Red Bull, one of Austria's largest aircraft operators by ownership, once again hosted an air show in Lisbon this September. Aviation.Direct was there to report on the event, which was also broadcast live on local television.
The location was picturesque and is currently one of the most exciting aviation locations in Europe. This week, not only did Carsten Spohr and his entourage politically explore the situation for a possible takeover of TAP, but IAG also announced that it was interested in the troubled Portuguese airline.
Without investing 10 billion in a questionable airport on the other side of the river, the Austrian beverage manufacturer set up a runway directly on the Tejo and allocated a slot every five minutes to brave hobbyists.
This weekend, however, the focus was not on worries, but on creativity, cross-country flying and show performances. Each of the 36 teams performed a short performance before the actual flight from the 16-meter-high ramp. The local jury often rated this even higher than the actual flight.
We let the pictures speak for themselves: from the Flying Pitstop to the bell tower as the starting point to the winning team “Diaper Droppers”, who won a trip to Hangar 7 in Salzburg as first prize.
Around 10.000 spectators marvelled at the spectacle in bright sunshine, a light headwind and a fantastic backdrop. In Lisbon, the sugary drink from Austria delighted the audience without them having to invest more than 3,7 billion euros in TAP or SATA, as in previous years.