Red Bull's Flugtag competition is this weekend in Nashville, where contestants attempt to build the most effective human-powered flying machines, graded as much on showmanship and entertainment value as they are on mechanics. The rules: “All flying machines must be entirely human-powered (no external energy sources or stored power). Secondly, all crafts must be less than 30-feet wide. And finally, no matter what they say, size does matter – all crafts must weigh no more than 450 lbs (including the pilot).”
This year, as in years past, Orange County will be represented in the contest by “Kings got Wings,” a team of local Elvis impersonators (captain Brad Smith, pilot Curt Schmuhl, and teammates Chris Camargo, Ron Jamieson, and Chuck O’Neal). Undaunted by their failure to achieve victory in prior years with donut and sandwich-shaped contraptions, they're going for broke this year in an airborne pink Cadillac.
We wish them the best. And if they don't win, we really hope they don't try for a flying toilet next year.
