Australia’s Matt Hall claims critical Air Racing win at Ascot

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Matt Hall of Australia prepares for his flight during the finals at the fifth stage of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship in Ascot, Great Britain on August 14, 2016.

Australia’s Matt Hall just topped overall leader Matthias Dolderer of Germany for the win at Sunday’s Red Bull Air Race in Ascot, UK, proving that there’s still everything to play for with three races left in the season. Finishing third, Austria’s Hannes Arch is still firmly in the mix.

Ascot (UNITED KINGDOM) – The thrills were nonstop when the second half of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship season took off at Ascot Racecourse in the UK on Sunday, as pylons and track records fell in a desperate drive to stop the momentum of overall leader Matthias Dolderer of Germany. In the Final 4, it was Matt Hall of Australia seizing the win with a time of 1:03.426, while Dolderer was second with 1:04.887. Hannes Arch of Austria took third.

Matt Hall of Australia performs during the finals at the fifth stage of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship in Ascot, Great Britain on August 14, 2016.

Britain’s knowledgeable racing fans were on their feet at the legendary horseracing track from the opening Round of 14, as pilot after pilot pushed to the limit – including the UK’s own Nigel Lamb in his final home race. Dolderer set a stunning new track record of 1:03.266 in the Round of 8, but he flew more conservatively as the last to go in the Final 4, after Arch and the United States’ Michael Goulian had both earned “DNF” (“Did Not Finish”) penalties for slight rule infractions in the push to excel. Hall, meanwhile, showed no sign of the back injury that had limited his results earlier in the season, delivering a flawless performance as the first to go in that critical final round.

Matthias Dolderer of Germany performs during the finals at the fifth stage of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship in Ascot, Great Britain on August 14, 2016.

As a result, Hall – who finished second overall last season – kept his World Championship podium hopes alive, bounding from seventh to third in the overall standings with 33.75 points, while Dolderer’s result enabled him to extend his lead. The German’s tally stands at 53.25 points to the 35 points of his nearest rival, the 2008 World Champion Arch. Now, the stop coming up on 3-4 September – Dolderer’s home race at the Lausitzring – promises to be a free-for-all.

Yoshihide Muroya of Japan performs during the finals at the fifth stage of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship in Ascot, Great Britain on August 14, 2016.

“I feel brilliant. I wasn’t sure how I was going to be received as the Aussie winning on British soil, but the standing ovation from tens of thousands of people as I got out of the raceplane – these are life memories,” Hall said. “We’re in a hard position. I can get enough points to beat Matthias, but it depends on what he does. If win the next three races, there’s another 45 points we put on and we’ll see what happens.“

In Saturday’s action, American pilot Kevin Coleman earned his career-first win in the Challenger Class, ahead of a US homecoming when the Red Bull Air Race debuts at legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway in October.

Michael Goulian of the United States performs during the finals at the fifth stage of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship in Ascot, Great Britain on August 14, 2016.

Tickets for all stops of the 2016 Red Bull Air Race World Championship – including Matthias Dolderer’s home race at Germany’s Lausitzring on 3-4 September – are on sale now. For more information on tickets and all the latest, visit www.redbullairrace.com

Matt Hall of Australia (C) celebrates with Matthias Dolderer of Germany (L) and Hannes Arch of Austria (R) during the Award Ceremony at the fifth stage of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship in Ascot, Great Britain on August 14, 2016.

Results Master Class Ascot: 1. Matt Hall (AUS), 2. Matthias Dolderer (GER), 3. Hannes Arch (AUT), 4. Michael Goulian (USA), 5. Martin Sonka (CZE), 6. Nigel Lamb (GBR), 7. Nicolas Ivanoff (FRA) 8. Yoshihide Muroya (JPN), 9. Kirby Chambliss (USA), 10. Peter Podlunšek (SLO), 11. Juan Velarde (ESP), 12. Francois Le Vot (FRA), 13. Pete McLeod (CAN), 14. Petr Kopfstein (CZE)
 
World Championship Standings after Ascot: 1. Matthias Dolderer (GER) 53.25 pts, 2. Hannes Arch (AUT) 35 pts, 3. Matt Hall (AUS) 33.75 pts, 4. Kirby Chambliss (USA) 27.25 pts, 5. Nicolas Ivanoff (FRA) 26.00 pts, 6. Yoshihide Muroya (JPN) 25.50 pts, 7. Nigel Lamb (GBR) 24.75 pts, 8. Martin Šonka (CZE) 20.00 pts, 9. Michael Goulian (USA) 13.75 pts, 10. Pete McLeod (CAN) 12.50 pts, 11. Francois Le Vot (FRA) 10.00 pts, 12. Juan Velarde (ESP) 9.25 pts, 13. Peter Podlunšek (SLO) 4.00 pts, 14. Petr Kopfstein (CZE) 2.00 pts

German pilot Dolderer wins Ascot Qualifying by a nose

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Matthias Dolderer of Germany performs during the qualifying day at the fifth stage of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship in Ascot, Great Britain on August 13, 2016.

Germany’s Matthias Dolderer was fastest to the finish in Saturday’s Qualifying for the Red Bull Air Race World Championship stop at Ascot Racecourse in the UK, but he barely nipped ahead of the Czech Republic and Japan. Currently holding the overall lead, the German will have 13 of the world’s best pilots focused on upsetting him when Race Day kicks off on Sunday.

Ascot (UNITED KINGDOM) – There was something special in the air at Saturday’s Qualifying for the Red Bull Air Race return to the UK’s legendary Ascot Racecourse. With half the season behind them, 14 of the world’s best pilots jockeyed fiercely to earn prime position for the opening round of the race less than 24 hours away. Fresh off a win in Budapest, it was Matthias Dolderer of Germany who claimed the pole position with a track record of 1:05.038, but less than two-tenths of a second separated him from the masterful 1:05.172 of the Czech Republic’s Martin Šonka, and Yoshihide Muroya of Japan was just a hair behind with 1:05.261.
Dolderer would be a strong favorite on Race Day even if he hadn’t clinched Qualifying: the German has led the world championship standings ever since he won the second race of the season in April. Now, the entire field is united on a mission to rein Dolderer in and avert a runaway lead before the German’s home race at the Lausitzring next month. Still looking for his first race win after finishing an impressive fourth overall in 2015, Šonka is a dark horse with the skills to pull off an upset, and Muroya has already proved he’s got the goods with his own maiden victory this spring in Chiba, Japan. Factor in the rest of the determined lineup, including the men currently in second and third place overall – Hannes Arch of Austria and Kirby Chambliss of the United States – and Sunday’s result is too close to call.

Nigel Lamb of Great Britain performs during the qualifying day at the fifth stage of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship in Ascot, Great Britain on August 13, 2016.

And don’t count out Great Britain’s own Nigel Lamb: Ascot is the farewell home race for the pilot who will retire at the end of the season. Lamb claimed second at Ascot on his way to winning the world championship in 2014, and a legion of British fans will be on hand to support their hero.
“I’m feeling relaxed and good, in general I found my rhythm from the first flight here in Ascot,” said Dolderer, who will go head-to-head against François Le Vot of France in the Round of 14 that opens Sunday’s racing. “Overall I’m satisfied of course, and now we enjoy the moment – but today there are no points for Qualifying, so all eyes on tomorrow. Tomorrow is a new day, a new chance for everyone.”

Matthias Dolderer of Germany performs during the qualifying day at the fifth stage of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship in Ascot, Great Britain on August 13, 2016.

Besides pole position, Dolderer also earned the DHL Fastest Lap Award, a component introduced this year that defines a new standard of speed at the Red Bull Air Race. At the end of the season, the pilot with the most awards will be honored with the DHL Fastest Lap trophy, and Dolderer has taken the award at two consecutive stops to lead the field.
Join the action: Tickets for all remaining stops of the 2016 Red Bull Air Race World Championship – including Race Day on Sunday in Ascot – are on sale now. For more information on tickets and all the latest, visit www.redbullairrace.com

Kirby Chambliss of the United States performs during the qualifying day at the fifth stage of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship in Ascot, Great Britain on August 13, 2016.

Results Master Class Qualifying, Ascot:  1. Matthias Dolderer (GER) 1:05.038, 2. Martin Šonka (CZE) 1:05.172, 3. Yoshihide Muroya (JPN) 1:05.261, 4. Juan Velarde (ESP) 1:06.543, 5. Pete McLeod (CAN) 1:06.593, 6. Nicolas Ivanoff (FRA) 1:06.912, 7. Hannes Arch (AUT) 1:06.987, 8. Matt Hall (AUS) 1:07.075, 9. Petr Kopfstein (CZE) 1:07.143, 10. Michael Goulian (USA) 1:07.429, 11. Nigel Lamb (GBR) 1:07.561, 12. Kirby Chambliss (USA) 1:08.018, 13. Peter Podlunšek (SLO) 1:08.074, 14. François Le Vot (FRA) 1:09.335

Matt Hall of Australia performs during the qualifying day at the fifth stage of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship in Ascot, Great Britain on August 13, 2016.

Wingsuit jumpers join meteor shower in Spanish sky

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Joakim Sommer (NOR), Georg Lettner (AUT), Marco Waltenspiel (AUT), Armando Del Rey (ESP) pose for a team shot at Astrosports – Meteor Showers on La Palma, Spain on August 10, 2016.

Joakim Sommer, Armando del Rey, Marco Waltenspiel and Georg Lettner paid a tribute to the celestial event this week, flying over La Palma in the Canary Islands where the sky is considered the cleanest in the North Hemisphere for astronomic observation.

The four jumpers joined the Perseids (also called “tears of Saint Lawrence”), a prolific meteor shower usually peaking in August. That mid-August night, up to 500 meteors were observed per hour. In fact, the visibility of the Perseids – a stream of debris stretching along the orbit of the comet Swift–Tuttle – was five time more intense than usual this year.

Sommer (Norway), del Rey (Spain), Waltenspiel and Lettner (Austria) jumped from an altitude of 1,800 meters and flew at a speed of 170 km/h above the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory, where the world’s biggest optic telescope, the Gran Telescopio de Canarias, is located. They achieved this complex flight in total darkness, wearing LED wingsuits.

Joakim Sommer (NOR) seen at the Astrosports – Meteor Showers project on La Palma, Spain on August 10, 2016

“The experience has been amazing,” said Sommer. “It literally felt like I was in a videogame. I was in this black tunnel and there was nothing else besides all those billions of stars in my face. It was a really unique visual because you could really feel the speed, but you have no other surroundings. You are just in pitch black; it is like you are out there in the outer space. It’s crazy, it was literally crazy.”

The jump above “La Isla Bonita” (as La Palma is also known) took place from the aircraft T-21 thanks to the Air Force, the Canarian Astrophysics Institute and La Palma’s City Hall.

After a massive fire hit the island these past days, the jumpers wanted to show support and gratitude to those who’ve helped rescuing and extinguishing – so they said GRACIAS (thanks) the best way they could.

Flight of the Astrosports – Meteor Showers project on La Palma, Spain on August 10, 2016

Flight of the Astrosports – Meteor Showers on La Palma, Spain on August 10, 2016

Who’s the man who jumped from 25,000ft without a parachute?

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A portrait of Red Bull Air Force member Luke Aikins, who became the first person to jump from 25,000 feet (7,620m) without a parachute or wingsuit on live TV on July 30.

Luke Aikins poses for a portrait at Chain Reaction in Moab, Utah, USA on December 03, 2015.

Last Saturday, professional skydiver Luke Aikins jumped out of a plane 25,000 feet above Simi Valley, California. It was the first time in his 18,000-plus skydives that the 42-year-old athlete did not wear a parachute.

During the two-minute fall aired live on television, Aikins reached the speed of 120mph (193km/h) before falling in a large net suspended by cranes 200 feet (60m) above the ground.

Jon Devore, Miles Daisher, Luke Aikins and Mike Swanson, of the Red Bull Air Force Team, soar over the Hollywood sign, during LA Swoopers, in Los Angeles, CA, USA, on 20 October 2011.

But who is the man behind the stunt? Born in Texas, he’s made his first solo skydive at age 16. Over the last two and a half decades, this husband and father of one excelled at skydiving and BASE jumping, becoming one of the pioneers of combining a canopy with skis to fly vertically down mountain sides.

The skydiving consultant for the Red Bull Stratos project in 2012, Aikins has developed new parachute deployment mechanisms and participated in test jumps at 28,000 feet (8,530m).

He’s also coached NASCAR’s Brian Vickers and regularly instructs the military on cutting-edge skydiving techniques. An expert aerial photographer, he has had his pictures published in major newspapers and magazines worldwide.

Luke Aikins poses for a portrait during a Red Bull Air Force team training session at Kirby Chambliss’ ranch near Casa Grande, AZ, USA on 27 January 2014.

 

A Hometown Hero Claims the Podium in Chiba | Red Bull Air Race 2016

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Yoshihide Muroya looks to make the podium here at the home of Japanese aviation after just missing the finals last year. Featuring a mix of high-tech urban skylines and stunning natural beauty, Chiba is a perfect host for the season’s third stop.

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About: The Red Bull Air Race World Championship features the world’s best pilots in a motorsports competition based on speed, precision and skill. Using the fastest, most agile and lightweight racing planes, Red Bull Air Race pilots navigate a low-level aerial race track made up of air filled pylons, flying at speeds reaching 230mph while withstanding forces of up to 10g. The objective is to complete the course, navigating the 65 feet high specially designed inflatable pylons known as Air Gates in the fastest possible time. Red Bull Air Race pilots must pass between the Air Gates in the correct position taking care not to touch them with their wings. The pilots compete for points at each Red Bull Air Race and the one who accumulates the most at the end of the season is crowned Red Bull Air Race World Champion.

Can’t get enough Air Race? Click to watch all the action from Chiba: http://win.gs/Chiba

Paragliding Over a Sea of Sand Dunes in Namibia

Courtesy of Red Bull

Two of the world’s top acro-paragliders, Tim Alongi and Jean-Baptiste Chandelier, took an epic barefoot flight in the middle of the Namibian desert.

Music:
0:02 “Torro” by Dreamless (Sounds of Red Bull): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list…

Click for absolutely gorgeous shots from the flight: http://win.gs/FlightNamibia

 

Matthias Dolderer Flies to Victory in Spielberg | Red Bull Air Race 2016

Courtesy of Red Bull

From Abu Dhabi sunshine – to snow, rain and high winds in Spielberg – the world’s best pilots were pushed to the limit and beyond in Austria. Pete McLeod set the pace but the home favorite Matthias Dolderer responded with a big win, followed by Hannes Arch and Nigel Lamb on the podium. Take a look back at all the best action from Spielberg!

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About: The Red Bull Air Race World Championship features the world’s best pilots in a motorsports competition based on speed, precision and skill. Using the fastest, most agile and lightweight racing planes, Red Bull Air Race pilots navigate a low-level aerial race track made up of air filled pylons, flying at speeds reaching 230mph while withstanding forces of up to 10g. The objective is to complete the course, navigating the 65 feet high specially designed inflatable pylons known as Air Gates in the fastest possible time. Red Bull Air Race pilots must pass between the Air Gates in the correct position taking care not to touch them with their wings. The pilots compete for points at each Red Bull Air Race and the one who accumulates the most at the end of the season is crowned Red Bull Air Race World Champion.

Can’t get enough Air Race? Click to watch all the action from Spielberg: http://win.gs/ARSpielberg2016

Hang Glider Attempts Distance World Record | Chasing Thermals

Courtesy of Red Bull

Hang glider pilot Jonny Durand attempts to break the long distrance, non-motorized flying record with the help of a unique weather phenomenon found in West Texas.