Red Bull Air Race World Championship

Pilots fly individually against the clock and have to complete tight turns through a slalom course consisting of pylons, known as "air gates".

The answer was to build a specially designed obstacle course which the pilots would navigate at high speeds.

Development of the prototypes of what are now known as the "air gates" began in 2002 and renowned Hungarian pilot Péter Besenyei successfully completed the first test flight through them.

After two years in planning and development, the first official Red Bull Air Race was ready to take off in Zeltweg, Austria in 2003.

Ten pilots competed in seven races around the world – Mike Mangold was crowned the champion with Péter Besenyei and Kirby Chambliss in second and third place respectively.

Mike Mangold reclaimed the title of Red Bull Air Race World Champion 2007.

[5] In the 2010 series, during training runs prior to the race, Brazilian pilot Adilson Kindlemann crashed his plane into the Swan River in Perth.

Rescuers were on site within seconds and Kindlemann was rushed to Royal Perth Hospital where it was determined that he had suffered no serious injury.

The decision was taken by Red Bull on 27 July 2010 to allow for a "headquarters" restructure as well as the implementation of new safety measures.

However, in October 2013, it was announced that the Red Bull Air Race World Championship would return in 2014.

For 2022, the World Championship Air Race would've been hosted in Jakarta, Indonesia on October 14–16, 2022 among other rounds on the planned calendar.

The starting order for Training is defined by the results of the last year's Red Bull Air Race World Championship standings.

[15][16] The competitors use high-performance aerobatic planes such as the Zivko Edge 540, MXS-R, and the Corvus Racer 540, equipped with Lycoming engines.

However, the safety implications of engine or airframe failures mean that performance tuning by individual teams, though commonly done in motorsports, is strictly limited in scope.

[19] The first prototype pylon was developed by Martin Jehart of Bellutti Protection Systems, an Austrian engineering firm specializing in the manufacturing of technical materials and tarpaulin.

They initially used a latex balloon for crash tests and aerodynamic studies and after many tests and research settled on the use of a combination of different materials, the crucial component being spinnaker ripstop nylon, an extremely lightweight and flexible material used for making sails for boats.

This would prove to be a breakthrough in the development of the air gates producing a pylon that would rip instantaneously when hit by a plane.

Hungarian pilot, Péter Besenyei worked closely with the team and attempted the first deliberate pylon hit in early 2003 with positive results.

For races over water, the air gates are secured to a floating barge which has stability anchors.

[20] Unlike early models, the current structures are made up of six sections attached together by zippers and Velcro to allow quick replacement if damaged by a plane.