The Czech aerobatic team Flying Bulls made aviation history by being the first in the world to perform an inverted group loop around the Mala Rijeka bridge in Montenegro. It is the highest railway bridge in Europe, and with this significant feat, the team concluded this year’s season in great style.
The pilots performed an inverted loop with as many as four planes, flying in a diamond formation, by flying upside down through a steep canyon under the 500-meter-long Mala Rijeka bridge. And while inverted flight is a common element in aerobatic routines, performing it in such a confined space with the added pressure of negative G-force is a rare and very challenging feat.
“A move like this is rarely performed even in the open sky. To do it in a canyon is something that has never been attempted before,” said team leader Stanislav Cejka.
The four-member team, consisting of the mentioned Stanislav Cejka (team leader), Jan Tvrdik (right wing), Jan Rudzinskyj (left wing) and Martin Spacek (slot), took off from the Montenegrin Niksic Airport before reaching the bridge. The maneuver required precise coordination and timing, and the pilots had to follow the leader’s every move as he skirted jagged cliffs and flew a few meters from the tall structure.
The team’s skills were evident, as even the slightest mistake could lead to disaster in such an unforgiving environment.
“We had to forget everything, the rocks, the bridge… and just focus on following Stanislav,” said Tvrdik.
This phenomenal feat was preceded by months of careful planning. The technical demands of flying in formation, coupled with the psychological challenges of flying in such a dangerous environment, meant that pilots had to assess risk and be prepared for anything. Massive concrete pillars and rough terrain made the task even more complex, and there was simply no room for error.
“The rocky terrain and the fact that a straight line approach was only possible from one side made this flight extremely complex, especially in formation,” explained Cejka.
Previously, the Czech aerobatic team Flying Bulls scouted several locations in the Czech Republic for this project, but the proximity of high-voltage wires posed too much of a risk, so they had to look for a location outside their country. The Mala Rijeka Montenegrin bridge proved to be an ideal setting, as it is a remote, tall structure set in a dramatic landscape, and there is also a deep canyon that presents a great test for the pilot’s skills.
Although they planned to include additional acrobatic elements such as the “double mirror” passage under the bridge, when one plane rotates while the other imitates its movement and creates a symmetrical and visually striking effect in the air, the weather conditions of the day still limited the possibilities.
After numerous titles won and records set, the Flying Bulls aerobatic team continues to push the boundaries of formation flying. This latest feat, which is also a world first, has added to their long list of achievements and cemented their reputation as one of the best aerobatic teams on the planet.
Thanks to their relentless pursuit of excellence, they are ready to push the boundaries of aerial performance even further. The sky is not the limit for them, but only the beginning, Klix.ba writes.
E.Dz.
Photo: Red Bull
