CRAZY BEAUTIFUL FLIGHTS NOW
DAN VOJTĚCH
Photographer Dan Vojtěch got crazy with Red Bull’s aerobatic flying team, the Flying Bulls.
He put strobes inside their airplanes and shot their famous mirror formation from a another plane.
It was not an easy feat. The 2-seater Xtreme Air XA42 aerobatic planes are quite tiny. Vojtěch put a giant battery powered strobe on one of the seats of each plane, strapping it in place with a seat belt and some tape.
Then the pilots had to get used to the flashing with getting blinded by the light. Good thing they had a Plan B in case a pilot did go blind!
The planes took flight then cruised at about 250kph. They moved in formation at just over 2m apart. Vojtech instructed his pilot on positioning and angle.
Then Vojtěch mastered the challenge of trying to focus and frame even though he was unable to move. And he had to get close enough for the flash to work -- about 20 meters away.
The team of 4 pilots is led by Stanislav Cejka. They spend about 80 hours per year training for their acrobatic flights.
In some formations, such as the mirror, pilots have to fly on their backs. In others, like the hammerhead and roll, they must roll, loop, and swoop in the air.
It’s like a rollercoaster ride. The leader typically pulls 4 to 5 Gs and the wingmen pull 5 to 6 Gs. The airplanes are rated up to 10 Gs.
Check out this awesome video to see it all in action. And see this video to see behind the scenes shots. To see more of Vojtěch’s work, visit his website and Facebook page.
Read more about Beautiful Flights in Beauty From a Drones-Eye View, Beautiful Feathers Make Beautiful Flights Happen and Flights of Fancy Fantasy Trip for Foodies Now.
And check out more beautiful things happening now in BN Arts/Design, Nature/Science, Food/Drink, Place/Time, Mind/Body, and Soul/Impact Daily Fix posts.
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IMAGE CREDITS:
- Image: by Dan Vojtěch. “Aerobatic Team Flying Bulls Performs During Sunset.”
- Image: by Dan Vojtěch. Flying Bulls. “Sunset or sunrise?”
- Image: by Dan Vojtěch. “Flying Bulls.”
- Image: by Dan Vojtěch. “Flying Bulls.”
- Image: by Dan Vojtěch. “Flying Bulls.”
- Image: by Dan Vojtěch. Flying Bulls. “Around the Clock.”
- Image: by Dan Vojtěch. Flying Bulls. “Synchronized Mirror Flight.”
- Image: by Dan Vojtěch. Flying Bulls. “Loop-de-loop!”
- Image: by Dan Vojtěch. “Flying Bulls.”
- Image: by Dan Vojtěch. “Flying Bulls. Watching the Sunset.”
- Image: by Dan Vojtěch. “Flying Bulls.”
- Image: by BN App - Download now!
- Image: by Dan Vojtěch. “Flying Bulls Pilots”
