After a three year hiatus to revamp and rework, the Red Bull
Air Races are BACK! As someone who has seen four races in person and all of
them via video, I could not be more thrilled.
Many things have changed, but some things have remained the
same. The most important aspect that has not changed is the pilots. All 12 of
the pilots are returning racers.
The UK’s Paul Bonhomme, the Red Bull Air Race World Champion
for 2009 and 2010 is the early favorite to repeat. But Austrian, Hannes Arch who
won in 2008 is also looking to return to the top. Both of these men are VERY
competitive and have kept their skills up flying Airshows and Competition.
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| Kirby Chambliss flying over Las Vegas Motor Speedway Credit: Garth Milan Red Bull Content Pool |
American Kirby Chambliss won in 2004 and 2006 and is always striving for
perfection. Michael Goulian, another American returning pilot is ready to take
it all. Having met all 12 of the racers, it's hard to decide who to cheer for, but no matter who wins, it will be an exciting year.
Changes
The changes are many and quite important. First off, the pylons
are different. The new pylons are asymmetrical cones with a straight inner edge
with an inclined outer edge. They will also be 5 meters taller with a higher
flight window for the pilots to fly through. Another important difference is
the material will be able to deflate more easily when hit by a plane and stand
up straighter during windy weather conditions.
Over the years, 30 different materials and fabrics have been
tested to see if they would make the grade. The current pylons will have a
Spinnaker type fabric on the top which should make the racing safer with a quicker burst or deflation.
Another major change is the engine/prop combo being adopted
by all of the teams. While the aircraft may be different, the engines will all
be the 300 hp Lycoming Thunderbolt AEIO-540-EXP.
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| Lycoming Thunderbolts AEIO-540-EXPs Credit: Balazs Gardi Red Bull Content Pool |
The propellers will all be Hartzell 3-bladed 7690 structural
composite props more commonly known as “The Claw”. This propeller has low gyroscopic
forces and incredible thrust. By the end of the last season (2010) all of the
teams had converted to “The Claw” and Hartzell is now partnering with Red Bull
Air Races to continue to innovate and focus on safety.
By using the same engines and propellers combo, the organizers
feel there will be a more level playing field and the variables will now be
pilot skill and aerodynamics. Time will tell if this is the right move – but if
closer racing is the result – that would be fantastic.
An interesting change is the recent agreement signed
between Red Bull Air Race management and the Fédération Aéronautique
Internationale (FAI). The FAI is the sanctioning body of air sports, and the
keeper of aviation records.
This agreement puts FAI in the position of sanctioning the
Red Bull Air Races’ rules and regulations and will provide support for the
races as safety supervisors. This is a big stamp of approval by the International
Aviation Community of the Red Bull Air Races.
Challenger Cup
Another interesting addition is the Challenger Cup. This is
basically a farm system for Air Race Pilots. One of the difficulties in the
past was sourcing the type of talent it takes to be an Air Race Pilot. The
ability to select a group of potential new Racers and have them compete for a
spot on the roster is a great idea. Again, I believe this will add to the
safety of the series. With eight pilots from seven different countries including
Francois Le Vot from France, the World Aerobatic Champion from 2013, the
newcomers are the next generation.
Locations
The season opener in Abu Dhabi over the Arabian Gulf will be
held the first weekend in March. As I write this, the teams are already there
and getting their aircraft ready for the week of festivities and competition.
The next race will be in Rovinj, Croatia in April – then onto
the Putrajaya, Malaysia in May. July bring
us to the Baltic Sea and the city of Gdynia, Poland. August takes us to Great
Britain and the Ascot Racecourse.
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| Locations - spanning the globe |
They move to the United States with two
further debut locations, the Texas Motor Speedway in Dallas-Fort Worth, in September
and the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, in October. The final race will be held in
China in November. For those counting at home, that’s eight races in seven
countries on three continents.
Both stops in the US are being staged at a motor speedway.
This has been done once before in Lausitz, Germany during the 2010 series. The perspective
for the fans will be totally different – being that the action will take place
at eye level or lower than the fans' seats. Looking down at the competition will
be an interesting change.
Tickets are on sale – and the action can be seen in multiple
places. The Red Bull Air Race World Championships will air live on Red Bull TV
via the web at www.redbull.tv, or through
its iOS and Android applications, In select markets, the races can be seen on
Apple TV, Xbox 360 and Smart TV devices. Also Fox Sports will broadcast in the
USA. Keep watching for updates on the Red Bull Air Races website. http://www.redbullairrace.com/en_US
