Flights of Fancy

Red Bull Flugtag makes a crash landing in Philly.

by Julia West

Mark Stehle GREEN MONSTER: The Phlyin' Phanatics pose with their Flugtag craft.

[ by the horns ]

It took only 19 years of competitive flying triumphs and swan dives in cities around the world, but the famed Red Bull Flugtag, German for "flight day," — at the end of a multi-city tour — will finally land in the 215 this Saturday.

Expect an afternoon of awkward hilarity when various DIY objects-turned-aircrafts fly — or flop — off a 30-foot pier and plummet into the Delaware River, all in the name of caffeinated glory.

Hailing from New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and, of course, Pennsylvania, nearly 32 teams of five have spent the summer toiling away in garages, basements and backyards to create the greatest and most innovative aircrafts (imagine the Kensington Kinetic Sculpture Derby, airborne and with a wicked last step). Aerodynamics here aren't key in this competition. Beating the U.S. record for farthest Flugtag flight — 207 feet — couldn't hurt, but distance doesn't make or break a team's chances. Judges, including WMMR's Preston & Steve, will also take creativity and showmanship into account.

As part of the application, each team was required to provide an introductory online profile; charisma there certainly won't hurt competitors' chances. The members of Grease Lightning, for instance, will be sending a 10-foot cheesesteak wit Whiz off the pier, while the clever School of Rock team has fashioned a Flying V guitar.

The Phlyin' Phanatics hope to tug on hometown heartstrings with their enormous, airborne Phillie Phanatic. "We're all huge Phillies fans," says member Julie Jones. "Plus I have a furry crush on the Phanatic." Jones is confident that her team can place first, and her strategy includes the sale of Phlyin' Phanatic T-shirts, trading cards and tickets to board a ship that was born to booze, Captain Lucky. "This way people can cheer us on from the front lines," says Jones.

But before we get territorial, let's take a moment to recognize each brave pilot. It could be argued that any man or woman who makes the sober decision to fly a homemade aircraft into the Delaware most likely has a touch of the crazies. In this situation, "fly" of course means they have their teammates push their craft off a deck in the hopes that the updraft catches their plane and softens the inevitable blow. Jones claims her whole team is prepared to jump into the river, but it's their pilot, Adam Denard, who has to go it alone when the Phanatic crashes. Red Bull may give you wings, but you better provide your own life jacket.

(julia.west@citypaper.net)