Willy Wonka Wins Tampa Flugtag

October 10, 2011 — If there was any doubt about it, Flugtag Tampa proved that giant chickens can’t fly. And neither can a cardboard fire truck, a red and white mushroom, or a Styrofoam shark. But the grand prize in this year’s only Flugtag competition in the United States was Willy Wonka’s Amazing Flying Flugtag Adventure, a flying candy machine complete with three Oompa Loompas and, of course, the reclusive Candy Man. Their aircraft flew 50 feet, despite a gust of wind that snapped off the craft’s right wing strut, the St. Petersburg Times reported. With the help of a broom and duct tape, the team fixed its creation moments before it was to launch. The St. Petersburg team also won in 2008. Red Bull Flugtag challenges teams of everyday people to build homemade, human-powered flying machines and pilot them off a 30-foot high deck in hopes of achieving flight. Flugtag means "flying day" in German, but all the crafts ultimately splash into the waters below. Team BigStuff of Gainesville, Georgia, came in second place with their Back to the Future-inspired aircraft resembling a DeLorean. U.S.A. Team, of Pompano, Florida, came in third with a tank and characters from The A-Team television show. The People’s Choice top honors went to Stumble Force - Android Wings, a giant Red Bull-powered Google Android cell phone with crew members dressed in green Google Android costumes. More than 125,000 people crowded onto boats and along the water to watch 38 teams push their creations off the 30-foot-high flight deck on Saturday, St. Petersburg Times reported. Five judges evaluated teams on distance traveled, the creativity of their craft, and their 30-second skit prior to takeoff. If you missed the competition, you can still see the action. Tune into Bright House at 7 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, October 25.

Members of the “If Your Gunna Be Dumb, You Gotta Be Tough” team soar and fall off the Red Bull Flugtag ramp into Tampa Bay on Saturday afternoon. Photo credit: Willie J. Allen of the St. Petersburg Times Lanny Donoho plays Dr. Brown for Team BigStuf, which features a "Back to the Future"-themed ride. Photo credit: Kevin Wiatrowski of Tampa Bay Online

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