The Red Bull Air Race! (Pics & Info)

Fibre_Optic · 22 Oct 2008 at 13:17

The Red Bull Air Race, started in 2003, is a series of air races, held all over the world, where pilots fly specialized aerobatic planes (with top speeds of over 250 mph / 400 kph) through a series of gates, racing the clock, accumulating points toward the championship title. Pilots must also perform specific manoeuvres while passing through the gates. The photos below are from the most recent two races, in Budapest, Hungary, and Porto, Portugal. The final race in the series is scheduled for November 1st, in Perth, Australia, and video of the event will also be streamed over the web.

Spanish pilot Alejandro Maclean in his MXS aircraft performs during a qualification session for the sixth round of the Air Race World Championships on August 19, 2008 over the Danube River of downtown Budapest, Hungary. (ATTILA KISBENEDEK/AFP/Getty Images)

U.S. pilot Mike Mangold performs during the qualifying round for the 6th round of the Red Bull Air Race World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, August 19, 2008. (REUTERS/Dean Treml/Handout)

Austrian pilot Hannes Arch performs during the final of the seventh stage of the Red Bull Air Race World Series in Porto, Portugal on September 7, 2008. (REUTERS/Daniel Grund/Euro-Newsroom)

Hungarian pilot Peter Besenyei (bottom), Britain's Nigel Lamb and Paul Bonhomme (top) fly over Budapest, Hungary on August 17, 2008 during their "recon flight" prior to the seventh stage of the Red Bull Air Race World Series. Picture taken August 17, 2008. (REUTERS/Balazs Gardi/Red Bull Air Race)

French pilot Nicolas Ivanoff rolls his aircraft above the Danube River during the qualifying round for the 6th round of the Red Bull Air Race World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, August 19, 2008. (REUTERS/Dean Treml/)

British pilot Steve Jones pulls up from a gate during the final of the seventh stage of the Red Bull Air Race World Series in Porto, Portugal on September 7, 2008. (REUTERS/Daniel Grund/Euro-Newsroom)

Peter Besenyei of Hungary performs during the seventh stage of the Red Bull Air Race World Series in Porto, Portugal on September 7, 2008. (REUTERS/Daniel Grund/Red Bull Air Race)

Mike Mangold, of the United States, flies his Edge 540 aircraft over the Douro river during the seventh stage of the annual Red Bull Air Race World Series in Porto, Portugal, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2008. Mangold finished in third place. (AP Photo/Paulo Duarte)

British pilot Steve Jones performs during the final of the Red Bull Air Race on August 20, 2008 in Budapest, Hungary. Hannes Arch claimed his first-ever victory in the competition. (Joerg Mitter/Red Bull via Getty Images)

Austrian pilot Hannes Arch flies during the Red Bull Air Race World Series, with the Hungarian Parliament Building in the background, in Budapest, Hungary on August 20, 2008. (REUTERS/Karoly Arvai)

Fibre_Optic · 22 Oct 2008 at 13:18

Austrian pilot Hannes Arch, winner of the Red Bull race, flies his Edge 540 aircraft over the Danube River in downtown Budapest, Hungary during the sixth round of the Red Bull Air Race World Championships on August 20, 2008. (FERENC ISZA/AFP/Getty Images)

U.S. Pilot Mike Mangold flies his Edge 540 aircraft straight over the Danube River in Budapest, Hungary during the sixth round of the Red Bull Air Race World Championships on August 20, 2008. (ATTILA KISBENEDEK/AFP/Getty Images)

Austrian pilot Hannes Arch performs during the final of the Red Bull Air Race on August 20, 2008 in Budapest, Hungary. Arch claimed his first-ever victory in the competition. (Joerg Mitter/Red Bull via Getty Images)

Glen Dell, of South Africa, flies his Edge 540 aircraft over the Douro river during the seventh stage of the annual Red Bull Air Race World Series in Porto, Portugal, Sunday Sept. 7, 2008. (AP Photo/Paulo Duarte)

Mike Mangold of the United States, pilots his aircraft over the Douro river during the seventh stage of the annual Red Bull Air Race World Series in Porto, Portugal, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2008. (AP Photo/Paulo Duarte)

Pilot Mike Mangold, of the U.S., pulls his Edge 540 aircraft up from the Douro river during the seventh stage of the annual Red Bull Air Race World Series in Porto, Portugal, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2008. (AP Photo/Paulo Duarte)

British pilot Steve Jones climbs skyward, above the Danube River and the Hungarian Parliament Building, during a qualifyin run of the Red Bull Air Race World Series in Budapest August 19, 2008. (REUTERS/Karoly Arvai)

Mat · 22 Oct 2008 at 13:19

I caught this on TV the other day and was impressed at how much less boring it actually was, than I had thought.

Dj_Jestar · 22 Oct 2008 at 13:20

I watched this when it was in London last year, given I live within sight of where it was held anyway. It was amazing

Cosimo · 22 Oct 2008 at 13:23

I watched the Porto race live on TV, it was very exciting stuff.

Thanks for the photos

Le_Petit_Lapin · 22 Oct 2008 at 13:26

that Hungarian parliament building is awesome!

Cosimo · 22 Oct 2008 at 13:33

Le_Petit_Lapin said:
that Hungarian parliament building is awesome!

You should see the view of it from across the Danube, very spectacular.

Jimmeh · 22 Oct 2008 at 13:44

Dj_Jestar said:
I watched this when it was in London last year, given I live within sight of where it was held anyway. It was amazing

Ditto, I could see it from my balcony. Was a quality spectacle.

Morba · 22 Oct 2008 at 14:01

RBAR looks fantastic tbh, will goto one of the races next year for sure :]

GSDog · 22 Oct 2008 at 14:02

Awesome. I'd love to go and spectate it one day.

Confused · 22 Oct 2008 at 14:04

I saw it on TV when it was in London - again, much more exciting than I first expected!

Aero · 22 Oct 2008 at 17:22

Girlfriend took me to London for it this year! Was amazing the way they fly the planes is incredible. Its quite a ling day though if you do watch it but well worth it and the sound is fantastic!

Aero

apeZ · 22 Oct 2008 at 17:29

I watched this on the TV when it was in London, actually really interesting stuff!

Would love to go see it one day

PinkFloyd · 22 Oct 2008 at 17:31

I've seen this on tv, its great to watch, I'd love to go see it in person.
Some cracking photos there too

Bunka · 22 Oct 2008 at 17:40

Fibre_Optic said:
Peter Besenyei of Hungary performs during the seventh stage of the Red Bull Air Race World Series in Porto, Portugal on September 7, 2008. (REUTERS/Daniel Grund/Red Bull Air Race)

Awesome photo. :cool:

Caught a bit of it on TV occasionally but would be definitely something I'd like to watch properly sometime.