Five UF students will take flight in the National Red Bull Flugtag Miami, a human-powered flying competition.
Max Famiglietti, Jon Kistemaker, Chris Roda, Aaron Alanguilan and Rocky Flood are building a flying craft that will represent their group, the Gator Aviators, at the Sept. 21 competition.
The group submitted a design of a UF-themed flying machine in the beginning of June.
“Our first design was like a flying biscuit, but then we were like, no, let’s take this seriously,” said Alanguilan, a 20-year-old mechanical engineering junior.
The design features a gator head on a cart that will drop to the water when Famiglietti is pushed off the platform to take flight.
Famiglietti, a 22-year-old mechanical engineering senior, is the team pilot. The other four members will push the craft and launch Famiglietti off a pier over the waters of Biscayne Bay.
“I tried to get a pilot’s lesson before the event, like in a real plane, but I don’t think that it’s going to happen,” Famiglietti said.
He will control the movement of the rear wings in hopes of making the glider lift up and fly over the water.
“We have a lot of faith in Max’s timing,” Alanguilan said.
Four of the five members of the team are engineering majors, but they attribute their ability to build the craft to other things.
“Our education definitely helped with the wing design,” Alanguilan said.
Roda, a 22-year-old mechanical and aerospace engineering senior, came up with the dimensions and design of the wings.
“We’ve built all types of stuff. I learned everything from my dad and life,” Famiglietti said.
But the team has faced limitations balancing a budget.
“Time, resources and overall money. If we had a bigger budget, we’d be ready to go,” Alanguilan said.
Because their craft can only be flown once at the event, the boys are focusing on details to make the craft fly and using alternative practice methods.
“I’ve been to Bob’s River Place and jumped out of a few trees, if you want to count that,” Famiglietti said.
The Gator Aviators are one of 28 teams chosen from 200 applicants to compete in the event.
The group heads to Miami on Sept. 20 to take flight. They’ll have until noon Sept. 21 to assemble and prepare for takeoff. They can’t use any power tools to alter their craft.
“Confidence is key,” Famiglietti said. “We’re going to fly.”
A version of this story ran on page 9 on 9/4/2013 under the headline "UF students take flight with Red Bull competition in Miami"
Pilot Max Famiglietti (left), Chris Roda (center) and Rocky Flood (right) pose next to the work-in-progress glider they are entering into the National Red Bull Flugtag competition in Miami. Team members Aaron Alanguilan and Jon Kistemaker are not pictured.
