Red Bull Flugtag
Gear up for Red Bull Flugtag New Zealand! Here’s all you need to know.
FASTEN YOUR SEATBELTS AND STOW YOUR TRAY TABLES. RED BULL FLUGTAG IS LANDING IN NZ
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The famous flying competition, Red Bull Flugtag, is coming to Auckland this December for those brave enough to build – and then fly – their own contraption over the water in Wynyard Quarter. Here’s everything you need to know to help you make the most out of an epic day!
Mad Mike - Auckland, NZ
© Oscar Keys
- What is Red Bull Flugtag and what should I expect?
- What do the planes typically look like?
- When and where is it happening?
- Who are the judges and what's the judging process?
- What are the prizes?
- Who are the teams?
- What other entertainment and activities are on offer?
- What’s the full rundown of the day?
- I’m not in Auckland – how can I get involved?
- How will Red Bull clean up the waters after the crafts fly?
- What's the current Red Bull Flugtag record?
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1. What is Red Bull Flugtag and what should I expect?
Red Bull Flugtag is an international event that challenges the brave and brainy to design and build flying machines, then launch them off 6m flight deck above water. On Saturday December 10 it’s coming to Auckland’s Wynyard Quarter (for the first time in 20 years!) giving Kiwis a chance to spread their wings.
Some will fly briefly, and some will flop in front of thousands watching that day! The competition is marked by three criteria: distance, creativity of craft and performance. A true Flugtag champion flies with flair!
Red Bull Flugtag is a a free public event that the whole family can enjoy. Expect an epic day of fun, excitement and entertainment.
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2. What do the planes typically look like?
How much imagination do you have? The flying machines range from realistic plane replicas to anything the imagination can conjure up. Past crafts include a Flying Purple People Eater, Santa and his sleigh, a flying toilet, and even a flying cheeseburger. To gain more showmanship points, participants often wear outrageous costumes, act out skits, and create their own music soundtracks for the flight.
We’ve got some epic teams on board who are bound to bring some next-level kiwi ingenuity. To help give you an idea of what to expect, check out the top moments from the 2022 Red Bull Flugtag in Milwaukee below.
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Red Bull Flugtag Milwaukee Top Moments
Check out these top moments from the 2022 Red Bull Flugtag competition in Milwaukee to see who took home the trophy.
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3. When and where is it happening?
Red Bull Flugtag is flying off in Auckland on Saturday, December 10, 2022 at Wynyard Quarter from 12pm, with the first flight scheduled from 1pm. We’ll have a 6m ramp set up for the teams to perform and fly from in a peak spot so spectators will have a great view from all around the site. We’ll also have a big screen for more viewing!
If you’re looking to head along, you can learn more here. For those that can’t make it in person, it will also be live streamed on Stuff.co.nz.
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4. Who are the judges and what's the judging process?
We’ve got a strong line up of talented judges to determine which teams have what it takes to win. Including Motorsport icon Mad Mike (Mike Whiddett), MTB downhill legend Brook ‘The Bulldog’ Macdonald, rapper JessB, social media powerhouse Johnny Tuivasa-Sheck and media superstar Tegan Yorwarth.
The judges have been recruited for the day to rate the team’s performance across three categories, as follows:
Creativity: This is all about the design and originality of both the flying machine and the crew, the more inventive the better.
Performance: Each team will have to perform on the platform before take-off. This is their opportunity to wow the judges with their talents and win over the crowd!
Distance: Self-explanatory really. Just fly as far across the water as you can.
Judges at Red Bull Flugtag 2021 in Vienna, Austria
© Phillip Platzer
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5. What's up for grabs for the winning teams?
We've got three prizes up for grabs - first prize is a whopping $15,000, second prize $10,000 and third prize is $5,000.
As an added hit... To set an ambitious target for local Red Bull Flugtag DIY aviators, rugby icon Beauden Barrett kicked a rugby ball off a tee from the launch site at Wynyard Quarter, landing 55 metres in the distance, just shy of the 78.5 metre Flugtag world record and 19 metres short of the world’s longest rugby conversion (74 metres).
For any team that beats this they'll score a year supply of Red Bull!
Beauden Barrett Flugtag, Auckland
© Oscar Keys
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6. Who are the teams?
While we can't give away too much right now, you're in for an unforgettable day! We've got 24 teams onboard - find out more about them here.
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7. What other entertainment and activities are on offer?
While the competition itself will be great entertainment, we've made sure to bring Wynyard Quarter to life to give spectators an awesome day with a ton of offerings!
At the activation zone, there will be food and beverage vendors stationed around the event site and some great activations like a gaming zone, Mad Mike's lambo and so much more. As it’s based at Wynyard Quarter, there’s also a great line-up of restaurants around if you fancy a sit down meal.
There will also be the chance for people to check out the crafts up close and personal and meet the teams in Pit Lane throughout the day.
Stuff are also whipping up an epic obstacle course!
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8. What’s the full rundown of the day?
The event will be kicking off from 12pm with the first team taking to the ramp from approximately 1pm, and the winners being announced around 5pm.
Throughout the event, each team will gear up for their flights and will head down the runway to wow the judges and spectators with their craft and costumes before the pilot takes a leap of faith into the Waitemata Harbour hoping to achieve the longest flight. Expect a decent show from each team with some breaks in between before the winners are announced.
To bring the event to life and keep the chats rolling, we’ve enlisted two much-loved Kiwi personalities – Kim Crossman, actress, producer, writer, author (the list goes on!) and Brook Gibson, media personality and DJ.
Keen to keep the fun rolling? There will be an after party at Wynyard Pavillion from 5.30pm. Expect an epic line up including JessB, Body Ocean, Sweet Mix Kids and Half Queen.
Contestants compete at Red Bull Flugtag in Taichung, Taiwan 2022
© Garret Clarke
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9. I’m not in Auckland – how can I get involved?
Not to worry, we got you! The event will be live streamed on Stuff.co.nz with three entertaining hosts. Keep an eye on our Instagram for more info closer to the time. https://www.instagram.com/redbullnz/?hl=en
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10. How will Red Bull clean up the waters after the crafts fly?
We have a thorough waste mitigation plan in place to ensure we keep the waters as clean as possible, as if we were never there! We’ve teamed up with not for profit organisation, Sea Cleaners, and we will be working closely with them to be the dedicated on the water team to remove all debris from any flights – this includes separating all event waste and flight craft correctly, working with a team of divers to sweep the sea floor and ensuring all crafts have a buoyancy device.
We are committed to leaving no trace and these initiatives have been put in place to ensure this mission is fulfilled.
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11. What's the current Red Bull Flugtag record?
The record for the longest flight is 78.6m (258ft), set on September 21st, 2013 in Long Beach, California by ‘The Chicken Whisperers”.
Check it out below! Reckon our Kiwi teams can beat em'?
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It's a Red Bull Flugtag World Record!
Watch the moment the Chicken Whisperers set a new Red Bull Flugtag world record distance of 78.5m.
Get ready for an epic day that's great for the whole family! If you're after any further info on the event or FAQs check out the event page here.
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