Four injured in Red Bull flying competition in Hong Kong
Emergency staff were on hand in boats. Photo: K. Y. Cheng.
HONG KONG: Four people suffered minor injuries during a human-powered aircraft competition in Kai Tak on Sunday.
At this year’s Red Bull Flugtag, a woman fainted after flying her “Flying Lobster” craft into the sea. She lost consciousness for about one minute, but came to after she was rescued by emergency staff and taken to United Christian Hospital, according to an event spokeswoman.
No motors, rockets or batteries are allowed for powering the craft. Photo: K. Y. Cheng.
The remaining victims suffered other light injuries, including cuts and temporary loss of memory. They were also taken to hospital for treatment and examination.
The Flugtag – German for “flight day” – brought out daredevils who designed, built and piloted human-powered machines that took off from a ramp set up at the end of the Kai Tak runway before plunging into the sea.
Teams consisted of four members – three ground crew and one pilot.
Participants were judged in three categories: distance, creativity and pre-take-off performance.
Out of nearly 300 applications, 41 designs were selected to participate in the event.
Themes for this year’s machines included various cartoon characters, food, transportation, local culture and hot social issues.
A variety of designs appeared on the runway in Kai Tak. Photo: K. Y. Cheng.
The first competition was held in Vienna, Austria in 1992. Since then, the event has been held in more than 44 countries attracting upwards of 8.5 million spectators.
This is the third time the Red Bull Flugtag has been held in Hong Kong. In 2010, the city was the first in Asia to host the event, which was held at the West Kowloon Heliport. The second Hong Kong Flugtag was held at the Central Harbourfront Promenade in 2014. – South China Morning Post
