It's not just the pilots who have to be precision perfect...every aspect of the Air Race must be planned carefully to the very last detail. This includes the mammoth task of coordinating all the transportation, set up and de-rig of the planes and all the equipment required for the competition. 11 planes, 8 different locations around the world and enough kit to fill 4 Boeing 747 planes - not an easy feat. That's why there's a team working full time just on logistics.
They have spent months in planning to ensure everything arrives on time and in immaculate condition.
Take Abu Dhabi for example, the first stop on the Air Race World Series.
The pilot's planes will be arriving both by air freight and sea freight. Every time a plane is transported it must be dismantled - that means removing the wings, rudder, elevator and propeller and when the plane arrives at its destination it must then be reassembled, requiring a total of 2 days work. Custom regulations must be adhered to - every shipment must leave the country in exactly the same shape it arrives. Once the planes have been put back together, each one must have its certificate of air worthiness renewed by authorized technicians.
Safety is crucial which is why Red Bull has developed a specially designed trailer that makes it easier to transport each of the planes. There are specific fittings in the trailer that accommodate the wings, rudder and elevator so that there is absolutely no risk of damaging any of the parts. These trailers can not only be transported over land but also meet the requirements to be shipped by sea container and air freight, making the process of transporting the planes much smoother. It's not just the planes that have to be moved around the world - the Red Bull Air Race infrastructure has a massive event set up. This includes the race control tower, media centre, energy station, hangar, all the TV and communication material, the air gates and the videowalls, which just on their own, weigh 30 tons.
All this equates to a staggering 140 tons of equipment, that's enough to fill 26x 40ft containers!
It's no surprise then that the largest cargo airplane in the world, the Antonov 124 will be used in Abu Dhabi to transport some of the equipment to and from the race.
The sheer volume means that it takes up to 11 days to set everything up and then 3 days to disassemble it. Due to some of the short time frames between races, it has to be a slick and seamless operation. And that's not taking into account last minute changes which are always likely to occur.
The logistics team has to be just as fast and focused as the pilots!
