race World Championship, 10th 2007 : Red Bull Air Race World Championship, 8th Art Scholl Award for Airshow Showmanship, International Council of Airshows 2006: Red Bull Air Race World Championship, 5th 1998: Member of the US Aerobatics Team 1997: Member of the US Aerobatics Team 1996: Member of the US Aerobatics Team 1995: US Unlimited Champion Member of the US Aerobatics Team 1994: Member of the US Aerobatics Team 1991: Fond du Lac Cup, Winner 1990: US Advanced Champion 1984: First solo flight
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2009: 13TH
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2009: 11TH
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PROFILES MATT HALL AUSTRALIA, MXS-R
NICOLAS IVANOFF FRANCE, EDGE 540
MIKE MANGOLD USA, EDGE 540
DATE OF BIRTH: September 16, 1971 BIRTHPLACE: Scone, NSW, Australia HOME: Merewether, NSW, Australia HOBBIES: flying, exercise WEBSITE: www.matthallracing.com
DATE OF BIRTH: July 4, 1967 BIRTHPLACE: Paris, France HOME: London, England HOBBIES: flying, travelling, music WEBSITE: www.nicolasivanoff.com
DATE OF BIRTH: October 10, 1955 BIRTHPLACE: Cincinnati, Ohio, USA HOME: Victorville, California, USA HOBBIES: skydiving, racing jets, family WEBSITE: www.mikemangold.us
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: 2008 : Red Bull Air Race Qualification Camp, Super Licence, Rookie 2006: Australian Aerobatic Champion, Advanced 2004: USAF F15E Exchange 2003: East Coast Aerobatic Championship, Sportsman, 1st USAF F15E Exchange 2002: USAF F15E Exchange 1999: Dux Fighter Combat Instructor (Top Gun) 1997: Fighter Pilot of the Year 1992: Military Wings 1986: First solo flight
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: 2008: Red Bull Air Race World Championship, 9th 2007 : Red Bull Air Race World Championship, 7th French Aerobatic Championships, 2nd 2006: Red Bull Air Race World Championship, 8th 2005: Red Bull Air Race World Championship, 7th 2004: French Aerobatic Championships, 2nd 2000: World Aerobatic Championships, 1st (team) 1988: Microlight European Championships 1983: First solo flight
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: 2008 : Red Bull Air Race World Championship, 4th Reno Air Races, Jet Class, 2nd 2007 : Red Bull Air Race World Champion 2006: Red Bull Air Race World Championship, 3rd 2005: Red Bull Air Race World Champion 2004: World Air Games, 3rd (team) 2002: US Unlimited Aerobatics Point Series Champion World Air Games, 3rd (team) 2001: World Air Games, 3rd (team) 1977: First solo flight
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2009: 4TH
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2009: 6TH
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2009: 3RD
PETE MCLEOD CANADA, EDGE 540 DATE OF BIRTH: February 23, 1984 BIRTHPLACE: Kapuskasing, Ontario, Canada HOME: London, Ontario, Canada HOBBIES: ice hockey, outdoor sports WEBSITE: petemcleodaerosports.com CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: 2008 : Red Bull Air Race Qualification Camp, Super Licence, Rookie European Aerobatic Championships, 12th 2007: Youngest unrestricted surface-level display pilot 2006: US National Aerobatic Championships, 2nd BF Goodrich Award, Youngest Canadian Airshow Performer 2004: North American Collegiate Aerobatic Champion Mid-America Series Champion Undefeated in 2004 with five 1st-place finishes Four times winner of the Highest Scoring Pitts Award 2000: First solo flight WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2009: 15TH
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: Eight times British Unlimited Aerobatic Champion Four times British Freestyle Champion Member of the British team: Three World Aerobatic Championships Two European Championships 2008: Red Bull Air Race World Championship, 7th 2007: Red Bull Air Race World Championship, 9th 2006: Red Bull Air Race World Championship, 10th 2005: Red Bull Air Race World Championship, 10th 2000-2003: Breitling Fighters Display Team, manager and pilot 1994-1999: Golden Dreams Aerobatic Team Leader 1989-1993: Toyota Aerobatic Team Leader 1989: Masters of Aerobatics SA, 2nd 1985-1988: Marlboro Aerobatic Team Leader 1976: First solo flight WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2009: 5TH
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YOSHIHIDE MUROYA JAPAN, EDGE 540
SERGEY RAKHMANIN RUSSIA, MXS-R
DATE OF BIRTH: August 6, 1969 BIRTHPLACE: Madrid, Spain HOME: Pozuelo de Alarcon, Spain HOBBIES: skydiving, films, helicopters WEBSITE: www.teammaclean.com
DATE OF BIRTH: January 27, 1973 BIRTHPLACE: Nara, Japan HOME: Fukushima, Japan HOBBIES: flying, snowboarding, zazen WEBSITE: www.yoshi-muroya.jp
DATE OF BIRTH: October 18, 1961 BIRTHPLACE: Chemnitz, Germany HOME: St Petersburg, Russia HOBBIES: flying, travelling, skiing WEBSITE: www.sergeyrakhmanin.com
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: Twice Spanish Aerobatics Champion, 2nd 11 times 2008: Red Bull Air Race World Championship, 8th 2007: Red Bull Air Race World Championship, 6th 2006: Red Bull Air Race World Championship, 9th 2005: Red Bull Air Race World Championship, 9th Captain of the Spanish Aerobatic Team 2001: World Aerobatic Championships, 10th 1998: Lithuania Aerobatic Championships, 1st 1987: First solo flight
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: 2008 : Red Bull Air Race Qualification Camp, Super Licence, Rookie FAI World Grand Prix Haute Voltige Montegi, 6th 2007: FAI World Grand Prix Haute Voltige Montegi, 5th 2006: FAI Al Ain Aerobatics Championships, 5th 1995: Japan Glider Competition, 3rd 1991: First solo flight
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: 2008: Red Bull Air Race World Championship, 11th 2007 : Red Bull Air Race World Championship, 12th 2005: World Aerobatic Champion World Grand Prix of Aerobatics, 3rd 2004: European Aerobatic Championships, 2nd 2003: World Aerobatic Champion Russian Aerobatic Champion 2002: Russian Aerobatic Champion European Aerobatic Championships, 2nd 2000: Tchakolov Cup, 1st 1999: European Aerobatic Champion Russian Aerobatic Champion 1995: Russian Aerobatic Champion World Glider Aerobatics Championships, 3rd 1991: USSR Aerobatic Champion 1980: First solo flight
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2009: 14TH
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2009: 10TH
Photography: AP Images for Red Bull Air Race
DATE OF BIRTH: August 17, 1956 BIRTHPLACE: Zimbabwe, Africa HOME: Oxfordshire, England HOBBIES: skiing, scuba-diving, racquetball WEBSITE: www.nigellamb.com
ALEJANDRO MACLEAN SPAIN, MXS-R
Photography: Daniel Grund
NIGEL LAMB ENGLAND, MXS-R
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2009: 7TH
RED BULL AIR RACE MAGAZINE
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THE PLANE
RACE PLANE CLOSE-UP Two types of plane are used in the Red Bull Air Race, the Edge 540 and the MXS-R. Check out Nigel Lamb’s MXS-R, a power package with more than 300hp.
SPECIFICATIONS LENGTH WINGSPAN WEIGHT POWER TOP SPEED ROLL RATE MAX G ENGINE WING DESIGN PROPELLER PILOTS FLYING IT
EDGE 540 (ZIVKO AERONAUTICS, USA) 6.30m (20.7ft) 7.43m (24.4ft) 540kg (1190lb) 340hp 426kph (265mph) 420°/sec +/-12G AEIO 540 EXP Symmetric, carbon fibre Hartzell Claw MT-PROB Arch, Bonhomme, Chambliss, Dell, Dolderer, Goulian, Ivanoff, Mangold, McLeod, Muroya
MXS -R (MX AIRCRAFT, USA) 6.28m (20.6ft) 7.31m (23.9ft) 540kg (1190lb) 350hp 426kph (265mph) 450°/sec +/-12G AEIO 540 EXP Symmetric, carbon fibre Hartzell Claw MT-PROB Besenyei, Hall, Lamb, Maclean, Rakhmanin
THE AIRCRAFT AILERONS. The ailerons are used to let the aircraft roll around its longitudinal axis. They are mounted on the trailing edge of each wing and move in opposite directions. When the pilot moves the stick left, the left aileron goes up and the right aileron goes down simultaneously. ELEVATOR. The elevator is used to move the nose up or down. It is mounted on the back edge of the horizontal stabiliser on each side of the fin in the tail. When the pilot pulls the stick backwards, the elevator goes up. Pushing the stick forwards causes the elevator to go down. ENGINE. Race engines are six-cylinder boxer engines. These 540 cubic inch engines are fuel-injected. Race-plane engines have between 320 and 350hp. FUSELAGE. The fuselage can be manufactured from different materials. Some are carbon fibre, others steel tube. The main target is to achieve a lightweight, strong structure. PROPELLER. The most widely used propellers in the Red Bull Air Race are three-blade variable-pitch propellers. The hub is aluminium and the blades are made of natural composite with a fibre-reinforced epoxy cover or carbon fibre. The maximum diameter is 203cm, with a weight of 25kg. The maximum propeller rotation is 2700rpm. RUDDER. The pilot uses his feet to control the rudder, which is mounted on the back edge of the fin in the tail assembly. The rudder allows the pilot to turn the plane around its vertical axis. SAFETY EQUIPMENT. Pilots are strapped into their seats with five-point safety harnesses, similar to the ones used in car racing. Every competitor has a parachute onboard. Due to the low-level flying and to avoid extra weight, race planes have no ejection seat. SPADES. It is almost impossible to overcome the amount of drag without spades. They grab air that pushes them down or up and this reduces stick forces when rolling the plane. UNDERCARRIAGE. The undercarriage consists of two bigger wheels at the front and one fairly small wheel at the back of the plane. They cannot be pulled in while in the air. On the ground, the rear wheel is steered by the rudder pedals. The main carriage is covered by carbon-fibre bodywork and equipped with small disc brakes. WINGS. The wings are 100 per cent carbon fibre for minimum inertia, high performance and agility. They also contain fuel tanks for long-distance flights, which are always empty in race trim to reduce overall weight.
Animation: Peter Clausen Film & TV
AXIS AND ROTATIONS
PITCH
ROLL YAW
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THE COCKPIT
PILOT’S VIEW Find out about the features of Peter Besenyei’s MXS-R race plane.
AIRSPEED INDICATOR. This shows the plane’s speed (in knots) relative to the air. It works by measuring the ram-air pressure in the plane’s pitot tube. ALTIMETER. Indicates the aircraft’s altitude (in feet) above a reference level by measuring the static air pressure. It is adjustable for local barometric pressure. Pilots must observe their assigned altitudes in holdings and routes to and from the Red Bull Air Race Airport. AVI. The switch that turns on all the electronics. BREAKERS. These are there to protect various electrical components. EFIS. This race device gives the pilot information about his run. He can use the touch-screen facility to switch between different display modes. It also sends speed or G info to the Race Tower. ENGINE ANALYSER. A high-tech device that records engine data. After a flight, the engineers download the info for analysis. The little switch on top of it is the voice alarm for engine parameters. It warns the pilot in case of any system’s failure or fluctuations in engine performance. FUEL-PUMP SWITCH. Used by the pilot to switch between all three fuel tanks: right wing, left wing and main tank. During the race only the main tank contains fuel. Race planes run on Aviation Gasoline (AvGas), a 100 octane low-lead fuel. In race trim, 50 litres are aboard. Around 2 litres are burned per minute. FUEL SWITCH. This is the electric boost pump that’s used when starting the plane and when switching fuel tanks. G-METER. Shows the pilot how many G he is pulling or pushing. Competitors must not exceed 12G in sharp and quick corners, where gravitational forces are the highest. MIXTURE. Controls the air/fuel mixture that is delivered to the engine. The pilot adjusts the fuel flow with this control. OIL PRESSURE. This is a back-up device for measuring the oil pressure. If the engine analyser has an electrical failure the pilot is still able to find out the oil pressure. PEDALS. The rudder pedals are mechanically wired to the plane’s rudder. Before take-off and after landing, the pilot uses his feet to turn the plane left or right on the ground. During flight, pushing the pedals causes the plane to turn around the vertical axis (yaw). PROP CONTROL. This is there to adjust the pitch of the propeller blades. RADIO COMMUNICATION. Connects the pilot with the Race Director and the control tower. SMK. The switch that arms the smoke system. SMOKE ON/OFF. Just before the pilot enters the track he has to turn the smoke on. White smoke emerges when paraffin oil is added to the exhaust pipes. It makes the plane’s flight path more visible. START BUTTON. Used to actuate the race plane. STICK. This is the steering wheel of the plane. Pushing it left or right causes the plane to roll. Pushing it forwards or backwards causes the nose to pitch up or down. The red button on top of the stick is the radio push-to-talk button.
Photography: Markus Kucera
THROTTLE CONTROL. By pushing the throttle control forwards or backwards the pilot changes the speed of the engine. It can be compared with the throttle pedal of a car. TRANSPONDER. Transmits information to the tower concerning the plane’s position and altitude. TRIM. Adjusts the stick pressure in pitch. VERTICAL CARD COMPASS. An instrument that indicates the plane’s heading.
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CALENDAR
RED BULL AIR RACE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP The Red Bull Air Race touches down on three continents this season: Asia, North America and Europe. Six unique spots provide the backdrop for the premier aviation league.
2009
STANDINGS POS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
PILOT Hannes Arch Paul Bonhomme Nicolas Ivanoff Matt Hall Nigel Lamb Mike Mangold Sergey Rakhmanin Kirby Chambliss Peter Besenyei Alejandro Maclean Michael Goulian Glen Dell Matthias Dolderer Yoshihide Muroya Pete McLeod
NAT. AUT GBR FRA AUS GBR USA RUS USA HUN ESP USA RSA GER JPN CAN
PLANE Edge 540 Edge 540 Edge 540 MXS-R MXS-R Edge 540 MXS-R Edge 540 MXS-R MXS-R Edge 540 Edge 540 Edge 540 Edge 540 Edge 540
POINTS 33 32 24 19 18 18 17 13 10 8 6 3 1 1 1
CC
M M
YY
CM CM
MY MY
APRIL 17 & 18 ABU DHABI, UAE
CY CY
MAY 9 & 10 SAN DIEGO, USA
JUNE 13 & 14 WINDSOR, ONTARIO, CAN
CMY CMY
KK
PILOT
NAT.
PLANE
POINTS
POS
PILOT
NAT.
PLANE
POINTS
POS
PILOT
NAT.
PLANE
POINTS
1
Hannes Arch
AUT
Edge 540
12 + 1
1
Nicolas Ivanoff
FRA
Edge 540
12
1
Paul Bonhomme
GBR
Edge 540
12
2
Paul Bonhomme
GBR
Edge 540
10
2
Paul Bonhomme
GBR
Edge 540
10
2
Hannes Arch
AUT
Edge 540
10
3
Nicolas Ivanoff
FRA
Edge 540
9
3
Hannes Arch
AUT
Edge 540
9+1
3
Kirby Chambliss
USA
Edge 540
9+1
4
Nigel Lamb
GBR
MXS-R
8
4
Peter Besenyei
HUN
MXS-R
8
4
Mike Mangold
USA
Edge 540
8
5
Matt Hall
AUS
MXS-R
7
5
Matt Hall
AUS
MXS-R
7
5
Sergey Rakhmanin
RUS
MXS-R
7
6
Sergey Rakhmanin
RUS
MXS-R
6
6
Nigel Lamb
GBR
MXS-R
6
6
Michael Goulian
USA
Edge 540
6
7
Mike Mangold
USA
Edge 540
5
7
Mike Mangold
USA
Edge 540
5
7
Matt Hall
AUS
MXS-R
5
8
Alejandro Maclean
ESP
MXS-R
4
8
Sergey Rakhmanin
RUS
MXS-R
4
8
Nigel Lamb
GBR
MXS-R
4
9
Kirby Chambliss
USA
Edge 540
3
9
Glen Dell
RSA
Edge 540
3
9
Nicolas Ivanoff
FRA
Edge 540
3
10
Peter Besenyei
HUN
MXS-R
2
10
Alejandro Maclean
ESP
MXS-R
2
10
Alejandro Maclean
ESP
MXS-R
2
11
Matthias Dolderer
GER
Edge 540
1
11
Yoshihide Muroya
JPN
Edge 540
1
11
Pete McLeod
CAN
Edge 540
1
12
Glen Dell
RSA
Edge 540
0
12
Kirby Chambliss
USA
Edge 540
0
12
Glen Dell
RSA
Edge 540
0
13
Yoshihide Muroya
JPN
Edge 540
0
13
Matthias Dolderer
GER
Edge 540
0
13
Matthias Dolderer
GER
Edge 540
0
14
Michael Goulian
USA
Edge 540
0
14
Michael Goulian
USA
Edge 540
0
14
Yoshihide Muroya
JPN
Edge 540
0
15
Pete McLeod
CAN
Edge 540
0
15
Pete McLeod
CAN
Edge 540
0
15
Peter Besenyei
HUN
MXS-R
0
AUGUST 19 & 20 BUDAPEST, HUN
Population: 1.7 million Location: Hungary Time zone: UTC +2 hours Race history: races in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008; first races in 2003 and 2004
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SEPTEMBER 12 & 13 PORTO, POR
Population: 240,000 Location: Portugal Time zone: UTC +1 Race history: races in 2007 and 2008
OCTOBER 3 & 4 BARCELONA, ESP
Population: 1.6 million Location: Catalonia, Spain Time zone: UTC +2 hours Race history: race in 2006
Photography: Daniel Grund, Markus Kucera, Dean Treml
POS
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THE RULES
ABOUT THE RACE
The Red Bull Air Race World Championship is supervised by the FAI (Fédération Aéronautique Internationale). The FAI oversees safety at each race.
G-RACE SUIT A revolutionary anti-G suit for the Red Bull Air Race World Championship.
RULES
RACE FORMAT
FROM 12 TO 15. The largest expansion of the starting field in the history of the Red Bull Air Race made it necessary to revamp this season’s race format. It now features a QUALIFYING DAY with all pilots racing to be one of the 10 fastest to take them directly through to the Top 12 session on Race Day. For the first time ever, Qualifying will also be a race for ONE CHAMPIONSHIP POINT, which will be awarded to the pilot with the best time in Qualifying.
LEVEL FLYING The Air Gates marked in blue must be passed in a horizontal position.
A WILD CARD SESSION will open Race Day with the five slowest from Qualifying getting a second chance by battling it out for the final two spots in the Top 12. The fastest eight from the Top 12 advance to the SUPER 8 and the four fastest go all-out against the clock in the FINAL 4 – with the fastest pilot being declared the winner.
KNIFE FLYING Air Gates marked in red must be passed in a vertical position.
As part of the natural progression of the sport as it enters its fifth championship season, race organisers have also decided to make some ADJUSTMENTS TO THE SCORING SYSTEM. Pilots can gain points at each race and the one with the most points at the end of the World Championship becomes the Red Bull Air Race World Champion.
CHICANE The Chicane consists of three single pylons which must be passed in slalom flight.
DAY 1 / QUALIFYING DAY QUALIFYING 1
QUALIFYING 2
WILD CARD
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TURNING MANOEUVRE The turning manoeuvre at the end of the course can either describe a horizontal turn or a climbing (tilted) turn up to a pure vertical flight path including roll. It has to be flown inside the safety area.
FLYING TOO HIGH The competitor passes the Air Gate or chicane too high. Penalty 2 seconds
DANGEROUS FLYING Dangerous flying includes flying too low, crossing the crowd line, exceeding the start speed limit (370kph) or max G (12G). Disqualification!
TOUCHING AN AIR GATE The competitor touches a pylon with the wing or propeller. Penalty 6 seconds
TOP 12 FASTEST EIGHT PILOTS ADVANCE TO SUPER 8*
SUPER 8 FASTEST FOUR PILOTS ADVANCE TO FINAL 4*
FINAL 4
POINTS
FOUR PILOTS COMPETE FOR VICTORY*
WILD CARD
PILOT 08
PILOT 04
1ST
12
PILOT 02
PILOT 14
WILD CARD
PILOT 07
PILOT 03
2ND
10
PILOT 03
PILOT 03
PILOT 13
PILOT 10
PILOT 06
PILOT 02
3RD
9
PILOT 04
PILOT 04
PILOT 12
PILOT 09
PILOT 05
PILOT 01
4TH
8
PILOT 05
PILOT 05
PILOT 11
PILOT 08
PILOT 04
5TH
7
PILOT 06
PILOT 06
PILOT 07
PILOT 03
6TH
6
PILOT 07
PILOT 07
PILOT 06
PILOT 02
7TH
5
PILOT 08
PILOT 08
PILOT 05
PILOT 01
8TH
4
PILOT 09
PILOT 09
PILOT 04
9TH
3
PILOT 10
PILOT 10
PILOT 03
10TH
2
PILOT 11
PILOT 11
PILOT 02
11TH
1
PILOT 12
PILOT 12
PILOT 01
12-15TH
0
PILOT 13
PILOT 13
PILOT 14
PILOT 14
PILOT 15
PILOT 15
DIRECTLY ADVANCE TO TOP 12
PILOT 15
Illustration: Seso Media Group
HOW IT WORKS: Four water columns in the fluid muscles build up pressure around the body under high G-forces causing the non-stretch fabric to contract. This effect, together with interactive muscle straining and breathing techniques, assists the race pilot in keeping oxygen-rich blood in the head and upper muscle areas of the body. All race pilots are recommend to wear the G-race suit. If one of them decides not to wear it, a penalty weight of 6.5 kg is added to the plane’s seat.
PILOT 02
1 PT
Photography: Markus Kucera
The G-race suit was introduced in April 2009. It’s the first professional G-protection for civilian race planes.
PILOT 01
RACE FOR WILD CARD
FLUID MUSCLES Two at the front and two at the back. The tubes are each filled with 1 litre of water.
FASTEST TWO PILOTS ADVANCE TO TOP 12*
PILOT 01
INCORRECT KNIFE FLYING The racer deviates from vertical flight by more than 20° or tilts his plane to the wrong side. Penalty 2 seconds
THE QUADRO The Quadro is made up of four pylons positioned in a square. It must be passed in knife flight.
DAY 2 / RACE DAY
TWO FLYING SESSIONS. BEST TIME COUNTS. WINNER RECEIVES ONE POINT FABRIC: Twaron/ Nomex®, a non-stretch fabric.
INCORRECT LEVEL FLYING The pilot deviates from level flight by 10° or more. Penalty 2 seconds
The Red Bull Air Race World Championship is an international series of races with the objective to navigate an aerial race track featuring air-filled pylons, known as Air Gates, in the fastest possible time incurring as few penalties as possible. The total length of the race track is approximately 5km.
* STARTING ORDER FOR ALL SESSIONS ON RACE DAY IS DETERMINED BY THE RESULTS IN QUALIFYING. THE SLOWEST FROM QUALIFYING FLIES FIRST RED BULL AIR RACE MAGAZINE
49
location
AreA MAp
Abu Dhabi
The race in Budapest, Hungary, will take place over the Danube River. Check out the viewing areas and the challenging race track.
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the rAce Schedule
Wednesday, august 19 – Qualifying day 12:00 Doors Open 13:00 Pre Show & Entertainment 14:30 Qualifying 1 15:30 Qualifying 2 17:00 Doors Close
* The schedule is subject to change.
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red bull air race magazine
thursday, august 20 – race day 10:30 Doors Open 13:00 Pre Show & Entertainment 14:00 Race Starts 14:00 Wild Card Session 15:00 Top 12 15:40 Super 8 16:15 Final 4 17:00 Award Ceremony 17:30 Doors Close
Illustration: Seso Media Group
For more inFormation visit www.redbullairrace.com
red bull air race magazine
51
CALENDAR 19/20 August
Budapest, HUN
12/13 September Porto, Portugal 3/4
52
October
Barcelona, Spain
red bull air race magazine
YOU NEED TO BE A RED BULL AIR RACE PILOT, NOT TO SEE ITS BACK ONLY. www.seat.hu