Red Bull Air Race is one of the world famous events along the river Danube events in Europe attracting hundreds of thousands of tourists to this breathtakingly daring aviation spectacle. The race is like a James Bond movie scene, only in real life.
Date of Race in Budapest: June 23-24, 2018
Upcoming Cruises during Red Bull Air Race Budapest
12 years after it was first launched, Red Bull Air Race has become like no other spectator sports in the world by proving how tremendously successful international air races can be. Budapest often features in the Race’s calendar with its breathtaking river attractions, part of the UNESCO World Heritage. Budapest usually expects about 650,000 fans and visitors to enjoy a stunning panoramic view of the race. Be sure to be prepared for a weekend of excitement for the upcoming Red Bull Air Race.
You can check out the latest news of the upcoming Red Bull Air Race Program here.
One of a kind Spectacle Sport
Red Bull Air Race – photo by Paul Williams
It is thrilling to see the best pilots in the world to compete in the Red Bull Air Race navigating through seemingly impossible obstacles in the fastest possible time while being in full control of the high-performance aerobatic planes. The planes are zipping through the sky at around a staggering 230 mph (370 km/h) average speed, most motorsports would struggle to keep up with. Unlike in Formula 1, in the air race you can see all the planes going through their amazing stunts, the series of narrow Air Gates (pylons) of the obstacle course.
A brilliant combination of high speed, extreme manoeuvrability, dramas and low altitude in the middle of Budapest over the River Danube will offer everyone who likes spectacular events a perfect day out. An excellent opportunity for taking photos, making selfies, and most importantly, being part of an experience.
History of the Red Bull Air Race
Peter Besenyei in 2003 – photo by Péter Kekora
In 2003, much to the inspiration of Peter Besenyei Hungarian pilot, and the very first winner of the Red Bull Air Race, a bunch of daredevil pilots created one of, if not the best, aviation event of the last few decades, fighting against gravity, time, and each other: the obstacle course is made up of inflatable pylons, which instantly break down should the plane hit them accidentally (this way the pilot cannot get hurt). At the same time, hitting a cone shaped Pylon brings the racer penalty points, so precision is a must.
Beside the race itself, there are various show flights to entertain the audience. The race took place in Hungary, Austria, USA, UK, United Arab Emirates, Brazil, etc. returning after a 3 year break (2011 -13 were cancelled due to a re-organization of the race).
The world champion title has been mostly taken by the US and the UK (Mike Mangold, Kirby Chambliss, Paul Bonhomme, Nigel Lamb), with the exception of Peter Besenyei (Hungary) and Hannes Arch (Austria).
Attractions by the Danube
There are over a dozens of beautiful attractions by the riverside in Budapest to make the air race even more of a lifetime experience. With the Parliament building (the world’s 3rd biggest parliament) on the Pest side of the River Danube, and the Buda Castle with the 19th century Furnicular on the Buda side, Budapest has often been called the Pearl of the Danube. The Statue of Liberty presiding over the Gellert Hill, along with the Citadel on the Buda side, the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, and many other 19th century beauties await the visitors.
Some of the attractions, like the central bridges are traditionally closed for traffic (even for pedestrian traffic) during the Budapest Red Bull Air Race: Chain Bridge traffic closed