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Red Bull had a pilot slalom around windmills to sell energy drinks

Red Bull had a pilot slalom around windmills to sell energy drinks

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The Red Bull Air Race series is an amazing display of nerve and skill. In a series of events around the world, pilots fly small, single-engine stunt planes at high speeds around giant inflatable pylons to set the fastest time. But those pylons won't do any damage to the plane if the pilot makes a mistake and accidentally hits one.

The aerial acrobatics in this video are a little more dangerous because 230-foot high wind turbines aren't particularly forgiving if you hit one. Former Red Bull Air Race world champion Hannes Arch flew through this Austrian wind farm at nearly 200 mph, not as part of a race, but as a marketing stunt to promote the series — and to sell some Red Bull, naturally. The next race takes place at nearby Spielberg, Austria next month.

It also looks like something one might try in a flight simulator video game, not in real life. "Every second, you have to be perfectly clear in your mind that you have wind turbines in front of you and need to know precisely what you’re going to do next," said Arch. So chug a Red Bull and enjoy this flight through the Alps.