Red Bull Flugtag returns to the Tampa Convention Center this fall

Tampa residents may have a passion for launching e-scooters into the river , but now energy drink giant Red Bull wants you to channel that same energy into its upcoming Flugtag event.

This morning, the City of Tampa announced that Red Bull Flugtag (German for "Flying Day") will return to the Tampa Convention Center on Saturday, Nov. 9.

“We’re incredibly excited to welcome the Red Bull Flugtag back to Tampa, along with the 100,000 spectators it will bring,” said City of Tampa Mayor Jane Castor. “We can’t wait to watch these daring pilots take flight, or maybe more accurately, take a plunge, right outside the Tampa Convention Center. It's going to be an epic day, and most importantly, an economic boost of over $3 million to our city. It’s a win-win.”

The high-flying, free to attend event, which centers around 40 teams and their human-powered contraptions launching off a 27-foot-tall flight deck, is no stranger to the Hillsborough River.  The popular event stopped in Tampa back in 2011, and also 2008.

For the unfamiliar, the goal of Flugtag is to achieve the longest "glide" off the platform, all while piloting a home-made machine of your choosing, as long as it's no more than 30-feet wide and 450 pounds, including the pilot. Teams are also judged on creativity and their pre-flight "skit."

In 2011, team Willy Wonka's Amazing Flying Flugtag Adventure won the Tampa stop, with a 12-foot flying Willy Wonka and four Oompa Loompas pushing it to a 50-foot flight. The same team also won in 2008, but as "Tampa Baywatch," with a impressive 109-foot flight.

The world record for longest flight is currently 258 feet,  which was set in 2013 by "The Chicken Whisperers" at the Flugtag in Long Beach, California.

If you'd like to participate, teams can registers  from July 8 through Sept. 19. More info on the event can be found at redbull.com. Teams will be announced on Sept. 23.


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