Latest news with #RedBullAirRace
The Advertiser
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Advertiser
Daring stunts wow crowds at 'special' country air show
Third-generation aviator Emma McDonald grew up in the skies - watching, and sometimes going along for the ride, as her dad performed tumbles and tricks as an aerobatic pilot. But it wasn't until she was standing alongside her father watching an Old Station Air Show display that she considered turning the high-octane sport into a career. On Saturday, the 35-year-old returned to the iconic central Queensland show for the first time as a solo aerobatic pilot to wow an estimated 15,000 people with her loops, rolls, barrels and tumbles in a two-seat Extra 300L. "I pulled up to 10Gs, which is 10 times your body weight, with a roll rate of 400 degrees a second," Ms McDonald, Australia's only current female aerobatic pilot, told AAP. She trained as a diesel mechanic out of school and didn't get her pilot's licence until many years later after watching former RAAF fighter combat instructor-turned Red Bull Air Race world champion Matt Hall at the same event. "It was the first time I'd seen it as someone doing it for a living and I was like 'oh my god, I want to do what he does'," she said. "I went out and worked really hard, ticked off a heap of things ... and ended up with the job with Matt Hall Racing. "Six years later, working continuously hard, I was able to do my very first aerobatic display at the Old Station Air Show with Matt out on my wing." At the latest edition of the show, held at Raglan in Queensland's Gladstone region, Ms McDonald performed for the first time under her own brand, Beyond Gravity. "I'm here to inspire the next generation and anyone who wants to get into aviation," she said. The popular air show is a family affair, beginning as a gathering for members of the Old Station Flying Club, set up by the Creed family on their Raglan property in 1989. Thousands of people make the pilgrimage from across Australia to the property, where they were treated to a weekend of air shows - including a display of WWII "warbirds" - as well as other displays. Some arrive by car, but hundreds also fly in with special instructions on where to park their planes safely. "It started as a small club event with just a handful of members," said Samantha Creed, whose grandparents began the tradition as a fundraiser for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. "Over the years, it's just grown and grown and evolved and we've become so big we need help to run it." Local community groups lend volunteers to help run the show and in return receive donations to their causes. At the last event, in 2022, more than $100,000 was raised. "We've helped put kitchens into local CWA halls, we've stocked libraries with books ... built a truck stop, upgraded sporting equipment," Ms Creed said. Ms McDonald has performed her stunts in front of millions in the US and hundreds of thousands on the Gold Coast, but the Old Station Air Show is still a favourite. "(The) Creeds have been absolutely phenomenal, giving me the opportunity to spread my wings and do what I need to do, so this air show is very special to me," she said. Third-generation aviator Emma McDonald grew up in the skies - watching, and sometimes going along for the ride, as her dad performed tumbles and tricks as an aerobatic pilot. But it wasn't until she was standing alongside her father watching an Old Station Air Show display that she considered turning the high-octane sport into a career. On Saturday, the 35-year-old returned to the iconic central Queensland show for the first time as a solo aerobatic pilot to wow an estimated 15,000 people with her loops, rolls, barrels and tumbles in a two-seat Extra 300L. "I pulled up to 10Gs, which is 10 times your body weight, with a roll rate of 400 degrees a second," Ms McDonald, Australia's only current female aerobatic pilot, told AAP. She trained as a diesel mechanic out of school and didn't get her pilot's licence until many years later after watching former RAAF fighter combat instructor-turned Red Bull Air Race world champion Matt Hall at the same event. "It was the first time I'd seen it as someone doing it for a living and I was like 'oh my god, I want to do what he does'," she said. "I went out and worked really hard, ticked off a heap of things ... and ended up with the job with Matt Hall Racing. "Six years later, working continuously hard, I was able to do my very first aerobatic display at the Old Station Air Show with Matt out on my wing." At the latest edition of the show, held at Raglan in Queensland's Gladstone region, Ms McDonald performed for the first time under her own brand, Beyond Gravity. "I'm here to inspire the next generation and anyone who wants to get into aviation," she said. The popular air show is a family affair, beginning as a gathering for members of the Old Station Flying Club, set up by the Creed family on their Raglan property in 1989. Thousands of people make the pilgrimage from across Australia to the property, where they were treated to a weekend of air shows - including a display of WWII "warbirds" - as well as other displays. Some arrive by car, but hundreds also fly in with special instructions on where to park their planes safely. "It started as a small club event with just a handful of members," said Samantha Creed, whose grandparents began the tradition as a fundraiser for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. "Over the years, it's just grown and grown and evolved and we've become so big we need help to run it." Local community groups lend volunteers to help run the show and in return receive donations to their causes. At the last event, in 2022, more than $100,000 was raised. "We've helped put kitchens into local CWA halls, we've stocked libraries with books ... built a truck stop, upgraded sporting equipment," Ms Creed said. Ms McDonald has performed her stunts in front of millions in the US and hundreds of thousands on the Gold Coast, but the Old Station Air Show is still a favourite. "(The) Creeds have been absolutely phenomenal, giving me the opportunity to spread my wings and do what I need to do, so this air show is very special to me," she said. Third-generation aviator Emma McDonald grew up in the skies - watching, and sometimes going along for the ride, as her dad performed tumbles and tricks as an aerobatic pilot. But it wasn't until she was standing alongside her father watching an Old Station Air Show display that she considered turning the high-octane sport into a career. On Saturday, the 35-year-old returned to the iconic central Queensland show for the first time as a solo aerobatic pilot to wow an estimated 15,000 people with her loops, rolls, barrels and tumbles in a two-seat Extra 300L. "I pulled up to 10Gs, which is 10 times your body weight, with a roll rate of 400 degrees a second," Ms McDonald, Australia's only current female aerobatic pilot, told AAP. She trained as a diesel mechanic out of school and didn't get her pilot's licence until many years later after watching former RAAF fighter combat instructor-turned Red Bull Air Race world champion Matt Hall at the same event. "It was the first time I'd seen it as someone doing it for a living and I was like 'oh my god, I want to do what he does'," she said. "I went out and worked really hard, ticked off a heap of things ... and ended up with the job with Matt Hall Racing. "Six years later, working continuously hard, I was able to do my very first aerobatic display at the Old Station Air Show with Matt out on my wing." At the latest edition of the show, held at Raglan in Queensland's Gladstone region, Ms McDonald performed for the first time under her own brand, Beyond Gravity. "I'm here to inspire the next generation and anyone who wants to get into aviation," she said. The popular air show is a family affair, beginning as a gathering for members of the Old Station Flying Club, set up by the Creed family on their Raglan property in 1989. Thousands of people make the pilgrimage from across Australia to the property, where they were treated to a weekend of air shows - including a display of WWII "warbirds" - as well as other displays. Some arrive by car, but hundreds also fly in with special instructions on where to park their planes safely. "It started as a small club event with just a handful of members," said Samantha Creed, whose grandparents began the tradition as a fundraiser for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. "Over the years, it's just grown and grown and evolved and we've become so big we need help to run it." Local community groups lend volunteers to help run the show and in return receive donations to their causes. At the last event, in 2022, more than $100,000 was raised. "We've helped put kitchens into local CWA halls, we've stocked libraries with books ... built a truck stop, upgraded sporting equipment," Ms Creed said. Ms McDonald has performed her stunts in front of millions in the US and hundreds of thousands on the Gold Coast, but the Old Station Air Show is still a favourite. "(The) Creeds have been absolutely phenomenal, giving me the opportunity to spread my wings and do what I need to do, so this air show is very special to me," she said. Third-generation aviator Emma McDonald grew up in the skies - watching, and sometimes going along for the ride, as her dad performed tumbles and tricks as an aerobatic pilot. But it wasn't until she was standing alongside her father watching an Old Station Air Show display that she considered turning the high-octane sport into a career. On Saturday, the 35-year-old returned to the iconic central Queensland show for the first time as a solo aerobatic pilot to wow an estimated 15,000 people with her loops, rolls, barrels and tumbles in a two-seat Extra 300L. "I pulled up to 10Gs, which is 10 times your body weight, with a roll rate of 400 degrees a second," Ms McDonald, Australia's only current female aerobatic pilot, told AAP. She trained as a diesel mechanic out of school and didn't get her pilot's licence until many years later after watching former RAAF fighter combat instructor-turned Red Bull Air Race world champion Matt Hall at the same event. "It was the first time I'd seen it as someone doing it for a living and I was like 'oh my god, I want to do what he does'," she said. "I went out and worked really hard, ticked off a heap of things ... and ended up with the job with Matt Hall Racing. "Six years later, working continuously hard, I was able to do my very first aerobatic display at the Old Station Air Show with Matt out on my wing." At the latest edition of the show, held at Raglan in Queensland's Gladstone region, Ms McDonald performed for the first time under her own brand, Beyond Gravity. "I'm here to inspire the next generation and anyone who wants to get into aviation," she said. The popular air show is a family affair, beginning as a gathering for members of the Old Station Flying Club, set up by the Creed family on their Raglan property in 1989. Thousands of people make the pilgrimage from across Australia to the property, where they were treated to a weekend of air shows - including a display of WWII "warbirds" - as well as other displays. Some arrive by car, but hundreds also fly in with special instructions on where to park their planes safely. "It started as a small club event with just a handful of members," said Samantha Creed, whose grandparents began the tradition as a fundraiser for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. "Over the years, it's just grown and grown and evolved and we've become so big we need help to run it." Local community groups lend volunteers to help run the show and in return receive donations to their causes. At the last event, in 2022, more than $100,000 was raised. "We've helped put kitchens into local CWA halls, we've stocked libraries with books ... built a truck stop, upgraded sporting equipment," Ms Creed said. Ms McDonald has performed her stunts in front of millions in the US and hundreds of thousands on the Gold Coast, but the Old Station Air Show is still a favourite. "(The) Creeds have been absolutely phenomenal, giving me the opportunity to spread my wings and do what I need to do, so this air show is very special to me," she said.
Perth Now
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Daring stunts wow crowds at 'special' country air show
Third-generation aviator Emma McDonald grew up in the skies - watching, and sometimes going along for the ride, as her dad performed tumbles and tricks as an aerobatic pilot. But it wasn't until she was standing alongside her father watching an Old Station Air Show display that she considered turning the high-octane sport into a career. On Saturday, the 35-year-old returned to the iconic central Queensland show for the first time as a solo aerobatic pilot to wow an estimated 15,000 people with her loops, rolls, barrels and tumbles in a two-seat Extra 300L. "I pulled up to 10Gs, which is 10 times your body weight, with a roll rate of 400 degrees a second," Ms McDonald, Australia's only current female aerobatic pilot, told AAP. She trained as a diesel mechanic out of school and didn't get her pilot's licence until many years later after watching former RAAF fighter combat instructor-turned Red Bull Air Race world champion Matt Hall at the same event. "It was the first time I'd seen it as someone doing it for a living and I was like 'oh my god, I want to do what he does'," she said. "I went out and worked really hard, ticked off a heap of things ... and ended up with the job with Matt Hall Racing. "Six years later, working continuously hard, I was able to do my very first aerobatic display at the Old Station Air Show with Matt out on my wing." At the latest edition of the show, held at Raglan in Queensland's Gladstone region, Ms McDonald performed for the first time under her own brand, Beyond Gravity. "I'm here to inspire the next generation and anyone who wants to get into aviation," she said. The popular air show is a family affair, beginning as a gathering for members of the Old Station Flying Club, set up by the Creed family on their Raglan property in 1989. Thousands of people make the pilgrimage from across Australia to the property, where they were treated to a weekend of air shows - including a display of WWII "warbirds" - as well as other displays. Some arrive by car, but hundreds also fly in with special instructions on where to park their planes safely. "It started as a small club event with just a handful of members," said Samantha Creed, whose grandparents began the tradition as a fundraiser for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. "Over the years, it's just grown and grown and evolved and we've become so big we need help to run it." Local community groups lend volunteers to help run the show and in return receive donations to their causes. At the last event, in 2022, more than $100,000 was raised. "We've helped put kitchens into local CWA halls, we've stocked libraries with books ... built a truck stop, upgraded sporting equipment," Ms Creed said. Ms McDonald has performed her stunts in front of millions in the US and hundreds of thousands on the Gold Coast, but the Old Station Air Show is still a favourite. "(The) Creeds have been absolutely phenomenal, giving me the opportunity to spread my wings and do what I need to do, so this air show is very special to me," she said.
San Francisco Chronicle
20-05-2025
- Automotive
- San Francisco Chronicle
Reimagined and reopened museum at Indianapolis Motor Speedway aims to be more than just a museum
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Rick Mears spent some time recently walking through the reimagined, rebuilt and recently reopened museum at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which houses some of the cars and artifacts from his long and distinguished career in motorsports. It was on the new lower level, though, which had been used as storage and off limits to guests, where the four-time Indy 500 winner had to pause. The only other drivers to win that many times are A.J. Foyt, Al Unser and Helio Castroneves, and together one of the smallest clubs in auto racing had an entire wing dedicated just to them. 'It's unbelievable. It really is,' Mears said. 'First of all, I never dreamed of being included in a list like that to begin with, period, and to be there with all the four winners and the way it's done up, and watch videos of all four races and be involved with it — it brings back a lot of memories, to begin with. But it's just an honor to be a part of it.' The museum, tucked inside the 2.5-mile oval between Turns 1 and 2, closed for nearly 18 months as it underwent its first major renovation in four decades, and the product of the $60.5 million project was revealed to the public on April 2. With the Indianapolis 500 on deck this weekend, thousands of fans are expected to flood through the seven permanent galleries, three rotating galleries and roughly 40,000 square feet of new space that houses new immersive and dynamic experiences. 'We wanted the museum to be more than just a gallery,' said museum president Joe Hale, who spearheaded the fundraising and construction effort. 'We wanted this to be a space that people can come back to over and over again.' The old museum was primarily of a large, cavernous space that allowed guests to meander through cabinets full of fire suits, trophies and other relics, which told the story of a speedway that not only has hosted the Indy 500 since 1911 but also NASCAR races, motorcycle races, the Red Bull Air Race and even gas-filled balloon competitions. Of course, there are still extensive spaces showcasing artifacts from more than a century of racing at the speedway, and dozens of cars from the museum's vast collection are on display. But the rebirthed museum represents more than that, from cutting-edge interactive technology to STEM spaces that can be used for school field trips and summer camps. It begins by taking visitors on a guided tour through a recreation of the garage area, known as Gasoline Alley, as it has looked over the years. There are the old, wooden stalls from the early 1900s, antiquated spaces used by Foyt and Mario Andretti in the '60s and '70s, and more modern spaces that teams have used to prepare their cars for this weekend. Then, visitors flood into the 'Starting Line Experience." There, replicas of the cars making up the front row of the Indy 500 sit as if they are on the starting grid. Video boards running along the walls and ceiling make guests feel as though they are right there on race day, preparing to take part in "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.' Eventually, visitors spill into three levels of gallery spaces: the new mezzanine dedicated to non-vehicle artifacts, including the fire suit of reigning IndyCar champ Alex Palou; the main level, featuring numerous cars and a wing dedicated to IndyCar and Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Roger Penske and his accomplishments in racing; and the lower level, where the four-time winners are celebrated and a rotating gallery includes cars from Chip Ganassi Racing. Last month, the museum used proceeds from the sale of 11 vehicles unrelated to Indianapolis Motor Speedway — including a rare Mercedes W 196 R — to help purchase 14 cars from the Ganassi team, including five Indy 500 winners. 'I was very pleased that for many years, our Indy-winning cars have been in our race shop, sitting up there on the wall,' Ganassi said. 'Forty-seven people a year would see them up there, and it was kind of a, 'Hey, that's our Indy winners up there on the wall.' But the fact of the matter is it dawned on me one day that they should be among other Indy winners.' Now they are on display for thousands of visitors every day. There was still money left over from the sale of the museum's other cars, though, and that will provide a sizeable boost to its endowment. The plan eventually is to build a separate preservation shop near the track to not only work on its 200-plus cars, most of which are running, but also display more of them along with some of the other 55,000 items in the collection. 'It's really a special place,' Ganassi said. 'I would encourage you to go see it. It's going to take this — I think it's going to add a lot to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It's going to add a lot to the race. It's going to add a lot to the community.'
Hamilton Spectator
20-05-2025
- Automotive
- Hamilton Spectator
Reimagined and reopened museum at Indianapolis Motor Speedway aims to be more than just a museum
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Rick Mears spent some time recently walking through the reimagined, rebuilt and recently reopened museum at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which houses some of the cars and artifacts from his long and distinguished career in motorsports. It was on the new lower level, though, which had been used as storage and off limits to guests, where the four-time Indy 500 winner had to pause. The only other drivers to win that many times are A.J. Foyt, Al Unser and Helio Castroneves, and together one of the smallest clubs in auto racing had an entire wing dedicated just to them. 'It's unbelievable. It really is,' Mears said. 'First of all, I never dreamed of being included in a list like that to begin with, period, and to be there with all the four winners and the way it's done up, and watch videos of all four races and be involved with it — it brings back a lot of memories, to begin with. But it's just an honor to be a part of it.' The museum, tucked inside the 2.5-mile oval between Turns 1 and 2, closed for nearly 18 months as it underwent its first major renovation in four decades, and the product of the $60.5 million project was revealed to the public on April 2. With the Indianapolis 500 on deck this weekend, thousands of fans are expected to flood through the seven permanent galleries, three rotating galleries and roughly 40,000 square feet of new space that houses new immersive and dynamic experiences. 'We wanted the museum to be more than just a gallery,' said museum president Joe Hale, who spearheaded the fundraising and construction effort. 'We wanted this to be a space that people can come back to over and over again.' The old museum was primarily of a large, cavernous space that allowed guests to meander through cabinets full of fire suits, trophies and other relics, which told the story of a speedway that not only has hosted the Indy 500 since 1911 but also NASCAR races, motorcycle races, the Red Bull Air Race and even gas-filled balloon competitions. Of course, there are still extensive spaces showcasing artifacts from more than a century of racing at the speedway, and dozens of cars from the museum's vast collection are on display. But the rebirthed museum represents more than that, from cutting-edge interactive technology to STEM spaces that can be used for school field trips and summer camps. It begins by taking visitors on a guided tour through a recreation of the garage area, known as Gasoline Alley, as it has looked over the years. There are the old, wooden stalls from the early 1900s, antiquated spaces used by Foyt and Mario Andretti in the '60s and '70s, and more modern spaces that teams have used to prepare their cars for this weekend. Then, visitors flood into the 'Starting Line Experience.' There, replicas of the cars making up the front row of the Indy 500 sit as if they are on the starting grid. Video boards running along the walls and ceiling make guests feel as though they are right there on race day, preparing to take part in 'The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.' Eventually, visitors spill into three levels of gallery spaces: the new mezzanine dedicated to non-vehicle artifacts, including the fire suit of reigning IndyCar champ Alex Palou; the main level, featuring numerous cars and a wing dedicated to IndyCar and Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Roger Penske and his accomplishments in racing; and the lower level, where the four-time winners are celebrated and a rotating gallery includes cars from Chip Ganassi Racing. Last month, the museum used proceeds from the sale of 11 vehicles unrelated to Indianapolis Motor Speedway — including a rare Mercedes W 196 R — to help purchase 14 cars from the Ganassi team, including five Indy 500 winners. 'I was very pleased that for many years, our Indy-winning cars have been in our race shop, sitting up there on the wall,' Ganassi said. 'Forty-seven people a year would see them up there, and it was kind of a, 'Hey, that's our Indy winners up there on the wall.' But the fact of the matter is it dawned on me one day that they should be among other Indy winners.' Now they are on display for thousands of visitors every day. There was still money left over from the sale of the museum's other cars, though, and that will provide a sizeable boost to its endowment. The plan eventually is to build a separate preservation shop near the track to not only work on its 200-plus cars, most of which are running, but also display more of them along with some of the other 55,000 items in the collection. 'It's really a special place,' Ganassi said. 'I would encourage you to go see it. It's going to take this — I think it's going to add a lot to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It's going to add a lot to the race. It's going to add a lot to the community.' ___ AP auto racing:
Winnipeg Free Press
20-05-2025
- Automotive
- Winnipeg Free Press
Reimagined and reopened museum at Indianapolis Motor Speedway aims to be more than just a museum
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Rick Mears spent some time recently walking through the reimagined, rebuilt and recently reopened museum at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which houses some of the cars and artifacts from his long and distinguished career in motorsports. It was on the new lower level, though, which had been used as storage and off limits to guests, where the four-time Indy 500 winner had to pause. The only other drivers to win that many times are A.J. Foyt, Al Unser and Helio Castroneves, and together one of the smallest clubs in auto racing had an entire wing dedicated just to them. 'It's unbelievable. It really is,' Mears said. 'First of all, I never dreamed of being included in a list like that to begin with, period, and to be there with all the four winners and the way it's done up, and watch videos of all four races and be involved with it — it brings back a lot of memories, to begin with. But it's just an honor to be a part of it.' The museum, tucked inside the 2.5-mile oval between Turns 1 and 2, closed for nearly 18 months as it underwent its first major renovation in four decades, and the product of the $60.5 million project was revealed to the public on April 2. With the Indianapolis 500 on deck this weekend, thousands of fans are expected to flood through the seven permanent galleries, three rotating galleries and roughly 40,000 square feet of new space that houses new immersive and dynamic experiences. 'We wanted the museum to be more than just a gallery,' said museum president Joe Hale, who spearheaded the fundraising and construction effort. 'We wanted this to be a space that people can come back to over and over again.' The old museum was primarily of a large, cavernous space that allowed guests to meander through cabinets full of fire suits, trophies and other relics, which told the story of a speedway that not only has hosted the Indy 500 since 1911 but also NASCAR races, motorcycle races, the Red Bull Air Race and even gas-filled balloon competitions. Of course, there are still extensive spaces showcasing artifacts from more than a century of racing at the speedway, and dozens of cars from the museum's vast collection are on display. But the rebirthed museum represents more than that, from cutting-edge interactive technology to STEM spaces that can be used for school field trips and summer camps. It begins by taking visitors on a guided tour through a recreation of the garage area, known as Gasoline Alley, as it has looked over the years. There are the old, wooden stalls from the early 1900s, antiquated spaces used by Foyt and Mario Andretti in the '60s and '70s, and more modern spaces that teams have used to prepare their cars for this weekend. Then, visitors flood into the 'Starting Line Experience.' There, replicas of the cars making up the front row of the Indy 500 sit as if they are on the starting grid. Video boards running along the walls and ceiling make guests feel as though they are right there on race day, preparing to take part in 'The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.' Eventually, visitors spill into three levels of gallery spaces: the new mezzanine dedicated to non-vehicle artifacts, including the fire suit of reigning IndyCar champ Alex Palou; the main level, featuring numerous cars and a wing dedicated to IndyCar and Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Roger Penske and his accomplishments in racing; and the lower level, where the four-time winners are celebrated and a rotating gallery includes cars from Chip Ganassi Racing. Last month, the museum used proceeds from the sale of 11 vehicles unrelated to Indianapolis Motor Speedway — including a rare Mercedes W 196 R — to help purchase 14 cars from the Ganassi team, including five Indy 500 winners. 'I was very pleased that for many years, our Indy-winning cars have been in our race shop, sitting up there on the wall,' Ganassi said. 'Forty-seven people a year would see them up there, and it was kind of a, 'Hey, that's our Indy winners up there on the wall.' But the fact of the matter is it dawned on me one day that they should be among other Indy winners.' Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Now they are on display for thousands of visitors every day. There was still money left over from the sale of the museum's other cars, though, and that will provide a sizeable boost to its endowment. The plan eventually is to build a separate preservation shop near the track to not only work on its 200-plus cars, most of which are running, but also display more of them along with some of the other 55,000 items in the collection. 'It's really a special place,' Ganassi said. 'I would encourage you to go see it. It's going to take this — I think it's going to add a lot to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It's going to add a lot to the race. It's going to add a lot to the community.' ___ AP auto racing:
