red bull air race magazine windsor ontario 2009

1 RED BULL AIR RACE MAGAZINE

THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINEWINDSOR, ONTARIO, JUNE 13&14

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imprint THE RED BULLETIN GMBH, Heinrich-Collin-Straße 1, 1140 Vienna, Austria e-mail: [email protected] Managing Directors Karl Abentheuer, Bernd Fisa Project Director Jürgen Eckstein Editors in Chief Robert Sperl, Nadja Žele Editor Matt Youson Chief Sub-editor Nancy James Art Directors Erik Turek, Markus Kietreiber Designers 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

another promising season of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship.

A great deal has changed since last year. We have a bigger pilot line-up, a new race format and new rules. This means that 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 off-season. The first two races in Abu Dhabi and San Diego were eye-openers for the race teams.

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 also download the latest issue of the magazine online at www.redbullairrace.com

In this, the third issue of this season, you’ll get to know Pete McLeod and his team better, you’ll find out what Matt Hall’s dream car should look like and you’ll discover why Nicolas Ivanoff is so incredibly fast this year. And, of course, we’ll show you the planes and explain the rules and the format for this breathtaking motorsport.

This season definitely is an extraordinarily thrilling one. The first two rounds showed that the World Championship has made another big leap forward since last year. So join us and celebrate a great season of competition, excitement and fun.

The editors

the content

04 GALLERY The best pics from this season’s first two races 14 BULLEVARD A

review of the last race and preview to the next one, plus what’s going on in Sergey Rakhmanin’s

head 20 HERo Has Matt Hall ever searched for gold? And what would he make as a lazy

Sunday seduction breakfast? Find out 22 PoRtRAit Pete McLeod is the youngest

Rookie ever in the history of the Red Bull Air Race. Get to know this Canadian, whose ancestors

from the Isle of Skye, Scotland, were passionate sailors and pilots 28 HiGH FLYERs

Yoshihide Muroya’s favourite food is sushi – cliché but true. Until he met famous Californian

sushi chef Jeffrey Roberto, Yoshi didn’t know how to prepare the Japanese delicacy. Discover

what happened during his first training session 30 tECH tALk Man or machine?

Nicolas Ivanoff’s secret to podium finishes 34 REPoRt The Red Bull Air Race TV crew

have won an Emmy! Find out more about the team and their sophisticated systems

38 PRoFiLEs Close-ups of all 15 Red Bull Air Race pilots 42 tHE PLANE

A detailed look at the mechanics of an Edge 540 44 tHE CoCkPit Take a seat in a

race plane and get the pilot’s view 46 CALENDAR Find out where the races take place

this year 48 tHE RULEs More about the rules of the race as well as an explanation

of the format 50 LoCAtioN All you need to know about the location

for an exciting Race Day

hello and welcome to…

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Ad Name: This rascal is ... Trim Size: 202mm x 276mm File Res: 300ppi

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SpeedThe top speed allowed in the Red Bull Air Race is 370kph. The key is to find the fine line between going too slow and going too fast – but he who brakes loses.Nigel lamb, saN diego, may 2009


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PrecisionSteering a wild horse through a tough track demands endless quantities of skill, knowledge and experience. It’s a task that only the very best of the best are able to complete.Peter Besenyei, san Diego, May 2009


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UniqUenessPure visual pleasure is when this incredibly fast motorsport combines with an exciting and unusual backdrop to become a one-of-a-kind experience.Matthias DolDerer, san Diego, May 2009

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rookies

10 red bull air race magazine

G-ForceTop physical form is crucial. In some sections of the track the G-force can get almost as high as 12G. That’s nearly 12 times one’s own body weight.Glen Dell, Abu DhAbi, April 2009

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red bull air race magazine 11 red bull air race magazine 11

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rookies


PassionFlying is an incomparable sensation. Last season 300 million fans worldwide shared this feeling with the pilots by cheering them on in front of their TVs.Mike Mangold, San diego, May 2009

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LOWE ROCHE 260 Queen Street West, suite 301, Toronto, Ontario M5V 1Z8 416 927 9794

Client: Audi File Name: AUDI-1341-Z_RedBull_FP.indd Production Artist(s): BK

Business Manager: Vidas K. Creative Team: Patrick/Rob Production Contact: Terri Vegso, Ext. 256

Publication(s)/Description: Red Bull Air Race (mag) – Full Page First Ins. Date: N/A (due: May 1)

Ad #: AUDI-1341-Z Final Trim/Ad Size: 7.953"W x 10.866"H Bleed: 8.11" x 11.18" Live/Safety: 7.8" x 10.71"

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Foxy.

© 2009 Audi Canada. European model 2009 Audi Q5 quattro shown with optional equipment. *Audi Q5 3.2 FSI quattro, base MSRP of a new 2009 base model Audi Q5 with 6-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission is $43,400. Excludes up to $800 freight, up to $2,345 PDI, license, insurance, registration, any dealer or other charges, options and other applicable taxes are extra. “Audi”, “Audi Q5”, “Audi Drive Select”, “FSI”, “quattro”, “Vorsprung durch Technik”, and the four rings emblem are registered trademarks of AUDI AG. “Tiptronic” is a registered trademark of Dr. Ing. h. c. F. Porsche AG. To fi nd out more about Audi, visit your dealer or call 1-800-FOR-AUDI.

Introducing the Audi Q5. With a sleek, windswept design, a beautiful full-length Panorama Sunroof, and a

sumptuous interior, the Audi Q5 strikes you as diff erent, even at fi rst sight. Its quattro® permanent all-wheel drive,

Audi Drive Select, and remarkably effi cient 270-hp FSI V6 engine confi rm what you suspect – this isn’t your typical SUV. And

starting at $43,400*, it’s not priced like one either. Don’t buy another box. Test drive the Audi Q5 today. www.audi.ca

Boxy.

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red bull air race magazine 13 red bull air race magazine 13

Page: 1

LOWE ROCHE 260 Queen Street West, suite 301, Toronto, Ontario M5V 1Z8 416 927 9794

Client: Audi File Name: AUDI-1341-Z_RedBull_FP.indd Production Artist(s): BK

Business Manager: Vidas K. Creative Team: Patrick/Rob Production Contact: Terri Vegso, Ext. 256

Publication(s)/Description: Red Bull Air Race (mag) – Full Page First Ins. Date: N/A (due: May 1)

Ad #: AUDI-1341-Z Final Trim/Ad Size: 7.953"W x 10.866"H Bleed: 8.11" x 11.18" Live/Safety: 7.8" x 10.71"

Visible Opening: N/A File Scale: N/A Other Info: N/A

Colours: Cyan Magenta Yellow Black

Foxy.

© 2009 Audi Canada. European model 2009 Audi Q5 quattro shown with optional equipment. *Audi Q5 3.2 FSI quattro, base MSRP of a new 2009 base model Audi Q5 with 6-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission is $43,400. Excludes up to $800 freight, up to $2,345 PDI, license, insurance, registration, any dealer or other charges, options and other applicable taxes are extra. “Audi”, “Audi Q5”, “Audi Drive Select”, “FSI”, “quattro”, “Vorsprung durch Technik”, and the four rings emblem are registered trademarks of AUDI AG. “Tiptronic” is a registered trademark of Dr. Ing. h. c. F. Porsche AG. To fi nd out more about Audi, visit your dealer or call 1-800-FOR-AUDI.

Introducing the Audi Q5. With a sleek, windswept design, a beautiful full-length Panorama Sunroof, and a

sumptuous interior, the Audi Q5 strikes you as diff erent, even at fi rst sight. Its quattro® permanent all-wheel drive,

Audi Drive Select, and remarkably effi cient 270-hp FSI V6 engine confi rm what you suspect – this isn’t your typical SUV. And

starting at $43,400*, it’s not priced like one either. Don’t buy another box. Test drive the Audi Q5 today. www.audi.ca

Boxy.

013-04-13 pictures_ins 13 27.05.2009 18:43:04 Uhr

BULLEVARD


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REVIEW

SANDIEGO“This is really nice,” says Nicolas Ivanoff, after his sensational run in the Final 4. His time of 1:17:21 is the fastest clocked over the Big Bay. “I’m happy. The new plane is great!” Ivanoff celebrated his second victory, after his triumph in the fi nal race of the 2007 season in Perth, Australia. Strangely, both his wins have been slightly overshadowed by other ‘highlights’. In Perth it was Mike Mangold unexpectedly winning the championship title, in San Diego, it was a pelican that drew the attention to another man: Hannes Arch. Some say that the Austrian always has an easy ride to fi rst place, because he just happens to fl y the best plane in the pitlane, but maybe those skeptics have changed their minds now as Arch managed to manoeuvre his injured machine to a third-place fi nish! The encounter with the bird, a so-called bird strike, could have led to a very different outcome, rather than the loss of only one or two seconds. “I didn’t see the bird! I just heard a bang, but didn’t know what it was. I checked to see if everything was still working and kept on fl ying. I didn’t manage to fl y clean through the Quadro and got penalized, but looking at what has happened, I’m quite happy with the result,” says Arch, whose plane’s wing, elevator, landing gear and horizontal stabilizer were damaged as a result of the collision. Title-chaser Paul Bonhomme had to put up with another second-place fi nish, after Abu Dhabi. “I’m fed up with being second! The plane is OK, but I just have to fl y a more aggressive line.” Let’s see if he alters his style.

14:18It’s the Top 12. Kirby Chambliss gets into the track and immediately pulls over 12G. He’s violated the maximum G rule and gets disqualifi ed. No points for the American.

15:30Peter Besenyei is back! After a 10th place in Abu Dhabi he makes it into the Final 4 here. But on his last lap he grabs a two-second penalty and ends up 3.53s off the pace.

13:35Japan’s Yoshihide Muroya is feeling on

top of the world! The Rookie just returned from a great run in the Wild

Card session. With a 1:24.23 he’s in the next round, the Top 12, along

with Spain’s Alejandro Maclean.

14:47This Rookie is a superstar. Matt Hall

just misses the Final 4 with a time of 1:20.38 and grabs his second

fi fth-place fi nish after Abu Dhabi.

15:38Hannes Arch is the last starter of the

Final 4. He’s 0.30s ahead of Nicolas Ivanoff at the fi rst interval. But then

the pelican intervenes. Over and out.

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RED BULL AIR RACE MAGAZINE 15

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGSPos Pilot Nationality Plane Points

1 Hannes Arch AUT Edge 540 23

2 Nicolas Ivanoff FRA Edge 540 21

3 Paul Bonhomme GBR Edge 540 20

4 Nigel Lamb GBR MXS�R 14

5 Matt Hall AUS MXS�R 14

6 Peter Besenyei HUN MXS�R 10

7 Sergey Rakhmanin RUS MXS�R 10

8 Mike Mangold USA Edge 540 10

9 Alejandro Maclean ESP MXS�R 6

10 Kirby Chambliss USA Edge 540 3

11 Glen Dell RSA Edge 540 3

12 Matthias Dolderer GER Edge 540 1

13 Yoshihide Muroya JPN Edge 540 1

14 Michael Goulian USA Edge 540 0

15 Pete McLeod CAN Edge 540 0

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PREVIEW

WINDSOR,ONTARIOThis race is Pete McLeod’s. The local hero clearly has an ambitious goal: to grab his fi rst championship point. Is it doable? It depends on the plane. The Rookie is perfectly capable of doing well, but a top position or even a race win isn’t within his reach right now. Mixing it with guys like Hannes Arch or Paul Bonhomme will only be realistic in 2010. However another Rookie, Matt Hall from Australia, already seems to have everything it

takes to win. After a fi fth-place fi nish in Abu Dhabi, he just missed the Final 4 in his second-ever race, in San Diego. Windsor, you could see a Rookie on your podium. This is the third race and with three more to go we’re mid-season. So who will take the title? Arch, Ivanoff, Bonhomme? “It’s still open. You have to be on the podium in every race if you want the title. Consistency is the key,” says Ivanoff.

The podium: Nicolas Ivanoff in fi rst, Paul Bonhomme in second and Hannes Arch in third place.

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The race plan

When I’m on the runway all I’m thinking

about is the plan. The preparation

beforehand has prepared the plan and

that’s all there is in my mind. It’s all about

memory and brain power; I try to cut

off all emotions because it’s best to

be cold when you’re racing, and only

concentrate on the plan.

relaxingIt depends on the situation. Sometimes I like to get out of the city with my family,

sometimes I’ll listen to music. I like Russian rock

music! Very often it helps… I’m pretty conservative when it comes to food. I do like to

cook – just not too often.

aerobaTics vs air racingWhich one do I enjoy more? It’s not an easy question to answer! I enjoy aerobatics and I enjoy races. There are some common points but there are many differences between the two competitions – which I think makes them both all the more interesting. I think my experience in aerobatics and the approaches to it I’ve developed are useful when preparing to race.

Time offActually, competition keeps

me very busy. In between the races I’m generally

preparing for the races. It’s simply what I have to do. But of course I like to be at home with my family.

locaTion, locaTion, locaTionIt isn’t easy to say where my favourite Red Bull Air Race is – there’s a combination of factors to consider. Sometimes it’s just the place – if we’re flying in a beautiful location – sometimes it’s the hospitality. I like it when people enjoy our races, and it really is possible to feel that when you’re flying – you can see what the spectators are doing and how much they’re getting into it.

glidersFlying glider aerobatics is very nice. I was third

overall in the 1995 world glider championships in France. But glider

aerobatics could never replace power aerobatics

as my primary interest.

sT peTersburg

It’s where I live. It’s my hometown, though

I was born in Karl Marx Stadt, Germany,

now Chemnitz, because my father was

a military officer stationed there. I moved

to St Petersburg when I was three years

old. After that I spent seven or eight

years in Lithuania before returning to

St Petersburg. Then it was off to

pilot’s school in Ukraine, then

back again to St Petersburg.

He fought his way through the tracks with a weak Edge 540 for two long seasons, now he finally owns his own plane, the MXS-R, and is regularly collecting points. But what else

is on the mind of the former aerobatics world champion from St Petersburg?

Sergey rakhmaninWhere’s your head at?


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LIFESTYLE1 The task is quite simple. Take a picture of this JAGTAG with your AT&T or Verizon phone and send it to 524824 (iPhones send to [email protected]). What you’ll get back to your phone is exclusive Hannes Arch content. However the real challenge is getting

the autograph card beforehand. So, keep your eyes wide open 2 It’s the high life, for those who follow the race action in the High Flyer’s Lounge – it’s also a recommended spot for those who want to meet the pilots in a relaxed mood after the race 3 Meet the new race bunny. Matthias Dolderer sports some saucy headgear 4 What you see here is sophisticated mental preparation. It’s the Paul Bonhomme method, a technique whose details will never be revealed 5 Who needs a gym when you have all this apparatus to hand? Sergey Rakhmanin’s fi tness regime gives him a body of steel 6 Those guys are actually from Hawaii and not from Austria, as it says on the shirt. Can you guess who they’re cheering on? It’s number 28, Hannes Arch.

2 3

4

6

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SUMMIT OF GIANTSReggie Bush, the running back of the New Orleans Saints, is a God of American Football. Peter Besenyei is the Godfather of the Red Bull Air Race. Two Gods met at the race in San Diego and explained to each other what their sports are all about. The signed football is on auction for a good cause, check wingsforlife.com

PRECISION

TEAMWORK

INTERCEPTION

TACTICS

TEAMWORK

EXCITEMENT

EXCITEMENT AMAZEMENT

TRUST

SPEED

FUN

ENJOYMENT

TOUCH DOWNS

TIME

SHOWING OFF

GOOD AND BAD TIMES

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Spin 1: FlyingWhere would you never fly to?Oh, I’d fly anywhere! If I ever say that I would never fly to a certain place, then I have to challenge myself to fly there. I’d like to fly to the moon if I could. I’d never want to fly to the sun because I’d burn up there, but I would be happy to go everywhere else.Spin 2: LeisureWhat’s your seduction breakfast menu on a lazy Sunday?Tricky! I used to make eggs benedict for my wife Pedita, but then I got lazy. Now, if she’s really lucky, I make her a cup of tea and some pancakes. The secret of my pancakes is a little shake-up kit I buy from the store. I put some water in it, shake it and they’re ready. OK, sometimes I also make scrambled eggs, but it’s been a very long time since I got the eggs benedict and hollandaise sauce recipe out. You’ve made me feel guilty now.Spin 3: FlyingWhat essential items should a pilot own?A pilot should own a leather flying helmet, goggles and a scarf, because you never know when you’re likely to fly an open-cockpit biplane and take a trip back to the romantic days of flying.Spin 4: PrivateWhat food do you completely dislike?Funnily enough, as an Australian, I don’t particularly like seafood. I’m not into things like oysters, octopus or squid. I did eat a clam one day, when I was in the military on a survival course. That was when I hadn’t eaten anything for about two or three days. I was actually

SPIN THE WHEEL

floating around on a raft for some time, before I was picked up by a helicopter. I thought they would bring me home, but they dropped me on an island and I stayed there for another couple of days. So I was pretty hungry and luckily I found this huge clam. I built a fire, threw the clam on the fire, opened it up, tipped it out. It was like a rubber tire. I put it in my mouth and chewed for about 10 minutes, but the piece wasn’t getting any smaller. So I swallowed it and... vomited. Luckily I hadn’t eaten for about four days, so the only thing that came out was this piece of rubber. I really don’t like seafood.Spin 5: NatureHave you had any encounters with poisonous creatures?Yes, a couple. And I’ve had two distinct ones. From the age of 10 to the age of 17 I lived in the Australian outback. We lived on a farm, and when we were building our house, we lived in a shed. I was probably 10 years old at that time and I had a waterbed in this shed. We went on a holiday for a week or so and came

Matt Hall is the quickest of this year’s four Rookies. The Aussie reckons he’s pretty good at spinning too, but our question and answer game wasn’t quite the kind of spinning he had in mind…WORDS: NADJA ZELE

HERO

back and I climbed into the bed that night and my foot kicked something that was quite heavy and cold and kind of slimy. We pulled the sheets back and there she was, a red-bellied black snake: quite a poisonous snake. She had decided to take a nap there and luckily she didn’t bite me. That would have killed me as a kid. But that’s Australia. As Dennis, my technician, says: “Not everything in Australia is poisonous... Sharks aren’t poisonous.” I’ve also met things like redback spiders, which are also very poisonous creatures. These spiders were often on my toothbrush when I was living in the shed. You just get used to dealing with poisonous creatures.Spin 6: FlyingA general knowledge question about the Red Bull Air Race World Championship: what’s the most important thing one needs to know about a pylon or so-called Air Gate? What you’ve got to do is go past it. Be it knife edge or straight-on level. If you hit it, you have to ignore it and keep going. The big thing when you hit a pylon is that you have to make a rapid decision. You have to check if it has affected the flying qualities of the aircraft. Has it damaged the plane or is the material wrapped around it somewhere? If it is, you need to get away from the surface of the earth as fast as possible. But if you make that split-second decision that everything is OK and you felt that it was a clean cut, then you have to stay focused and not let it worry you at all.Spin 7: MusicWhat was the first CD you ever bought?It may have been something like Brothers

WHEELThe rules of the game: simple, spin the wheel and when it stops the player must answer a question truthfully from the category indicated by a coloured segment. Six colours, six different topics: Orange = Australia; Green = Nature; Black = Private; Red = Flying; Blue = Leisure; White = Music.

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“a weird situation that

i’ve been in during the last

two months? Flying a race in abu dhabi.”


in Arms by Dire Straits. Or Seal’s first album. I still listen to old music. I may not listen to whole albums, but I definitely listen to songs from my entire life of music so far. I still like the same music I used to like. I don’t outgrow styles or particular songs, I just collect more things that I like, which is a huge range from classical music to heavy rock. Spin 8: Australia Did you ever search for gold or opals around your home?I’ve been to places where you can, but the answer is ‘no’. I guess I’m a fairly calculating person. I don’t really get any enjoyment from gambling, because

I can’t control the outcome and that’s the same with searching for gold or opals – there’s too great a chance of massive disappointment. That’s why I choose to do things that I can control and where I know that if I work hard, I can get results. If I went and shifted 20 tonnes of dirt and found nothing that would be extremely hard to take for me.Spin 9: Leisure What features does your dream car have to have? I must admit that I like powerful and noisy sportscars, so my dream car would be a low-slung two-seater with very wide tires and a really throaty exhaust, not

so much a high-revving four-seater. Currently, I own a Mazda RX8 with a rotary engine, but when I was living in America I owned a Trans Am that had glass packs and a straight-through exhaust, which sounded pretty cool. I’d have to say it would definitely be a two-seater sportscar, with either a V8 or V12 engine, a Maserati or something like that.Spin 10: Private Name a weird situation that you’ve been in during the last two months...I’d say, flying a race in Abu Dhabi. It’s the first time I’ve ever done this and I was flying around in the middle of a city, 10m above the water flat out. Weird.

021-20-21 hero hall 21 27.05.2009 18:49:10 Uhr

KEEPINGTHE

SPEED UP

PORTRAIT

Canadian Pete McLeod is the youngest race pilot in the Red Bull Air Race. He’s also the boss of a an equally young team aiming for the top. Their claim: ‘Max Power!’ Their winning potential is high. All they need is time – and a fast plane.

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Keepingthe

speed up red bull air race magazine 23

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This is Ted Reynolds’ tail view. Ted’s connection to aviation goes back three generations and his very first word was apparently “airplane”. Members of Ted’s family have been plane designers, builders, mechanics, pilots, fighter pilots, aircraft dealers, airport and museum founders. Ted started working in 1999, doing restoration work on planes. In 2001 he went to the Northern Lights College in Dawson Creek, British Columbia, where he took an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer program. After completing his studies he went back to his old job, before switching to airliners and working on Boeing 737s during the summer of 2006, which is where he was employed when he met his current boss. “I met Pete at an airshow last summer. I helped him put the wings on his plane,” says Ted. “We exchanged emails and six months later I was a part of his team, and moved from Wetaskiwin to London.”



ete McLeod’s Edge 540 is a workhorse. No other race plane in the Red Bull Air Race World Championship is quite so slow. However its jockey knew that before he purchased it from the reigning World Champion Hannes Arch. Pete isn’t bothered, though, he’s simply following a conservative plan by gaining track experience in a reliable plane, before aiming for podium finishes in 2010 and the title before the age of 30.

Back in 2004, just around the same time the news of a brand-new form of aerial motorsport was beginning to spread around the globe, Pete decided to turn his passion into his profession. His career strategy was to become really good at aerobatics and fly in as many airshows as possible. He wanted high scores at aerobatic championships then he could move straight over to the Red Bull Air Race World Championship.

“I was 20 and in university at that time,” he says. “I spent hours and hours on the internet, trying to find every bit of information about the Red Bull Air Race. Right from the start, when I saw the first race, I dreamed of being part of this racing world. I always believed that if you are passionate enough and if you work hard, then you can make anything your job, so why not take your favourite thing? Achieving, competing and sport are very exciting for me. Maybe it’s because of my age and once I get older there will be probably a greater enjoyment in family and children and watching them succeed.”

Maybe one day, when he’s 45 or so. Yes,

Pete is young. He’s 25. His parents aren’t much older than most of the other race pilots. Pete’s father Dave was the one who took him for his first ride in a plane, at the tender age of six weeks. Pete grew up with flying. Steering around small float and ski planes in the bush was just as normal to him as cycling is to other kids. “I started with aerobatics at 16 and for the last five years I’ve been eating, breathing and sleeping competition aerobatics, airshow freestyle and the Red Bull Air Race,” he says.

In 2008 Pete prepared himself to go racing. He had top scores in aerobatic championships, got into the Red Bull Air Race Qualification Camp, showed the race committee his physical, mental and – most importantly – aerial potential and went back home with a Super Licence. Not long after, he entered the world of racing and became a Rookie.

But Pete has other interests apart from flying. In fact, like most Canadians, he grew up playing ice hockey and almost ended up playing professionally. However he chose education over ice and went on to secure an economics degree from the University of Western Ontario where he acquired an interest in stock market developments, rather than devoting himself to puck and stick. “It was a choice of priorities,” says Pete. “I had to make the decision whether to stay and play the leagues or move away from home to join the higher leagues and become professional. I still enjoy ice hockey, the game, but it’s kind of tough, because I was so serious before. It’s hard for me just to play for fun. I’m a very competitive guy.

“That’s why, for me, the Red Bull Air Race isn’t just a one-shot, one-go, one-year thing. This sport is growing really fast and has huge potential. It’s not just a pilot and his technician running a plane against guys who are sometimes friends and sometimes not kind of game any more. I’m trying to come up with new ideas and build something for the future, something that allows me to be successful, to win races. For that you have to have a business in line, sponsors, finances to make the plane go fast, to train, to focus and not have to worry about the little stresses in life. In my organization it’s not just me and my team: Nathan (Herbert) and Ted (Reynolds). I’ve got a small board of advisors. My dad, for example, plays a big role. He gives me guidance in terms of management. And

then there are others who come from business backgrounds that stretch from legal advice to accounting. Everybody has a certain expertise in one area. That’s the invisible force that nobody sees at the races, in the magazines or on TV. Maybe it’s not 100 per cent necessary to have such a set-up right now, but where I want to be after two or three years in this sport it definitely is.”

Pete is trying to learn from other motorsport teams. He’s researching by observing Formula One teams and is well aware that if there’s turmoil within the team, it shows on the track. “I’m fairly open to mentorship,” he says. “My advisors are not only experts in their professions, they also have an interest in seeing me succeed and making me better at what I do, helping me grow as a person, as a businessman and as an athlete. If you’re not open to that as a Rookie, especially as a Rookie of my age, then you won’t make it, because you’re competing against guys who not only have 15 years more flying experience, but 15 years more life experience. Not everybody has 15 years of business experience, because some of them didn’t do that in their past careers, but they have a bigger network.

For me and my team, this year is a steep learning curve in all matters: in the race track, outside of it. My role is

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not only that of a race pilot, but I’m also something like a coach. I spend a lot of time away from the race trying to set things up that allow me to be as much of a pilot at the race as possible. Nathan’s role is as a team co-ordinator in that respect, allowing me to focus on the flying, and Ted’s as chief technician is to focus on the plane and handling all the other details that come in for the actual race. Of course I end up handling everything one way or the other, but it’s through a filter, it’s not all pilot alone.”

Building up a good, strong team is important if you want to be more than just average. “You always have to come up with plans. Some of the plans work out really well and some don’t. So, you need to modify them or change and grow. Just like any organization.”

Pete McLeod’s organization seems to have an interesting advantage in comparison with the other teams. The age factor. The fact that they’re part of the Facebook and Twitter generation seems to mean that they learn new systems faster and adjust quicker. “In a way, this is what makes you better,”

says Pete. “Either it’s in the track, when working with the media or how the team runs itself. It’s easy for us and we’re constantly striving for excellence.

“However, I have to keep in mind, especially as a 25-year-old competitive Rookie, that this is really serious sport and that it can be dangerous at times. With my plane, if I want to make it into the Top 12 session, I have to go at max power, fly the tightest lines and come into the track screaming, and this is not the right approach.”

Pete manages to keep a cool head and celebrates every little success he and his team have with every race stop. “I am happy with my performances in the track so far,” he says. “In San Diego I was able to perform a smooth, penalty-free run with a good lap time, so I have achieved what I wanted to.”

For Pete, Qualifying and Race Day are generally like any other day during race week. “You feel something different than before a Training session, that’s for sure,” he says. “But I just keep telling myself to take it the same as every flight. Because I am just going out to learn, fly

smooth and be in a good environment to progress. I need to keep that mind-set during the whole week. Actually, I don’t even think about the fact that there’s a championship point on the board for first place in Qualifying. Because that’s not within my reach right now. To think about that would be just wasted energy.”

And what about being nervous or getting really excited? Are those familiar feelings? “If those people who know me see me getting nervous, then they get really nervous, because I normally just don’t get nervous,” says Pete. “I’ve always thought that getting nervous or scared about things doesn’t help. It just wastes mental energy and focus, and this makes everything even more difficult. I mean, don’t be careless, of course stuff matters, it’s important, but just be in a good, happy kind of chilled state and then body and mind perform the best. That’s what I’m trying to bring into Qualifying and Race Day. I can tell that a lot of the guys, when they’re under pressure, turn into a totally different person. That’s just because something got into their head. For me, at this stage there

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Not your average team: Nathan Herbert (24), Pete McLeod (25) and Ted Reynolds (27) are constantly striving for excellence.



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“Go out, fly smooth and

learn as much as you can!

This is what I keep telling

myself. I have to keep this

mind-set on Qualifying and

Race Day. More is not

within my reach right now.”Nathan (top, right) met Pete at their home in Red Lake. He was at school and raced Pro Canadian SnowCross before he joined the team.

is no pressure. It’s just important to build things in this race environment and get a firm grip on how to handle myself, so when I’m racing for a podium spot, this is already in place. Besides that, the biggest thing that all the Rookies are lacking is track experience. I just have my fingers crossed on the training days that we get good weather and we don’t lose any flying, because especially with this short season in which we only have six races, it’s very challenging to catch up to the guys who have 35 or 40 races under their belts. All of a sudden we’ll be in our second season and not considered Rookies any more. So, all we can do right now is learn as much as we can, as fast as we can.”

In this first-ever race in Canada the local heroes with the racing number 84 want to kick off their “Let’s go out there and get better results” plan. “We got the plane into our shop after the race in San Diego to make some mods for Windsor. We haven’t been able to work on the plane before, because it was in Europe during pre-season,” explains Ted Reynolds. The ability to work on the Edge 540 after the race in Windsor will

be again very limited. “It will be tied up in logistics on its way to Europe and our next race-stop in Budapest, so no wild changes or modifications are planned for the second half of the season,” says Pete, who’s intending to fill his short summer break with workouts, healthy food and lots of flying. “I’ll be putting some time on my airshow plane and going to the gym. Also, much of the planning for 2010 will take place, and of course it’s important to recharge the entire team’s batteries for the last three races.”

But that’s the future, the present is what really matters. Windsor, Ontario, is a location to which the race pilot ferried his plane on his own. “Both Ted and Nathan have pilot’s licences, but they aren’t qualified in the race plane yet. It’s ideal for the technician to be qualified in the race plane so that he can do a lot of these ferry flights and also some test flying. But we’re a new team, we only have one race plane right now and we have to take good care of it.”

Pete’s ferry flight from California to Ontario went over Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Indiana,

and Ohio. “That was the first time I’ve flown the Edge cross-country in North America,” says Pete. “It’s like going on a road trip in a race car. In this race plane we don’t have heating or insulation, because that would all be just extra weight, garbage you don’t need for racing. During the ferry flight you’re trying to go up high, maybe 3660m high in order to get better fuel economy and winds. It can get quite cold up there. You lose roughly two degrees Celsius per 300m above ground. So if you are 2000 or 2500m above ground, it’s 14 or 16 degrees below what it is on the ground. The thing is, you can’t wear too many warm clothes, because there’s not enough space in the cockpit and you’re there for around three hours, you can’t move, so after a while you’re freezing.”

Luckily this cool guy didn’t transform into a block of ice during his two days and 11 hours (in total) ferry flight and is extremely motivated to do well in this race, especially as it’s in front of his home crowd, his friends, family and fans. So watch number 84 getting ‘Max Power’ out of his newly modified workhorse.



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When sated with the action out in the harbour, High Flyer’s Lounge guests of the Red Bull Air Race in San Diego last month had the opportunity to sample the delicacies prepared by leading sushi chef Jeffrey Roberto, the proprietor of Sushi on a Roll, San Diego’s famous sushi catering company. Jeff and his crack team of eminent sushi chefs prepared a non-stop banquet, offering a mix of Californian, fusion and traditional Japanese sushi styles. With 24 years’ experience as a sushi chef, Jeff is a master of his trade; he’s forgotten more about making sushi than most people will ever know. Of more interest to us, however, are his skills as a teacher.

When it comes to sushi, Red Bull Air Race pilot Yoshihide Muroya is more of a consumer than a creator – and frankly, looked rather worried when offered the opportunity to learn the chef’s art. But fresh from his first appearance in the Red Bull Air Race Top 12, Yoshi agreed

SuShi ● with YoshI

to give it a go. It was tough deciding who was more apprehensive, Jeff or Yoshi.

“Becoming a sushi chef takes years of training,” says Jeff. “It’s like learning a martial art, it takes discipline and practice. Showing someone how to roll sushi is easy, but preparing the rice… that’s a different story. It’s hard to get the rice on there without destroying it. The key to perfect sushi is being able to still see each individual whole grain, without smashing. It’s an art.”

The first item on the syllabus is a rainbow roll, containing cucumber, crabmeat and avocado, with a sashimi topping. With a blur of fingers, Jeff constructs a perfectly sculpted creation, then, in the very best traditions of the Japanese game show, Yoshi takes his turn. “Sushi is an edible art form,” explains Jeff, “if it looks good, it’s going to taste good.” That probably doesn’t help Yoshi: flying the Edge 540 at 370kph, just metres above the waters

Take one fearless pilot and one peerless sushi chef. Blend them together, add in cameras and microphones and leave to simmer…

Words: Matt Youson

high flyers

of San Diego Bay, he’s in his element; juggling rice, seaweed sheets and raw fish in front of a growing crowd – many of whom are shouting encouragement – he’s not. To everyone’s surprise – including Yoshi’s – the end result of his efforts looks pretty good.

The next 10 minutes are filled with instructions: ‘roll’, ‘chop’, ‘water’, ‘wrap’. Yoshi begins to display a definite affinity. “It’s easy eh?” offers a cheerful Jeff. “I’d rather be eating it,” mutters Yoshi.

Sushi On A Roll has been in business for 16 years, and was a repeat booking for Red Bull’s High Flyer’s Lounge. It’s an established name on the Southern California events scene. “We’ve catered functions where we’ve had to prepare 40,000 pieces of sushi – fortunately many of my friends in town are also sushi chefs, because I have to call in help for things like that,” says Jeff. For

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the moment, Yoshi, struggling to keep his rice intact, is concentrating on just the one piece of sushi. You have to crawl before you can walk.

“Today’s menu is pretty basic, but the menu never ends up in a sushi bar,” says Jeff. “You can go to a restaurant and order a crab cake and they serve it in one way. In a sushi bar we can do it 10 different ways – the menu is endless. Sushi is all about creativity. It’s about making what your palette wants; it’s what fits your mood. And it should be fun.”

The last comment is timed to perfection; Yoshi slices his offering and presents it to uproarious applause, though it’s probably more in recognition of the effort rather than the beauty. Then someone suggests that now Jeff has taught Yoshi how to make sushi, Yoshi should teach Jeff how to fly a plane. “Oh that’s OK, says Jeff. “I have about 140 flying hours already. It was pretty much my major in college…”

Yoshi on a roll: the Red Bull Air Race Rookie learns the finer points of preparing a rainbow roll from expert sushi chef Jeffrey Roberto.

029-28-29 sushimityoshi 29 27.05.2009 18:53:13 Uhr

Two races into the 2009 Red Bull Air Race season and Nicolas Ivanoff has been the fastest man flying. As a proven race winner his talents have never been in doubt, but the switch to an Edge 540 seems to have made the Quick Frenchman ultra-competitive. Is the plane the thing? Team Ivanoff answer the question. Words: matt youson

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ometimes the real story isn’t the one that gets reported.

In Abu Dhabi, for the first Red Bull Air Race of the 2009 season, Hannes Arch narrowly beat Paul Bonhomme. It was a continuation of the title battle from the previous year; the Austrian and the Englishman fighting tooth and claw for air superiority. On the ground, the battle between technicians Vito Wyprächtiger and Wade Hammond provided the sub-plot. In a winter of frenzied development and testing, the Edge 540 race planes of both pilots had undergone serious modification: one concentrating on weight reduction, the other on improved aerodynamics. Abu Dhabi didn’t settle the argument, the times all weekend too close to suggest any particular dominance for either direction. Instead, they served to prolong the discussion. They also hid the fact that Nicolas Ivanoff, though

S finishing third, had on raw pace been the fastest man in the air. Penalties in each round served to conceal that in reality no one could get close to the orange blur of the mercurial Frenchman’s plane.

The next race, in San Diego, produced more of the same – only Ivanoff was avoiding the penalties. In the Final 4 he flew clean and flew well to record his second race victory and his first since Perth 2007. “We always knew Nicolas would be fast when he got into a decent plane,” said one of his neighbouring pilots on the Red Bull Air Race Airport, alluding to the fact that after struggling with an Extra 300SR in 2008, Ivanoff is now competing with an Edge 540 of his own.

With hindsight, it looks like an intelligent tactical move, though Ivanoff is quick to point out that the new rules precluded him from continuing with the asymmetrical-winged Extra. “The

Tech Talk

Ivanoff on the edge


030-30-33 tech-talk 30 27.05.2009 18:53:38 Uhr


The right lines: Nicolas Ivanoff in his orange Edge

540 speeds through the track on the way to

winning in San Diego.

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Tech Talk


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Edge really is very different,” reflects Nicolas. “The Extra was a prototype for the Red Bull Air Race. It had some good qualities but also a lot of… mistakes. With the Edge it was nice to get into something that was instantly very good on a racetrack. The Extra made it hard to do a fast roll and the plane was almost unflyable when the weather was windy and bumpy. When you fly somewhere like San Diego and you come into the downtown area, it isn’t likely to be smooth. Last year it was hard for me to have a good time; now, when I’m flying the Edge, I hear other pilots saying, ‘It’s really bumpy today.’ I think: ‘Where?’ I can’t feel the wind any more: the plane is very stable.”

Unlike the teams of rivals Bonhomme and Arch, Ivanoff hasn’t had a winter to prepare his plane. In fact, taking delivery shortly before the season began, the Frenchman had barely five hours’ flight time before arriving in Abu Dhabi. “We had one week in the Zivko factory in Oklahoma City,” recounts Nicolas. “We went to the factory on Monday; I was able to fly the plane on Thursday afternoon and on Friday we started to disassemble the plane, to ship it to Abu Dhabi. We didn’t have time to do anything other than run-up the engine.” An enquiry of how his plane happens to be quite so quick elicits only a smile and a shrug. “I know nothing about the plane. If the plane it fast, it’s due to Bruno. For that you really have to ask him.”

Team Ivanoff technician Bruno Marlière had very little sleep during the warm-up week before the Abu Dhabi race. “We did a few things that have proved good enough in giving us some speed. The Lycoming engine is really easy to work with – there’s lots of potential to adapt the settings, and I was lucky to find good ones in a short period of time.”

Zivko’s Edge 540 makes up the bulk of the race field and has a formidable reputation in competition aerobatics; but constructing aircraft isn’t a mass-production activity; rarely will two planes the same roll out of the factory; consequently the oldest Edge in the Red Bull Air Race, that of Pete McLeod, is somewhat different to the latest edition owned by Ivanoff – though the pilot stresses that the variations are not that great. “I don’t think there is much

difference between the new Edges and the older ones,” he says. “The set-up of the [now removable] wingtips has changed, and we asked the factory to give us a plane with the minimum weight they could do; so we probably have one of the lightest – unmodified – planes, but beyond that… well, the colour is different.

“We didn’t have time to think about factory modifications. Also, I didn’t have the knowledge to suggest any because I didn’t know the plane. I was not in a position to decide what would be good and what would be bad. Now, knowing the plane a little bit better, we can do things to it ourselves. I imagine we will work on areas such as the wheel fairings, the landing gear, maybe the coaming also.”

Team Ivanoff tried to fit a more aerodynamic canopy between the Middle East and Californian races, but that project didn’t work out and the team chose not to devote excessive time to remedying the situation. The one notable change from the plane that left the factory is a new, lighter exhaust system, developed by a French supplier usually linked with developing components for Formula One cars. The team have no major revisions due for this weekend, preferring to wait until after this race. “We will have more time when we are back in Europe, when we can work from our home base,” says Nicolas. “Unlike the [North] American pilots, it’s really hard for us to do modifications out here.

“Another factor to consider is that this is a new plane. We have to run it for a while to work out what we need to do. There are modifications that we could have done quickly, but that comes with a risk. It’s better to run it for two or three races, take our time and figure out what we really need, and then do those things well. We have to fly the plane to understand it; we have to learn about the aircraft, find out what it likes, what it doesn’t like and make changes that really work. I don’t want to make minor changes; I prefer to take more time and do something real.”

Given the apparent superiority of Ivanoff and his Edge at the moment, the Frenchman might be forgiven for choosing to change nothing at all. He seems to have a balance of speed and handling that works, and Bruno in particular is wary of upsetting that equilibrium. “You must

always think about the global level of performance. You need to be fast, you need to be light, you need to be manoeuvrable. It’s like a spider [Venn] diagram; you need to stay in the middle. Imagine if we have a good idea for the engine. If that improvement adds three kilograms, we must find three kilograms from somewhere else on the plane. It’s easy to say, difficult to do, but you have to stay in the middle.”

“Basically we need everything,” adds Nicolas. “In this kind of flying we need a strong plane that’s very manoeuvrable, but also fast and lightweight. It isn’t like a race plane set-up for huge turns like maybe you see at Reno. Think of those as being like a car that is fast on the highway. For the Red Bull Air Race we need the equivalent of a car that is fast on tight, twisty mountain roads.”

Despite the stranglehold the Edges have on the podium places so far in 2009,

“When I’m flying the Edge, I hear other pilots saying, ‘It’s really bumpy today,’ I think: ‘Where?’ I can’t feel the wind: the plane is very stable.”

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there have been flashes of performance from the competitor MXS-R aircraft also, suggesting the Edge 540 isn’t going to enjoy its previous hegemony. The all-carbon-fibre planes from MX Aircraft, as flown by Peter Besenyei, Matt Hall, Nigel Lamb, Alejandro Maclean and Sergey Rakhmanin, are light, nimble and capable of great speed – but as Bruno Marlière points out, outright speed between the air gates isn’t the only factor to take into consideration over a gruelling season.

“There are advantages for the MXS for sure. It’s a nice smooth machine with good curves and of course it’s really, really fast. But an Edge can be fast also, and if you have an Edge you can think about configuration more; with an MXS you can’t change the shape too much because the skin is also the structure.

“Speaking purely from the technical point of view, I have a better feeling

with the Edge because it is steel tubing and so we can repair it easily. You don’t need to be completely involved in carbon-fibre engineering and design. I think if you have trouble with an MXS, you often have to be an expert in carbon fibre to fix it. On this Edge, if you have a hard landing, for example, and need to carry out an inspection, it’s easy to examine the steel tubing.”

The mix of Ivanoff’s effusive élan and the Edge’s sheer competence were always expected to be a potent combination, but quite how quickly the Frenchman has got to grips with new aircraft has raised some eyebrows out in the pitlane, including those of Ivanoff himself. Like any race pilot he has the confidence to back himself, but there is a difference between the self-belief to fly well and an empirical expectation of victory. “I saw the modifications of Paul [Bonhomme] and Hannes [Arch]

and suspected they would be very fast. I didn’t have any expectations for us because I didn’t know the plane, it was still so new,” he says.

Both Nicolas and Bruno believe there is greater potential in their plane, waiting to be teased out as they familiarize themselves with it’s quirks and foibles. They’re certain, for example, that the engine has more horsepower waiting to be tapped. The Red Bull Air Race doesn’t tend to engage in the technological PR phoney war so beloved of other motorsports, but it’s a claim that will give the competition pause for thought.

Of course, Ivanoff being quick with the plane straight out of the wrapper suggests the real worry should be that the Frenchman in the orange scarf with matching plane is motivated and flying beautifully – but sometimes the real story isn’t the one you hear.

Team manager Jean-Paul Kieffer (top left), Nicolas (top centre and above) and Bruno (top right) have got it right so far with their Edge 540 – but the technical skills of Vito Wyprächtiger (above centre) and Wade Hammond (above right) will give Hannes Arch and Paul Bonhomme the ammunition to push them all the way.

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xxxxx

and the emmy goes to...

034-34-37 emmy 34 27.05.2009 18:55:16 Uhr

…the team responsible for the Red Bull Air Race TV program for stunning coverage and technical excellence. Here’s who they’d like to thank… Words: matt youson

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t the Red Bull Air Race, as with any sport, there are those who stand in the limelight, and those behind the scenes who’s job it is to make sure the limelight is working properly and

pointing in the right direction. But recently that position has been subtly reversed; members of the hard-working production crew have been seen walking with a jaunty step, enormous smiles and occasionally posing for photographs. This, apparently, is what you do after winning an Emmy.

The Red Bull Air Race World Championship television program on Fox Sports Network received a prestigious Sports Emmy Award at the annual New York gala. Up against stiff competition from the big networks with coverage of signature events such as the Beijing Olympics and NASCAR Sprint Cup, the team who produce the Red Bull Air Race broadcasts went into the awards as underdogs. They won the award for ‘outstanding team technical remote’, which honours the outside broadcast technology used to present the pictures, seen on the Jumbotron screens and transmitted around the world for sports, news and dedicated programming.

Generating pictures from the Red Bull Air Race requires massive collaboration: the FSN program was produced by GRACE Productions, together with production

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company West4Media and technology suppliers SiVision, Riedel Communications [see page 37] and Sky Media.

“I’ve had a lot of adventures during my career in TV, but this one has to be the top,” says Imre Sereg, CEO of SiVision, the company responsible for the TV production hardware. Everything from the ground-based cameras to the editing

And the emmy goes to...

suites and mixers comes from them. In total 13 containers, which hold 40 tonnes of equipment, have made the trip from California to Windsor. It is, explains Imre, rather more challenging than producing a run-of-the-mill sportscast.

“We’ve done motor racing, golf, even music videos, but from the sheer scale, the workflow, the complexity, working on the Red Bull Air Race is the biggest. This isn’t like working in a football arena. The Red Bull Air Race puts itself downtown right in the middle of the action, and so we have the challenges of making everything work while not interrupting the life of the city – and I love it!

“We bring full-HD equipment; we have super-motion cameras, we have

A massive 40 tonnes of broadcast hardware lead the way as the Red Bull Air Race World Championship arrives in town, setting up a production network that changes with every city.

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wireless cameras, we have fibre-optic cables going up to 3km away from the studio. In fact, they go up to 3km left, 3km right and 800m to the far side of the box. It’s a spectacular sport, but it’s very hard to cover – though winning an Emmy suggests we do it pretty well.”

With SiVision supplying the hardware and Riedel looking after the video, audio and data communication links, editorial responsibility lies with West4Media, directing the broadcast from the TV compound. “I’ve produced football, motor racing, skiing and the Olympics, and I have

to say this is much more difficult,” agrees West4Media founder Alexander Strohmer. “Consider a Formula One race: everyone on the production side knows the shape of the racetrack; you have the same camera positions every year and normally the cableways are already there. You show up with the camera, plug in and start up. At the Red Bull Air Race you have to start from scratch at each location.

“It’s really interesting to get involved with the aviation department when the track is designed. They talk to us before making their final decisions to ensure we

have something that works well for the TV production as well as for the race itself. It’s good to be part of the team – and it really is a close team, despite us all being from different companies.”

Perhaps the most specialized input to the Red Bull Air Race’s TV feed comes from Sky Media. It’s certainly the most visible, with company owner Jürg Fleischmann piloting the TV helicopter that brings pictures live from inside the race box.

“We’ve been part of the team from the start, and a lot of trust has developed between us and the pilots,” says Jürg. “If you watch the race you’ll see that sometimes I’m flying the helicopter only a few metres away from the race planes. When the Red Bull Air Race first started we were flying way outside of the box, but we’ve crept in closer and closer with each race. Today we can deliver really good pictures because we’re right inside the track, crossing the flight path, dodging around the pylons. That requires quite a lot of trust on both sides.”

“We can deliver really good pictures because we’re right inside the track, crossing the flight path, dodging pylons.”

Producing broadcast images for the Red Bull Air Race is a collaborative process from a team comprising SiVision (broadcast hardware), West4Media (broadcast editorial), Riedel (communications networking) and SkyVision (helicopter and race-plane cameras). It’s a big crew…

report

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Jürg takes practice sessions as seriously as the racing pilots, more so in fact. While they only need to memorize their own path, he has to learn the routes of all 15. “Everyone flies the course a different way – which means I take a lot of notes!”

Another task for Sky Media are the race plane cameras. Both the HD cockpit camera and the SD tail cams are bespoke, designed by Sky Media specifically for the Red Bull Air Race.

“I’m very proud of my team for the work they’ve done in a difficult environment,” adds Jürg. “When we started working with onboards, the conventional wisdom was that covering aerobatics like this was impossible. Nothing on the market could survive the constant high-G and still provide good pictures; that’s why we needed to design our own equipment on a clean sheet of paper. Winning the Emmy is terrific. It gives everyone a boost because it says we’re going in the right direction. It inspires us, and the rest of the broadcasting team, to do even better in the future.”

Broadcasting a race requires an enormous collaborative effort and a very robust communications network to underpin it. That’s where the Red Bull Air Race relies on Riedel Communications and, this season, a new product called MediorNet.Riedel’s technology sits in the background of major sporting events around the globe, but the Red Bull Air Race provides some special challenges. “It’s a sport where signals of all kinds are needed, not only for the broadcast production, but also for safety and operational needs, such as communications from race control,” explains managing director Thomas Riedel (above, right). There’s a vast area within the broadcast compound and around the whole site that needs to be connected – and this is where we use MediorNet.”While the obvious infrastructure of the grandstands, hangars and control towers goes up for all to see in the days and weeks before the actual race, accompanying that is the often unseen effort to install the technological underpinnings without which the championship cannot function. It’s a massive task that takes meticulous planning, and one that the new MediorNet boxes are making much easier. “The MediorNet system is about simplifying the cable infrastructure for broadcast

production. If you look at the environment for any sports production, be it the Red Bull Air Race or a football match or F1, sorting out the cabling is often the biggest job. Our idea was to create a decentralized network that can handle all the different formats of signal – audio, video, data, etc – while also handling signal processing: for example outputting HD broadcasts in standard definition where required.“Think of it like how things work in the IP world: you have one network and you put all kinds of stuff on it like computers, printers and telephones. That sort of technology wouldn’t work for broadcast applications because it isn’t real time. And until now it hasn’t been possible to have one network with real-time distribution of signals.”Designed in-house, Riedel unveiled MediorNet at this year’s NAB show in Las Vegas. At the same time it was being deployed half a world away at the Abu Dhabi race, where one network of fibre optic connecting MediorNet boxes replaced hundreds of separate cables and control systems. While currently a Red Bull Air Race exclusive, MediorNet will soon be rolled out to thousands of other applications and coverage ranging from presidential elections to the Olympic Games.

THE ART OF COMMUNICATIONThe Red Bull Air Race provides several unique broadcasting challenges. You won’t notice it, but some clever technology is installed at every location.

Riedel have offi ces around the world and will be quietly organizing in the background of events from Major League Baseball to the German presidential elections. The Red Bull Air Race is one of their toughest challenges.

The TV compound sits at the centre of a network that might stretch 6km in length, bringing pictures from fi xed cameras, race planes and the camera helicopter.

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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.

THEPILOTS

HANNES ARCHAUSTRIA, EDGE 540

DATE OF BIRTH: September 22, 1967BIRTHPLACE: Leoben, Styria, AustriaHOME: Salzburg, AustriaHOBBIES: mountaineering, climbing,

musicWEBSITE: www.hannesarch.com

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:2008: Red Bull Air Race World

Champion2007: Red Bull Air Race World

Championship, 10th2006: European Champion in Freestyle

Aerobatics2005: Red Bull Air Race Race Director2003: 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

PAUL BONHOMMEENGLAND, EDGE 540

DATE OF BIRTH: September 22, 1964BIRTHPLACE: Buckinghamshire,

EnglandHOME: Cambridgeshire, EnglandHOBBIES: motorcycling, mountain-bikingWEBSITE: www.teambonhomme.com


Championship, 2nd2007 : Red Bull Air Race World

Championship, 2nd2006: Red Bull Air Race World

Championship, 4th2005: Red Bull Air Race World

Championship, 5thAll FAI World Grand Prix results in the formation team category as the Sukhoi Duo/Matadors:FAI World Grand Prix SUI, 1stFAI World Grand Prix UAE, 3rd

2004: FAI World Grand Prix UAE, 1st2002: FAI World Grand Prix CZE, 2nd

FAI World Grand Prix JPN, 1st2001: FAI World Grand Prix JPN, 2nd2000: FAI World Grand Prix JPN, 1st1981: First solo flight

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2009: 3RD

PETER BESENYEIHUNGARY, MXS-R

DATE OF BIRTH: June 8, 1956BIRTHPLACE: Körmend, HungaryHOME: Herceghalom, HungaryHOBBIES: fishing, parachuting, photography, car racingWEBSITE: www.besenyeipeter.hu



Championship, 3rd2006: Red Bull Air Race World

Championship, 2nd2005: Red Bull Air Race World

Championship, 2ndFAI World Grand Prix, 1st

2001: FAI World Grand Prix, 1st2000: Freestyle Aerobatics World

Champion, Unlimited1998: FAI World Grand Prix, 1st1995: European Champion of the

Compulsory ProgramFreestyle Aerobatics European Champion, Unlimited

1994: Compulsory Program World Champion1972: First solo flight

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2009: 6TH

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GLEN DELLSOUTH AFRICA, EDGE 540

DATE OF BIRTH: April 9, 1962BIRTHPLACE: Johannesburg,

South AfricaHOME: Kyalami, South AfricaHOBBIES: vintage aircraft, helicoptersWEBSITE: 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




1978: First solo flight


KIRBY CHAMBLISSUSA, EDGE 540

DATE OF BIRTH: October 18, 1959BIRTHPLACE: Corpus Christi, Texas, USAHOME: Flying Crown Ranch, Arizona, USAHOBBIES: skydiving, running, motocrossWEBSITE: www.kirbychambliss.com


Championship, 3rd2007: Red Bull Air Race World


Champion2005: Red Bull Air Race World

Championship, 3rdFAI World Aerobatic Championships, 3rd(solo and team)

2003: FAI World Aerobatic Championships, 2nd and 3rd

2000: Free Program World Champion1998: FAI World Aerobatic

Championships, 2nd and 3rd1997: International Aerobatic

Champion1979: First solo flight


MICHAEL GOULIANUSA, EDGE 540

DATE OF BIRTH: September 4, 1968BIRTHPLACE: Winthrop, Massachusetts,

USAHOME: Maynard, Massachusetts, USAHOBBIES: ice hockey, skiing, golfWEBSITE: www.mikegoulian.com


Championship, 10th2007 : Red Bull Air Race World

Championship, 8thArt Scholl Award for Airshow Showmanship, International Council of Airshows


1998: Member of the US Aerobatics Team



1995: US Unlimited Champion Member of the US Aerobatics Team


1991: Fond du Lac Cup, Winner1990: US Advanced Champion1984: First solo flight


MATTHIAS DOLDERERGERMANY, EDGE 540

DATE OF BIRTH: September 15, 1970BIRTHPLACE: Ochsenhausen, GermanyHOME: Tannheim, GermanyHOBBIES: tennis, skiing, cyclingWEBSITE: www.matthiasdolderer.com

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:2008 : Red Bull Air Race Qualification

Camp, Super Licence, RookieGerman 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 Championships1988: Microlight European

Championships1988-1991: Microlight German

Championships1984: First solo flight


SOUTH AFRICA, EDGE 540

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NICOLAS IVANOFFFRANCE, EDGE 540

DATE OF BIRTH: July 4, 1967BIRTHPLACE: Paris, FranceHOME: London, EnglandHOBBIES: flying, travelling, musicWEBSITE: www.nicolasivanoff.com



Championship, 7thFrench Aerobatic Championships, 2nd



2004: French Aerobatic Championships, 2nd

2000: World Aerobatic Championships, 1st (team)

1988: Microlight European Championships


WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2009: 2ND

MATT HALLAUSTRALIA, MXS-R

DATE OF BIRTH: September 16, 1971BIRTHPLACE: Scone, NSW, AustraliaHOME: Merewether, NSW, AustraliaHOBBIES: flying, exerciseWEBSITE: www.matthallracing.com


Camp, Super Licence, Rookie2006: Australian Aerobatic Champion,

Advanced2004: USAF F15E Exchange2003: East Coast Aerobatic

Championship, Sportsman, 1stUSAF F15E Exchange

2002: USAF F15E Exchange1999: Dux Fighter Combat Instructor

(Top Gun)1997: Fighter Pilot of the Year1992: Military Wings1986: First solo flight


ALEJANDRO MACLEANSPAIN, MXS-R

DATE OF BIRTH: August 6, 1969BIRTHPLACE: Madrid, SpainHOME: Pozuelo de Alarcon, SpainHOBBIES: skydiving, films, helicoptersWEBSITE: www.teammaclean.com

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: Twice Spanish Aerobatics

Champion, 2nd 11 times2008: Red Bull Air Race World




Championship, 9thCaptain of the Spanish Aerobatic Team

2001: World Aerobatic Championships, 10th

1998: Lithuania Aerobatic Championships, 1st



NIGEL LAMBENGLAND, MXS-R

DATE OF BIRTH: August 17, 1956BIRTHPLACE: Zimbabwe, AfricaHOME: Oxfordshire, EnglandHOBBIES: skiing, scuba-diving,

racquetballWEBSITE: www.nigellamb.com

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: Eight times British Unlimited

Aerobatic ChampionFour times British Freestyle ChampionMember of the British team: Three World Aerobatic ChampionshipsTwo European Championships





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, 2nd1985-1988: Marlboro Aerobatic Team

Leader1976: First solo flight


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PETE MCLEODCANADA, EDGE 540

DATE OF BIRTH: February 23, 1984BIRTHPLACE: Kapuskasing, Ontario,

CanadaHOME: London, Ontario, CanadaHOBBIES: ice hockey, outdoor sportsWEBSITE: petemcleodaerosports.com


Camp, Super Licence, RookieEuropean Aerobatic Championships, 12th

2007: Youngest unrestricted surface-level display pilot

2006: US National Aerobatic Championships, 2ndBF Goodrich Award, Youngest Canadian Airshow performer

2004: North American Collegiate Aerobatic ChampionMid-America Series ChampionUndefeated in 2004 with five 1st place finishesFour times winner of the Highest Scoring Pitts Award



DATE OF BIRTH: October 10, 1955BIRTHPLACE: Cincinnati, Ohio, USAHOME: Victorville, California, USAHOBBIES: skydiving, racing jets, familyWEBSITE: www.mikemangold.us

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:2008 : Red Bull Air Race World

Championship, 4thReno 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 ChampionWorld Air Games, 3rd (team)

2001: World Air Games, 3rd (team)1977: First solo flight


SERGEY RAKHMANINRUSSIA, MXS-R

DATE OF BIRTH: October 18, 1961BIRTHPLACE: Chemnitz, GermanyHOME: St Petersburg, RussiaHOBBIES: flying, travelling, skiingWEBSITE: www.sergeyrakhmanin.com



Championship, 12th2005: World Aerobatic Champion

World Grand Prix of Aerobatics, 3rd

2004: European Aerobatic Championships, 2nd

2003: World Aerobatic ChampionRussian Aerobatic Champion

2002: Russian Aerobatic ChampionEuropean Aerobatic Championships, 2nd

2000: Tchakolov Cup, 1st1999: European Aerobatic Champion

Russian Aerobatic Champion1995: Russian Aerobatic Champion

World Glider Aerobatics Championships, 3rd

1991: USSR Aerobatic Champion1980: First solo flight


YOSHIHIDE MUROYAJAPAN, EDGE 540

DATE OF BIRTH: January 27, 1973BIRTHPLACE: Nara, JapanHOME: Fukushima, JapanHOBBIES: flying, snowboarding, zazenWEBSITE: www.yoshi-muroya.jp


Camp, Super Licence, RookieFAI 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, 3rd1991: First solo flight


MIKE MANGOLDUSA, EDGE 540

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THE PLANE


RACE PLANE CLOSE-UPTwo types of plane are used in the Red Bull Air Race, the Edge 540 and the MXS-R. Check out Kirby Chambliss’ Edge 540, a power package with more than 300hp.

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SPECIFICATIONS


THE AIRCRAFTAILERONS. 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 stabilizer 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.

YAW

ROLL PITCH

AXIS ANDROTATIONS

EDGE 540 (ZIVKO AERONAUTICS, USA)

MXS -R(MX AIRCRAFT, USA)

LENGTH 6.30m (20.7ft) 6.28m (20.6ft)WINGSPAN 7.43m (24.4ft) 7.31m (23.9ft)WEIGHT 540kg (1190lb) 540kg (1190lb)POWER 340hp 350hpTOP SPEED 426kph (265mph) 426kph (265mph)ROLL RATE 420°/sec 450°/secMAX G +/-12G +/-12GENGINE AEIO 540 EXP AEIO 540 EXPWING DESIGN Symmetric, carbon fibre Symmetric, carbon fibrePROPELLER Hartzell Claw MT-PROB Hartzell Claw MT-PROBPILOTS FLYING IT Arch, Bonhomme, Chambliss,

Dell, Dolderer, Goulian, Ivanoff, Mangold, McLeod, Muroya

Besenyei, Hall, Lamb, Maclean, Rakhmanin

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THE COCKPIT

Find out about the features of Peter Besenyei’s MXS-R race plane.

PILOT’S VIEW

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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 ANALYZER. 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 analyzer 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.

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


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POS PILOT NAT. PLANE POINTS1 Hannes Arch AUT Edge 540 232 Nicolas Ivanoff FRA Edge 540 213 Paul Bonhomme GBR Edge 540 204 Nigel Lamb GBR MXS-R 145 Matt Hall AUS MXS-R 146 Peter Besenyei HUN MXS-R 107 Sergey Rakhmanin RUS MXS-R 108 Mike Mangold USA Edge 540 109 Alejandro Maclean ESP MXS-R 610 Kirby Chambliss USA Edge 540 311 Glen Dell RSA Edge 540 312 Matthias Dolderer GER Edge 540 113 Yoshihide Muroya JPN Edge 540 114 Michael Goulian USA Edge 540 015 Pete McLeod CAN Edge 540 0

POS PILOT NAT. PLANE POINTS1 Hannes Arch AUT Edge 540 12 + 1


3 Nicolas Ivanoff FRA Edge 540 9

4 Nigel Lamb GBR MXS-R 8

5 Matt Hall AUS MXS-R 7

6 Sergey Rakhmanin RUS MXS-R 6


8 Alejandro Maclean ESP MXS-R 4


10 Peter Besenyei HUN MXS-R 2






POS PILOT NAT. PLANE POINTS1 Nicolas Ivanoff FRA Edge 540 12


3 Hannes Arch AUT Edge 540 9 + 1

4 Peter Besenyei HUN MXS-R 8

5 Matt Hall AUS MXS-R 7

6 Nigel Lamb GBR MXS-R 6


8 Sergey Rakhmanin RUS MXS-R 4


10 Alejandro Maclean ESP MXS-R 2






OCTOBER 3 & 4BARCELONA, ESP

AUGUST 19 & 20BUDAPEST, HUN

RED BULL AIR RACE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

STANDINGS

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

Population: 1.7 million Location: HungaryTime zone: UTC +2 hours Race history: races in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008; first races in 2003 and 2004

SEPTEMBER 12 & 13PORTO, POR

Population: 240,000 Location: Portugal Time zone: UTC +1 Race history: races in 2007 and 2008

MAY 9 & 10SAN DIEGO, USA

JUNE 13 & 14WINDSOR, ONTARIO, CAN

APRIL 17 & 18ABU DHABI, UAE

Population: 220,000 Location: Ontario, Canada Time zone: UTC -4 hours Race history: new location

Population: 1.6 million Location: Catalonia, Spain Time zone: UTC +2 hours Race history: race in 2006

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The Red Bull Air Race World Championship is supervised by the FAI (Fédération Aéronautique Internationale). The FAI oversees safety at each race.

about the racerace formatFrom 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 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.

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.

As part of the natural progression of the sport as it enters its fifth championship season, race organizers 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.

Day 1 / QualiFying Day Day 2 / race Day

QualiFying 1 WilD carDQualiFying 2

Two flying sessions. BesT Time counTs. winner receives one poinT

pilot 01

pilot 02

pilot 03

pilot 04

pilot 05

pilot 06

pilot 07

pilot 08

pilot 09

pilot 10

pilot 11

pilot 12

pilot 13

pilot 14

pilot 15

pilot 01pilot 01pilot 01pilot 01





pilot 06

pilot 07

pilot 08

pilot 09

pilot 10

pilot 11

pilot 12

pilot 13

pilot 14

pilot 15

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DAY 1 / QUALIFYING DAY DAY 2 / RACE DAY

WILD CARD POINTSFINAL 4SUPER 8TOP 12QUALIFYING 2

FASTEST FOUR PILOTS ADVANCE TO FINAL 4*

FOUR PILOTS COMPETE FOR VICTORY*

FASTEST EIGHT PILOTS ADVANCE TO SUPER 8*

FASTEST TWO PILOTS ADVANCE TO TOP 12*

WILD CARDPILOT 15

WILD CARDPILOT 14

PILOT 10PILOT 13

PILOT 09PILOT 12

PILOT 08PILOT 11

PILOT 07

PILOT 06

PILOT 05

PILOT 04

PILOT 03

PILOT 02

PILOT 01

PILOT 08

PILOT 07

PILOT 06

PILOT 05

PILOT 04

PILOT 03

PILOT 02

PILOT 01

PILOT 04

PILOT 03

PILOT 02

PILOT 01

121ST

111TH

48TH

75TH

210TH

57TH

39TH

93RD

102ND

84TH

66TH

012-15TH

* STARTING ORDER FOR ALL SESSIONS ON RACE DAY IS DETERMINED BY THE RESULTS IN QUALIFYING. THE SLOWEST FROM QUALIFYING FLIES FIRST

RULESThe 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.

LEVEL FLYINGThe Air Gates marked in blue must be passed in a horizontal position.

KNIFE FLYINGAir Gates marked in red must be passed in a vertical position.

CHICANEThe Chicane consists of three single pylons which must be passed in slalom flight.

THE QUADROThe Quadro is made up of four pylons positioned in a square. It must be passed in knife flight.

TURNING MANOEUVREThe 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.

DANGEROUS FLYINGDangerous flying includes flying too low, crossing the crowd line, exceeding the start speed limit (370kph) or max G (12G).Disqualification!

INCORRECT LEVEL FLYINGThe pilot deviates from level flight by 10° or more. Penalty 2 seconds

INCORRECT KNIFE FLYINGThe racer deviates from vertical flight by more than 20° or tilts his plane to the wrong side. Penalty 2 seconds

FLYING TOO HIGH The competitor passes the Air Gate or chicane too high.Penalty 2 seconds

TOUCHING AN AIR GATEThe competitor touches a pylon with the wing or propeller. Penalty 6 seconds

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Saturday, June 13 – Qualifying day 11:00 Doors Open12:30 Pre Show & Entertainment14:00 Qualifying 115:45 Qualifying 218:00 Doors Close

Sunday, June 14 – race day10:00 Doors Open12:00 Pre Show & Entertainment13:00 Race Starts13:00 Wild Card Session14:00 Top 1214:40 Super 815:15 Final 415:55 Award Ceremony17:30 Doors Close

The race in Windsor, Ontario, will take place over the Detroit River. Check out the viewing areas and the challenging race track.

AreA MAp

For more inFormation visit www.redbullairrace.com

the rAce Weekend Schedule

* The schedule is subject to change.

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Abu Dhabi

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Pure performance Absolute precision

Chrono-Matic A tribute to the fi rst ever selfwinding chronograph (1969), bearing the Breitling signature. Offi cially chronometer-certifi ed by the COSC.

WWW.BREITLING.COM

RBAR_202x276-BR10044ok.indd 1 20.3.2009 14:32:31052-52 ad 52 27.05.2009 19:08:48 Uhr

red bull air race magazine windsor ontario 2009

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air race program safe

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