Homemade planes soar and splash at Red Bull Flugtag in Minneapolis

Red Bull Flugtag returned to Minneapolis on Saturday, bringing human-powered aircraft and inevitable splashdowns back to the Mississippi River.

The event at Bohemian Flats Park was equal parts engineering challenge, costume contest and spectacle. Teams designed and constructed aircraft that ranged from surprisingly aerodynamic to delightfully questionable, then sent them soaring — or plunging — into the Mississippi.

So far, the greatest distance recorded for the event was set by the team “The Chicken Whisperers” in California 13 years ago. They flew 258 feet, more than half the length of a football field, before crashing into the water.

Reporting by Kyeland Jackson and Sofia Barnett.

📹️ Kyeland Jackson/The Minnesota Star Tribune