EKU Aviation Team Participates in Flugtag
The Millennial Falcon takes flight in Louisville!
EKU Aviation assistant professor Joe Marthaler and his student team are designing the aircraft for its August 27th launch at Red Bull Flugtag 2016. Team crew members are:
- Darth Vader (pusher) - AKA Michael Walach, EKU Assistant Professor and student of Aviation
- Han Solo (pusher) - AKA Eric Logan, senior professional flight
- Princess Leia (pilot) - AKA Rebecca Schmid, sophomore aviation management
- Luke Skywalker (pusher) - AKA Sam Cleary, junior professional flight
- Storm Trooper (pusher) - AKA Andrew Clark, sophomore professional flight
- Joe THE ORGANIZER! - AKA Joe Marthaler, EKU Aviation Chief Flight Instructor
Flugtag, or ‘flying day’ in German, was started by Red Bull in 1991 in Austria. Since then, more than 100 events have been held around the globe attracting up to 300,000 spectators for a single event. Teams design, build and pilot home-made flying machines from a 30-foot high flight deck and are judged on three criteria: flight distance, creativity of the craft, and showmanship.
The Millennial Falcon was selected to compete on August 27. Forty teams – with names like Fear and Loathing, Frogeyes, and Whosyerwings - will attempt to break the 258-foot distance record set in 2013. And EKU Aviation is proud to be one of them!
"I attended a previous Red Bull event in Chicago and thought this would be a fantastic way to promote aviation in Kentucky. As the Chief Flight Instructor, I also wanted to recruit future pilots and make them aware that WE HERE AT EKU have a fantastic flight program and they need not go anywhere else for their flight training needs. The team wanted to build a replica of the Millennium Falcon of Star Wars fame. The suggestion was that we would name the team, Millennial Falcon because of the age of our students.
"I always ask people how do you spell aviation?.......F U N!"
The Millennial Falcon NEEDS YOUR HELP! Vote for them at this website: http://www.redbullflugtag.com/usa.
Find out more about EKU Aviation at www.aviation.eku.edu.
Editor's Note: The Millennial Falcon flew over the Ohio River on Saturday, Aug 27, with the Best Landing of the Flugtag! According to Red Bull, the team finished in 4th place with a total score of 37 out of a possible 50 points. Thanks to everyone for their support of EKU Aviation - They are already looking forward to their next competition!
Published on August 11, 2016
