Red Bull Air Race 2019: the last time in Kazan. How was the race memorable?

The Red Bull Air Race is coming to Kazan for the third time, but, alas, for the last. In May, the organizers announced the closure of the championships. That’s why the race last weekend was special. The rumble of engines, incredible shows and demonstrations, spectators’ and commentators’ worries – all this was visible to everyone who was interested in what was happening in the capital of Tatarstan. However, apart from that, there were also technical failures in the planes, real tests for the organizers, and well-coordinated work of a huge number of people. We tell you what happens where spectators can’t get in – “in the kitchen” of the main competitions in air slalom.

By the way, the discipline of air slalom appeared thanks to the Red Bull Air Race. It is a high-speed piloting with passing a complicated air route with obstacles. This is how it looks from the outside.

On land

The pilots experience incredible overloads, which are controlled both internally, by the onboard computer, and externally, from the Flight Control Center, whose sensors can detect a problem with the aircraft even before the pilot is aware of it. In addition, the Flight Control Center closely monitors the passage of the route and scrutinizes the route for violations of the rules.

These very rules, by the way, quite a lot. Judges monitor the overload indicators, the amount of smoke, the level and degree of passing the gate, the correctness of aerobatic maneuvers and, of course, speed. Errors are penalized (+2 seconds and +6 seconds to the total flight time). Not all of them are set automatically, for example, the degree of deviation of the airplane from the horizontal or vertical when passing the gate is determined “manually” by the judges. By the way, the judge’s decision cannot be challenged, but the on-board computer readings are accepted as arguments for appeal.

On the water

During the flight, the pilot has to quickly pass through pairs of specially designed pylons, which are called “gates”. Separate, specially trained people are also responsible for their operation. They travel along the Kazanka River by boat in order to instantly replace damaged elements with new ones in the event of a collision between the airplane and the pylon.

The materials from which the pylon is made have different properties. White – the bottom tier of the pylon – is a dense, nerve-resistant fabric that can withstand heavy loads and high pressure within the structure. The fabric for the red-yellow tier is much lighter than typographic paper, but is far superior in strength. It resembles the material used to make a parachute, but with one difference: if a bird rips through the parachute, the cut will not separate further. It is also almost impossible to tear the material, but if the airplane’s wing collides with the pylon, the cut, on the contrary, will instantly separate further to avoid damage to the aircraft.

In order to quickly replace the damaged element, the pylon consists of several pieces of fabric fastened together by a zipper. However, the familiar doggie on such a lock is not present. As it is explained by the designers, due to the fact that any tiny metal part at a speed of 300 kilometers per hour turns into a bullet.

In the air

The best thing about what happens in the cockpit of an airplane is, of course, the pilot himself. One of the finalists of the race, Czech representative Martin Šonka, said that his first flight in life took place at the age of 17 at an airport near his hometown.

I have dreamed of being a pilot since I was a kid, but I never imagined that it would happen someday. That day, I was thrilled to be right up in the sky.

Martin fell in love with the sky and it never let him go. He conquered it time after time. Just like on this day, at the Red Bull Air Race 2019. He managed to beat almost 11 of his rivals and finished third in the final.

Shonka believes that in order for everything to work out, a good pilot must have patience and calmness, be responsible and ready to learn a lot of theory every day, and for that he must love the sky first and foremost. It is very difficult to go out on the track if you feel that the training flights were not enough. You have to spend years practicing all the elements and pumping those most important skills and qualities to feel confident for yourself and your airplane.

“An hour before the flight, I always break away and go somewhere where I won’t be distracted by anyone. I warm up, jumping jacks, stretching, practicing my reactions because there are high stresses and pressure swings ahead. When I get into the cockpit, I quickly fasten my seat belt around my waist, raise my bent arms up and my technician pulls the straps over my shoulders. It’s a special ritual and if he’s distracted or talking to someone, it throws me off for a bit.”

Svetlana Kapanina was another winner of the audience’s hearts, impressing everyone with an incredible aerobatics show in the sky above Kazanka.

Svetlana recalls that she got into airplane sports from pharmacy by accident – she wanted to jump with a parachute, but mixed up the record. It was that very incident that changed her fate forever.

Now Svetlana Kapanina’s airplane is the place where her bad mood evaporates, her pain goes away and her well-being always changes for the better. This day she feels unwell, but soon she will get into the cabin and forget about everything.