Red Bull Pilots to Swap Planes in Midair

How does Red Bull stunt end?

  • Both planes and pilots survive unscathed

    Votes: 36 40.0%

  • One plane or pilot impacts obstacle at speed

    Votes: 22 24.4%

  • Multiple casualties and/or damage to both planes

    Votes: 6 6.7%

  • Nothing happens after this

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Temporary suspension by FAA of two pilots

    Votes: 2 2.2%

  • Revocation by FAA of two pilots

    Votes: 19 21.1%

  • All Red Bull personnel with certificates have them revoked

    Votes: 5 5.6%

  • Other

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    90
MauleSkinner said:
Have you ever heard of the FAA doing both?

I’ve never even heard of a year-long suspension…seems like they’d just revoke if it was that egregious.
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Martha Lunken and Trevor Jacob - both had all their certificates revoked and put on a 1 year suspension before they could start training to regain them.
 
bflynn said:
Martha Lunken and Trevor Jacob - both had all their certificates revoked and put on a 1 year suspension before they could start training to regain them.
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No, they were only revoked. The reg says you can reapply one year after revocation.
 
Ok - so after revocation, the 1 year wait is automatic. Ok, got it.
 
bflynn said:
Ok - so after revocation, the 1 year wait is automatic. Ok, got it.
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61.13(d)(2) if you want the reference…
Unless otherwise authorized by the Administrator, a person whose pilot, flight instructor, or ground instructor certificate has been revoked may not apply for any certificate, rating, or authorization for 1 year after the date of revocation.
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In special cases such as this, isn’t there a double secret probation?
 
I wonder want the point is of revocation if all you have to do is reapply after a year. These incidents are ADM and "dangerous attitude" related. It is easy enough to fake/talk your way through that part of a written/practical exam, with your true colors never really changing.

Does the FAA have a stronger, more durable certificate ban available to them (other than medical revocation)?
 
texasclouds said:
that one dude was hefty, and if I remember correctly his plane is the one that spun.

i probably would have suggested using seat ballast to replicate the missing safety pilots.

standing by for memes…
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I wish you guys would quit guessing what happened. Dan Gryder will tell us soon.
 
Jeff Oslick said:
Does the FAA have a stronger, more durable certificate ban available to them (other than medical revocation)?
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Not that I'm aware of. The certificate revoke falls under a USC law. There have been a few people who have had their certificates revoked more than once and regained them a 3rd time. However in some blatant offences there can be an unofficial "double secret probation" fall into place in that the offending petson may not find a willing CFI to sign off their next solo endorsement. ;)
 
Grum.Man said:
It's not easy to make an airplane go straight down like an arrow
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I dunno, I do it several times a week. Aerodynamically it is no different than holding any other attitude. The trick, of course, is the speed buildup.

If they tested the dive with the pilot in the left seat, and then ballasted it on centerline (eg extra fuel), the resulting weight shift to the right might have been enough to result in dynamic instability in yaw.
 
Ed Haywood said:
I dunno, I do it several times a week. Aerodynamically it is no different than holding any other attitude. The trick, of course, is the speed buildup.

If they tested the dive with the pilot in the left seat, and then ballasted it on centerline (eg extra fuel), the resulting weight shift to the right might have been enough to result in dynamic instability in yaw.
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How often do you do it when you're not in the airplane? lol
 
Red Bull stock will go up. Right now their brand logo is on every TV and website in the world. A marketers wet dream.

The biggest damage will be to their relationship with the FAA and other national regulatory bodies. Their air show at Oshkosh last summer was fantastic. Hate to see that suffer.
 
Ed Haywood said:
I dunno, I do it several times a week. Aerodynamically it is no different than holding any other attitude. The trick, of course, is the speed buildup.

If they tested the dive with the pilot in the left seat, and then ballasted it on centerline (eg extra fuel), the resulting weight shift to the right might have been enough to result in dynamic instability in yaw.
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You are correct technically but these airplanes are designed to want to fly straight and level. Obviously several modifications were made as I bet the factory trim settings wouldn't even hold it vertical at terminal velocity. Then you have the incidence in the wing and tail that want to naturally return to straight and level. Of course I am no aerodynamicist nor aircraft designer so I could be wrong. I would imagine their "speed brake" could keep the plane under Vne but if not you can introduce flutter which will upset the trajectory.
 
Why would they ballast with fuel?

The fuel tank isn’t where the safety pilot sat. If it’s almost the same arm in level flight, it won’t be when it sloshes forward in a dive. And it’s got a lateral offset.

And it can burn.
 
The fuel would be in a very different ARM than the copilot when the plane is pointed straight down. Sloshing forward would be irrelevant in that position, it’s a totally different axis. Probably 30-40 inches different, and the “cg” would be much less stable around that axis.
 
NoHeat said:
Why would they ballast with fuel?
.......
And it can burn.
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I have to assume this was a bladder tank 182, in which case this is a pretty impressive display of the fire resistance of that design after that crash.
 
N120Z is pretty clever.

But Red Bull cans are actually smaller than 12 oz, aren’t they?
 
MacFlier said:
It actually tastes good...
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That has to be due to whatever wonderful scotch flavor notes manage to claw their way through the matrix of gawd-awful Red Bull taste.

Mind you, I'm glad enough people drink the stuff to enable Red Bull to fund many cool aviation-related things they do (the plane-swap stunt notwithstanding).
 
If you want to see real Red Bull teamwork, watch the Miami Formula One Race Sunday. The Drivers, Pit Crews, Team Engineers et al are the pinnacle of sport. (Except for the first two races this year).

Cheers
 
Salty said:
Falling on his sword to protect others?
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I’m more wondering how much he’s getting paid to put that out there.
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