The Power of Red Bull Blanix

The glider pilots prove their talent by playing with the elements and presenting spectacular manoeuvres at AIRPOWER24.

‘The power of love, a force from above, cleaning my soul, flame on, burn desire’ goes Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s famous line. And these lyrics fit Red Bull Blanix from Styria really well because they also develop an invisible – and inaudible – force that inspires people. ‘It’s like watching a couple dance’, says Red Bull Blanix pilot Ewald Roithner, describing the feeling they want to give the audience.

Flugschau mit zwei Flugzeugen, die farbige Rauchspuren über einer Menschenmenge hinterlassen, einem großen Militärflugzeug und Regenschirmen.

The five-member team, team leader Kurt Tippl, Martin Strimitzer, Ewald Roithner Gerhard Radlingmaier, and Markus Köberl, prove time and again in their impressive airshow performances what special flair they can craft as a programme item between the loud Eurofighters, helicopters, and the legendary Flying Bulls vintage parade. We can promise you the glider display is guaranteed to be the quietest highlight of AIRPOWER24. ‘People often tell us that it is a very special moment for them when they remove their ear protection during an airshow, find a cosy spot, sit down, and simply look up and watch our performance’, says Ewald Roithner.

Vier Personen in passender Kleidung stehen neben einem Segelflugzeug in einem Hangar. Im Hintergrund sind weitere Flugzeuge zu sehen.

A knack for gravity

When you are soaring above the clouds in an aircraft and gravity is your only driving force, one thing is crystal clear: there is little room for error if you want to put on a perfect show for tens of thousands of fans, as is the case with the AIRPOWER24 display by Red Bull Blanix. Years of experience, sophisticated flying skills, and a good feel for air currents and thermals – the toolbox of glider pilots must be broad and diverse.

REFUEL by Red Bull

Wings of Silence

As soon as the Red Bull Blanix takes to the air, it becomes so quiet you can hear a pin drop at Hinterstoisser airbase. You immediately realise that it is the contrast to speed and noise that makes the Red Bull Blanix so unique at AIRPOWER24. An Extra 300 L from the Flying Bulls fleet tows the two gliders simultaneously to an altitude of around 1,500 metres above the airfield. ‘As soon as we release, we are in a permanent descent and are left to the elements’, says Red Bull Blanix pilot Ewald Roithner. ‘We have to start our programme immediately so that we can do everything we want to show in our eight-minute display at AIRPOWER24’.

‘AIRPOWER is spine-tingling!’ – EWALD ROITHNER

Mann in schwarzem Poloshirt und Mütze steht mit verschränkten Armen vor einem kleinen Flugzeug in einem Hangar.

One-timer in the air

Unlike motorised aircraft, gliders cannot take off again and gain altitude – this requires a great deal of practice and sensitivity to the air currents on the part of the pilots, especially for the formation’s leader who sets the timing in the air. ‘We control our descent by activating the airbrakes. The less we use them, the longer we can stay in the air’, explains Ewald Roithner. ‘Every control input and every little mistake in the formation costs us valuable height, so we have to fly extremely precisely as a team’.

Zwei Flugzeuge führen ein akrobatisches Flugmanöver in der Nähe eines Berggipfels mit Rauchfahnen und einer malerischen Landschaft darunter durch.

But that is precisely the fascination of Red Bull Blanix – it doesn’t always have to be loud and fast to win the hearts of the fans. Two striking gliders, one flying inverted, the other directly below, with just half a wingspan between them – when the Red Bull Blanix team takes off into mirror flight high above the Hinterstoisser airbase in Zeltweg, the airshow fans have butterflies in their stomachs. ‘The mirror flight is a very demanding formation in terms of flying that is rarely performed by glider pilots’, says Ewald Roithner, who takes part in a wide variety of events throughout Europe with his team colleagues. ‘But AIRPOWER is always something very special for us, it’s an honour to be able to take part in Europe’s biggest airshow at home in Styria’.

Spine-tingling home game

Große Menschenmenge besucht an einem klaren Tag eine Flugschau mit zahlreichen Militär- und Zivilflugzeugen, die in der Nähe einer Landebahn ausgestellt sind.

As a pilot, you realise how many people are here when you’re towing. But as soon as the Red Bull Blanix gliders fly their precise manoeuvres, they are in the zone, because in these moments every move has to be perfect. ‘But the moment the display is complete, we touch down on the runway and seeing the people cheering us on is something very special. Truly spine tingling!’

Skip to content