Gallery: Redbull Flugtag takes over the North Shore

By John Hamilton and Jordan Mondell / Pitt News Staff

August 5, 2017

Spectators watch the Red Bull Flugtag from the North Shore, Point State Park and boats on the Allegheny River. (Photo by John Hamilton)

Homemade aircrafts, 46 in total, launched off a 22-foot platform into the Allegheny River Saturday. Most crafts took a nosedive straight away, but a few got enough air to soar a short distance down the river.

Red Bull’s Flugtag brought crowds to the North Shore and Point State Park as teams displayed their aeronautical knowledge and dancing talent — some teams possessing neither, much to the pleasure of the crowd.

The Roc-ettes — a team of Pitt engineers — clearly had the knowledge, crafting their homemade machine based off equations from their textbooks. Unfortunately it didn’t pay off in the flight distance — they took a nosedive soon after their launch — but both the team and the crowd enjoyed their Rockette-inspired dance routine. (Photo by John Hamilton)

Survivor Tractor’s craft had one of the longest flights of the day. (Photo by John Hamilton)

Official judges raise their scores for Survivor Tractor — four 10s, two 9s. (Photo by Jordan Mondell)

Survivor Tractor, a team raising money for cancer research, jump off the platform following their highly successful flight. (Photo by John Hamilton)

Spectators twirl custom Flugtag Terrible Towels in the air as a craft prepares for takeoff. (Photo by Jordan Mondell)

A Mr. Rogers themed craft was the first flight of the day. (Photo by John Hamilton)

A woman laughs as a Flugtag craft plummets into the Allegheny River. (Photo by Jordan Mondell)

The Pittsburgh Flying Parking Chair soars down the Allegheny. It was a crowd favorite, finishing first in the voters choice category. (Photo by John Hamilton)

The Roc-Ettes test out their wings hours before taking off. (Photo by Jordan Mondell)

A Red Bull parachuter floats past the Pittsburgh skyline prior to the Flugtag. (Photo by John Hamilton)

The Flite Testers used a craft designed by middle school students. (Photo by John Hamilton)

Team Flight at the Roxbury prepares their craft for flight. (Photo by Jordan Mondell)

The Flite Testers crash after an above average flight. The crafts were all designed to be used only once. (Photo by John Hamilton)

The pilot of a Sheetz-sponsored craft jumps as his machine nosedives. (Photo by John Hamilton)

A crowd cheers as Team Survivor Tractor has a successful run. (Photo by Jordan Mondell)

Spectators sit on the North Shore in the sun watching the homemade crafts fall into the river. (Photo by John Hamilton)