Thirty teams to test homemade gliders over Biscayne Bay this Saturday

Thirty teams will launch hand-built contraptions into Biscayne Bay this Saturday for the Red Bull Flugtag Miami competition. The event, hosted by Miami personality Mr. Red, centers on a 30-foot ramp and three judging categories: flight distance, creativity, and showmanship. Participants are not aiming for precision landing but for maximum splash, a goal Mr. Red described as guaranteed for every entrant.

The contest features a mix of artistic ambition and engineering rigor. One team, the Cuban Flyer, is partnering with Sanguich restaurants and the 'A Day in Miami' podcast. Their pilot, Daniel Figueredo, will wear a guayabera and Panama hat while carrying a large Cuban sandwich. Figueredo called the aircraft the world's largest Cuban sandwich, noting it is also the first flying sandwich. The team plans to perform a dance routine to Pitbull's 'Damn, I love Miami,' with members wearing bald caps and fake suits.

Engineering students from Florida International University are competing as Team IEEE. Their design relies on aerodynamic principles and structural integrity. Felix Fraile, a member of the team, explained that the wing is designed to deflect air around it rather than into it. The team used website simulators to test flight paths and is focused on minimizing weight. Student members noted that horizontal and diagonal members form triangles, a structural choice they believe will provide an advantage. They are also considering the wind conditions required for the craft to function as intended.

The event will take place at Bayfront Park, with the competition starting at 10 a.m. on Saturday. The audience can watch for free in person, and a video of the event will be available online afterward. The teams are preparing for a wet outcome, with pilots expecting to end their flights in the water. Eduardo Moya, a member of one of the teams, predicted that local competitors would outperform others, though he acknowledged the uncertainty of beating the world record.

The competition emphasizes performance as much as physics. Alex Miranda, a participant, noted that the event includes a show element beyond the race. Teams are preparing costumes and choreography to score points in the creativity and showmanship categories. The Cuban Flyer team, for example, is coordinating a synchronized dance performance. Meanwhile, the engineering students are balancing technical design with the practical reality of launching into a bay.

Participants have expressed confidence in their designs while accepting the inherent risk of crashing. Figueredo said he will pray on the way down, and Moya joked about the pilot's life insurance. The event is structured to be entertaining, with results ranging from 10 feet to 200 feet of flight distance. All teams will end their run in the water, fulfilling the core promise of the Flugtag format.