Many Try, Some (Kind Of) Fly, All Splash

The world's craziest festival of flight took place in Leeds on Sunday July 17th, 2011 to find the best in amateur aviation from all corners of the UK. The renowned Red Bull Flugtag finally returned to the UK  shores for the first time since 2008. 15,000 people defied the rain to watch 34 teams of avid aviators launch their home made flying machines into the lake to see how far they can fly.

This year’s wacky races saw entrants from teams such as ‘Steven Seagull’ ... the World’s first Kung Fu seagull; ‘Up The Level’ an all-female team which recreated the worldwide app sensation Angry Birds with an ambitious build that encompassed all of the iconic elements of the game; and ‘The Ice Cream Machine’ which measured over 15 feet in length, consisting of a replica wafer cone and headed at the front by a delicious ice-cream whip.

To Infinity And The Pond

Toy Story heroes To Infinity and the Pond took first place at the event. The team pulled out all the stops with their Toy Story costumes, scoring an impressive 39 out of 40 points for creativity.

Come On Kes

Come on Kes eventually made it off the ramp after a delayed start. Despite their prolonged preparations, and brazen confidence, they didn't quite make it to the other side of the lake, however they still scooped the glory for the furthest flight.

Mr. Whippy

Mr Whippy and His Team of Toppings were the first off the ramp and set an impressive benchmark for the day.

Some of the early highlights include a overgrown Orville, a giant Yorkshire pudding and a Delorean. For some real flying, the crowds also got to enjoy an aerobatic display of loop-the-loops from the Red Bull Matadors.

FMI: www.redbull.co.uk