Re: Red Bull Flugtag Hong Kong 2010 on National Geographic Channel (Sunday, 9 January 7 pm and Monday, 10 January 6 pm)

The first Red Bull Flugtag in Asia flew through Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour in42 creative gravity-defying human-powered flying machines.More than 30,000 Hong Kongers came out in force, lining up the banks along West Kowloon Heliport to cheer on their fearless aviators take off a 6-metre ramp and into the Hong Kong Harbour!

Start your new year by re-living this aviation moment onNational Geographic Channel on Sunday, 9 January 7 pm and Monday, 10 January 6 pm!(available over 4 cable operators - Cable TV Channel 52, Now TV Channel 215, TVB Pay Vision Channel 66, Hong Kong Broadband TV Channel 306)

See team internet sensation Dreamsbond, with their Power Rangers flying machine, take home the winners trophy and the coveted title of the winner of the Red Bull Flugtag Hong Kong 2010 and the first Red Bull Flugtag in Asia! Watch teams Give Kung Fu Wings, Special Moments and Donut's Papa gain wings with their creative juices, wit, invention and aviator’s spirit.About

Flug what?? Flugtag (pronounced floog-tag; noun) Flugtag, or “flying day” in German, dares creative individuals to pilot their homemade flying machines off a 6-meter high ramp and into the blue yonder – or, as is more often the case, directly into the waters below. This year, on 10th October 2010 at the West Kowloon Heliport, the first Red Bull Flugtag in Asia Pacific is taking off in Hong Kong!

A 6 meter high by 30 meter long launching ramp is constructed upon a barge anchored next to the bay. Competitors access the take off ramp via a long bridge. Held in dozens of countries around the world, the Red Bull Flugtag always gathers thousands of spectators; offering a mix of invention, wit, and competition, against the backdrop of the city’s famous shore and sky line.

The West Kowloon Heliport, located at the southern tip of the West Kowloon Reclamation is a seafront location which looks on to a gorgeous view of the horizon across the harbour, with more than enough space for the ‘pilots’ imaginations to run wild. It is apt that flying day is planned for the helipad and is bound to inspire all sorts of aerial gimmicks.

Teams of up to four members (including one pilot) are required to build a flying device and launch them off a six metre ramp into the Hong Kong Harbour. Each team will be judged on three criteria: distance, creativity and showmanship. While the sky may be the limit on creativity, there are still a few flight regulations. First off, all flying machines must be entirely human-powered (no external energy sources or stored power). Second, no matter what they say, size does matter – all crafts must be less than 9 metres wide and must weigh no more than 200 kgs (including the pilot).

The first Red Bull Flugtag, a free spectator event, took place in Vienna, Austria, in 1991. Since then, more than 80 Flugtag events have been held around the world, from Ireland to San Francisco. The largest crowd to date was in the U.K.’s Hyde Park which hit capacity with over 250,000 spectators, a feat last accomplished by the Rolling Stones in 1969. Though no pilots have ever managed to keep their feathers dry, there have been some impressive flights in Flugtag history. The record for the farthest flight to date currently stands at 207 feet recently set in Minneapolis in July 2010. The previous Red Bull Flugtag world record before that held on strong for more than 10 years! ||