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» 32,90 € |
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» 570,- € |
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» 487,- € |
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Historic runway for Chambliss
20.08.2007 |
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The USS Midway CVB-41 has dropped its anchor permanently in front of the San Diego skyline. The decommissioned aircraft carrier has been turned into an impressive museum that draws huge crowds in San Diego Bay but as part of the activities leading up to the Red Bull Air Race in San Diego the Midway was briefly put back into service of sorts – used as a temporary runway.
Defending Red Bull Air Race World Series Champion Kirby Chambliss (USA/Team Red Bull) took advantage of the opportunity to take off from the aircraft carrier’s flight deck in his Edge 540 out of the bay towards the race track. While the USS Midway had a top speed of 33 knots, the Red Bull Air Race planes used by Chambliss and his rivals can hit up to speeds of 400 km/h (250 mph).
“It was an interesting experience,” said Chambliss, adding he did not have nor need the slingshot that fighter planes use to get aloft. “There was plenty of room. The flight deck was about 780 feet long and I got right up with about 150 feet to spare.”
The penultimate race of the Red Bull Air Race World Series starts on Friday (21 September 2007, 11 a.m. local time) with qualifying (13 pilots). The 12 fastest pilots will compete on Saturday (22 September 2007, 11 a.m.) for crucial championship points. The final race of the season will be in Perth (AUS) on 3-4 November 2007.
The Red Bull Air Race pilots fly through a slalom course of inflated Air Gates just metres above the surface at speeds of up to 400 km/h (250 mph) and endure forces of up to 10G. Last year more than six million spectators attended the eight races of the championship.
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Hyperlinks
»» www.redbullairrace.com
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