NSC staff takes on Red Bull Flugtag competition

A group of National Sports Center staff members are coming together to compete in the Red Bull Flugtag contest under the name Minneapple Flies.

Red Bull Flugtag is a competition that requires teams to build an aircraft that will plunge off a ramp (flight deck) and into a body of water. Teams are judged by distance, creativity of the craft and showmanship. The term Flugtag appropriately translates to “flying day” in German, and the competition really focuses on craftsmanship, creativity, physics and fearlessness. In addition to manufacturing a craft by hand, each team will designate a person to drive its craft as it plunges from the flight deck in front of thousands of people and into a body of water below.

The Minneapple Flies’ craft was designed to look like an apple pie, and it includes a part that will act as a hang glider once launched off the flight deck. The team wanted something that was representative of the area and has a connection to both the NSC and Minneapple Pie, a local pie making business owned by a team member’s family.

Only 40 teams were selected to participate in the competition, and the NSC team will fly its craft 38th in the lineup. According the the Red Bull Flugtag FAQ page, of the 40 teams participating, 32 teams are from Minnesota, 25 of which are from the Twin Cities area, and other teams come from North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Kentucky and Illinois.

The competition is free to spectators and will take place on Sept. 7 at Harriet Island Park in St. Paul. Doors open at 10:30 a.m.