To celebrate its 40th anniversary, the EQT Pittsburgh Three Rivers Regatta will partner with Red Bull to bring a human-powered flying craft competition to the lineup of water, land and air events on the weekend of Aug. 4-6.
The contest on Aug. 5 — Red Bull Flugtag (which means “flying day” in German) — involves teams of five pairing together to create homemade flying machines. The teams then send them off a 22-foot high flight deck to see which craft sails farthest before hitting the water.
In Boston last year, winning team Flite-Riot flew its craft 69 feet. The current record stands at 258 feet, set by a team called “Chicken Whisperers” from Long Beach, Calif.
Prospective pilots must submit their designs to www.RedBullFlugTag.com by May 1. Judges will review applications and select 40 teams to compete in a follow-up announcement on May 8. Participants must be 18 years of age or older.
The EQT Pittsburgh Three Rivers Regatta will be held August 4-6.
Courtney Linder: clinder@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1707. Twitter @LinderPG.
First Published: February 13, 2017, 6:10 p.m.