Millimeters at 250 mph

And today, class, we take a look at acrobatic flying.

...via Perth Now

While they may not be the steely hunks flying war machines in Top Gun, these pilots and their precision aircraft are truly marvels of the motorsport world. Bonus: Tom Cruise doesn't fly or act in them.

While aerobatic races had been done for years previous, beverage giant Red Bull created the Red Bull Air Race World Championship in 2003 to formalize the sport in a vain similar to IndyCar.

...via Red Bull

These lightweight planes are maneuvered through 65 feet high 'air gates' at speeds of 230 mph while withstanding forces up to 12 G. The pilots are given practice and qualifying time, but every event and circuit is a challenge. The races are often held over bodies of water or around natural wonders to make the events more accessible and aesthetic to spectators. To get a good idea of what this race looks like I encourage you to follow these links: drivers discuss favorite races, highlights from a 2009 race in Windsor, and a 'best of' montage set to a The White Panda's song.

The pilots of these planes are typically middle-aged men who have extensive flight training and airshow experience. These pilots must train for years in order to be able to have the reflex control and muscle tension needed when subjected to G-forces up to 12 G. G-force is a measurement of proper acceleration in relation to free-fall. For comparison, standing at sea level is worth 1 G, astronauts experience around 8 G, and sustained 16 G is enough to kill a human. These pilots may experience limited sessions of 'greying out,' where vision momentarily loses color. G-forces literally make your heart work harder to pump blood against these gravitational and inertial forces. The pilots combat this as best they can by contracting large muscles when under high G's.

...via Red Bull

Pilots must conform the planes according to the gate's specifications. Some gates must be slalomed and others may require knife flying. If the pilot clips a pylon or passes the gate incorrectly penalty seconds are added to his final time.

The planes themselves are modified aerobatic exhibition planes, such as the MX MXS or the Zivko Edge 540. These plane types have short, 25-foot wingspans and weigh around 1,500 lbs. They can roll as much as 420° in one second which is accomplished by moving the plane's sensitive controls just millimeters. They are powered by 6-cylinder engines propelling the planes to over 250 mph, though race speeds tend to be somewhat slower. The planes fly like any other fixed-wing aircraft, using the properties of lift and boundary flow to maintain altitude. I'm not sure what physical properties maintain Tom Cruise's career altitude, except maybe stimulants. Lots of stimulants.

...via Stuff Worth Paken

Aerobatic pilots must account for the lift and direction when flying. A common air gate is called the quadro, which features four pylons in the corners of a square. The pilot must fly through this in a knife-like fashion where the plane's wings are vertical compared to the ground. With the wings now losing all elevated lift, the pilot must compensate by aiming upwards through the gate.

...via Airport Journals/Red Bull

A similar maneuver is required with cross winds that will make these lightweight planes drift significantly more than heavier aircraft. 'Crabbing' means the pilot goes into a controlled sideways slide with the aircraft. This means his margin for error between pylons even less than typical. During horizontal passes of a gate, the plane's wing would never be any less than 3.5 meters from the pylon, but crabbing can reduce this to just over a meter!

...via Red Bull

Remarkably, there has only been one crash during a Red Bull Air Race World Championship event and the unharmed pilot was able to compete in the following event.

There have been multiple crashes in Cruise's career, however...via Lunchtime Movie Review

However, I have terrible news for those burgeoning air race fans. Red Bull had suspending the World Series in 2011, and will do so for 2012 as well, in order to create a more financially viable event after the recent global recession. There are promises, but no events scheduled, regarding a 2013 Red Bull Air Race reboot.

I should note that even though I've had a little fun at Tom Cruise's expense, he does in fact own a pilot's license which is more than this blogger can say. But, as far as celebrity pilots go, I think I'll fly with John Travolta. I mean, could you imagine that hair blowing in the wind. Ahhhhhh…

...via Media Screened

Resources

Red Bull Air Race Official Home Page

Red Bull Air Race's Offical Youtube Channel

Wikipedia - Zivko Edge 540; CAP 230; MX MXS

Perth Now - Red Bull Air Race canceled worldwide