Photo: Red Bull - redbull.com
Red Bull Flugtag aircraft launching
A Red Bull Flugtag aircraft launching.
Five Milwaukee-area teams are building unique aircrafts, from a giant bratwurst to a massive deer, to compete in the city’s inaugural Red Bull Flugtag competition July 16. Aircrafts will be launched off a 27-foot flight deck overlooking Lake Michigan in Veterans Park.
Flugtag judges include former Green Bay Packers receiver Donald Driver and Redbull athlete Nick Lorenz. Local radio station Hot 105.7’s DJ Gee-A will announce the times and get the crowd fired up.
Madison-based dance crew Barrio Dance will help Flugtag team members fine-tune their walk-in moves.
Nashota-based Team America, led by Dan Lambert, is embracing the patriotic spirit with “Free Bird,” a 24-by-16-foot red, white, and blue eagle. The five group members will don Uncle Sam costumes. Lambert created the team in memory of his brother, a military veteran who aspired to compete in the Flugtag competition.
“We’re a bunch of neighborhood dudes that hang out together,” said Team America member Rick Verthein. The fact that none of the team members have any engineering or aviation background did not deter them from throwing their hats in the Red Bull competition ring.
Once in a Lifetime
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We’re still learning, but the process is coming along—it’s a bit of trial and error,” added Verthein. The group is seeking five sponsors to donate $500 each. $450 of each donation will benefit the nonprofit organization Kids4Vets, while the remainder of funds will go towards aircraft expenses.
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Verthein is looking forward to the Flugtag competition. “We’re really thrilled that Red Bull picked Milwaukee,” he said. “It’s a fun event the world could use right now.”
Waukesha team Flight for Your Right to Party is getting ready for Valhalla with their Viking-themed airship. Team members will be clad in horned helmets, fur, and face paint. “We are going to ot prove that Vikings flew here to the U.S.,” said team member Scott Rademaker. “Our relatives might have Viking in them, so we have a place in our hearts for this.”
Scott and his brother Josh formed the team with three other members, which they met in a group dubbed “Beer Club for Men.” Although there are no engineers in the group, all members are DIY-enthusiasts and enjoy hands-on projects.
“We just love to build stuff, and are creative,” Josh Rademaker said. The Rademakers have competed in events like Flugtag, from cardboard boat races to soapbox derbies.
The Flight for Your Right airship is made from recycled materials, including Styrofoam and shrink wrap for boats. “Two local businesses let us go through their dumpsters,” Scott Rademaker said.
The team is busy preparing for competition day and is excited to meet teams from across the nation. “Hopefully, we’re good entertainment for the crowd,” Josh Rademaker added.
