There was plenty of anticipation leading up to Race Day in Porto, and Sunday was filled with heartbreaks and high-fives. There are full reports on the Red Bull Air Race website of what went down, so I’ll point you there while I post a medley of my images (from both days) with some commentary and a link to the growing album.
The Red Bull Air Race In Porto, Year 4
The Red Bull Air Race was held in Porto three years in a row (2007, 2008, 2009), and after the 2010 season, Red Bull Air Race went on a three-year hiatus to refine the program. New engines and changes to regulations were introduced in its return season of 2014. Porto was announced as part of the circuit for 2017.
There was an estimated 250,000 spectators on Day 1 (Saturday) and 600,000 on Race Day (Sunday). The helicopter footage I saw while at the media centre was incredible: crowds even bigger than at Festa de São João, spread out on both sides of the Douro River all the way to the Arrábida Bridge. There were people hanging out on balconies, terraces, ledges, around monuments, parks, the viaduct in Massarelos, apartment windows, rooftops — practically any space in Porto or Gaia with a view to the river was occupied.
By comparison, the height of the air racing action (climbs and dives) in the Red Bull Air Race made it possible for more people to spectate than the F1H2O boat races that I shot in 2015 which had limited viewing possibilities because of the angle.
One thing is for sure, though: with any event on the river between Porto and Gaia, the scenery on both sides looks PHENOMENAL on camera. This is a beautiful part of the world, and I’m glad to call it home.
The Pilots
Before I get into the results, here’s something: if you ever want to feel like an underachiever, read the bio of an Red Bull Air Race pilot. Most started flying as teenagers! In the Master Class group, each one has a long list of achievements already: from military to commercial to aerobatics licenses, they all have an impressive range and depth of flying experience. In the Challenger Class group, the pilots have to be top achievers in international flying competitions and be active aerobatics air display pilots before they can receive a Challenger Class Super Licence, and they still have to qualify to be part of the racing season.
You can find the pilot bios here: http://airrace.redbull.com/en_PT/pilots
in a boat crossing the Douro with Japanese Master Class pilot Yoshihide Muroya
Porto Winners
Master Class: Martin Sonko, Czech Republic
Challenger Class: Kevin Coleman, USA
Special Mention
French Challenger Class pilot Mélanie Astles is the first female in the Red Bull Air Race and currently in her second year. She reached the podium, placing 3rd.
Consolations
American Master Class pilot Kirby Chambliss would have won his third race in a row (after Budapest and Kazan) if it hadn’t been for a 2-second penalty for climbing in Gate 9. That extra two seconds sent him from 1st place to 4th. When everyone is at this level of flying, one tiny mistake is enough to ruin a race (and that’s at the safe end of the equation, there’s also the dangerous consequences of a mistake).
Spanish Master Class pilot Juan Velarde, who is from Madrid, had a hop on his landing after Free Practice on Friday and his propeller struck the ground. A prop strike means the whole engine must be changed, a process which takes 10 hours. They’d hoped to have it done before the Qualifying race on Saturday, but in the end he got a DNS (did not start). The situation didn’t improve by Race Day — they ran out of time to do the testing on the replaced engine. It’s especially disappointing for him because many of his fans from Spain had travelled here to see him race.
Juan Velarde with his plane at Queimódromo on Sunday morning:
Fog At Queimódromo
I was at the Queimódromo (the temporary runway at Parque da Cidade) the morning of the race, which as you can see was covered in a blanket of fog. I felt really sorry for the fans — especially the children — who waited for autographs with the pilots and to see the planes, but because of the nasty conditions the operations were moved to Maia airport and many of the pilots had to leave Queimódromo. I saw kids waiting for pilots, only to discover empty hangars. What a disappointment that must’ve been for them.
After a bit of shooting there, I skipped the media shuttle to hop a 500 bus and follow the ocean to see where the fog would end. To my surprise, it continued to be heavy all the way to Foz, and still foggy in Lordelo do Ouro. The sun was breaking through, but it was odd to see fog so close to noon — it usually burns off in the morning.
The fog had reached Arrábida Bridge, but someone must’ve had a word with the weather gods because the race track part of the river was completely clear.
A Canadian On The Podium*
I’d really hoped to hear the Canadian national anthem at the podium ceremony, but Master Class pilot Pete McLeod got the next best spot at #2. This competition is incredibly fierce with hundredths of a second between racers — second place is nothing to sneeze at.
As McLeod’s bio says, he’s an “all or nothing” flier but as demonstrated by Kirby Chambliss’ costly error in the Final 4 race, pilots know it takes a lot to win but not much to lose. (French pilot François Le Vot got a three-second penalty for a pylon hit in the Round of 14 race.) McLeod flew the course without penalties in the qualifying races or the Final 4, keeping him in the game with a gain of 12 points for an aggregate score of 50, ranking second thus far in the season and four points behind current leader Martin Sonka.
What’s Next?
There are two races left in the season: Lausitz, Germany (September 16-17), and Indianapolis (October 14-15).
The Album
I’m buried under a mountain of images… I’m talking about a ridiculous amount of files. (Even the largest wedding I shot with two assistant photographers didn’t produce this many images!) You’ll have to bear with me as it’s going to take a while to go through them. Check back for updates:
{ Red Bull Air Race Porto 2017 }
Side Acts
TAP Portugal (the national airline) did a flyover in their A330 with a huge reminder about their Portugal Stopover, which is a program that allows you to stop in either Porto or Lisbon for up to three nights on a long-haul TAP flight (or if your destination is the Algarve, Madeira, or the Azores) for no extra charge.
Portuguese military F-16s:
Flying Bulls DC-6:
Red Bull Skydive Team Flag Jump:
YAK-52 display (they are also the lead photo in yesterday’s post):
September 2-3, 2017
Album: Red Bull Air Race Porto 2017
I tried to get to the podium ceremony, but my media tour of the pylon in Cais de Gaia was delayed and that put us behind the entire crowd of people mashed in front of the podium during the award ceremony. There was no way I could get through to the fence in time, sadly.
