Saturday if there's no wind.
 

Don't forget the RedBull Flugtag outside the Tampa Convention Center on Saturday July 19th. www.redbullflugtag.com/TampaBay2008

Event opens at 11 am. First flight at 1pm. These are some crazy people pushing homemade "flying machines" off a ramp with about a 30 foot drop to the water, and trying to stay aboard. Should be pretty crowded both on shore and in the water. But kayaks or SUPs would be able to get any view they wanted. There's a launch site on Davis Island next to the airport, where you can also park your car. From there it's about a mile paddle down the Harbour Island channel. From the viewing area, paddle a short distance to Jackson's selling beer.

I live on Harbour Island, so it's a short trip by Kayak. If the weather is too iffy to fly to the Keys for some forecasted 20mph, I'll be there!

Frank

How was the event? Wanted to make it over but stayed south instead. Did anyone check it out and better still grab some pictures?

Flugtag
 

I opted for the Keys. Talked to people who went. Their comments were, "crowded, hot, and boring." That about sums it up.


Frank

I think the firefighters? crew got the longest and best hangtime in an almost hang glider contraption

I think that if you went to Flugtag looking for a great showing of people launching their highly engineered crafts to see how far they could really fly that you might have been disappointed.

I thought it was crowded, and hot, but I was drinking some cold ones and they never tasted more refreshing. I thought it was alot of fun and had a good time. I also only say about 8 or 10 of the contraptions fall straight into the water because thats what they basically do.

I thought it to be a gasparilla like event, you know how much of that parade I have seen over the years??? :)

Thanks for the reports! Came across some photos ...

http://snap.tbo.com/images/photos/10...om/2008901.jpg



http://snap.tbo.com/images/photos/10...om/2011689.jpg



http://snap.tbo.com/images/photos/10...om/2011724.jpg
Anybody know who's standing up out there



http://snap.tbo.com/images/photos/10...om/2011961.jpg




http://snap.tbo.com/images/photos/10...om/2012007.jpg


Lots more where those came from at: http://snap.tbo.com/pages/gallery.php?gallery=327948


and there's this video ...




Not the same as being there but it looks like it was a blast. At least sitting in my nice AC'd room!