Red Bull Flugtag coming to Florida

COURTESY PHOTO The outrageous Red Bull Flugtag is coming to Tampa Bay in July. On July 19, the outrageous human-powered flying competition known as Red Bull Flugtag will once again soar over the Sunshine State, but this time it will touch down in Tampa Bay's waters. While Red Bull Flugtag's 2004 stop in Miami saw its share of empanada gliders, flying toilets and bonsai penguins, it's up to Tampa Bay and Southwest Florida to produce a new set of airborne heroes.

Flugtag, which means "flying day" in German, is the only competition where the creative, brave and often slightly crazy get to pilot homemade flying machines off the end of a 22-foot ramp and into the great wide open - or, as is ultimately the case, the great wide waters below. Thirty teams of up to five members each will get the chance to prove their chops, shake their feathers and test their engine-free inventions at The City Park at Tampa Convention Center. But time's - a-flyin' so sharpen your pencils and get the creative juices flowing! All brave souls must apply online at www.redbullflugtagusa.com by May 16.

Teams will be judged on three criteria: distance, creativity and showmanship. Distance is measured in flying feet - how far can your craft soar? Creativity, on the other hand, ensures an extraordinary flying day, so save your plane-jane replicas for next year's science project and shift imagination into overdrive. We're looking for the unusual, the head-turning…even the slightly shocking! Finally, showmanship requires that each team spend one minute on the flight deck strutting their stuff before launching their craft. So think big, get sketching and show us what you've got!