Péter Besenyei (born 1956) is a
Hungarian aerobatics
Aerobatics is the practice of flying maneuvers involving aircraft attitudes that are not used in conventional passenger-carrying flights. The term is a portmanteau of "aeroplane" and "acrobatics". Aerobatics are performed in aeroplanes and gl ...
pilot
An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its Aircraft flight control system, directional flight controls. Some other aircrew, aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are al ...
and world champion air racer.
Biography
He was born on 8 June 1956 in
Körmend
Körmend ( Prekmurje Slovene: ''Karmadén,'' ) is a town in Vas County, Western Hungary.
Places of interest
The town is especially well known for its castle which used to belong to the Batthyány family, one of the most important aristocrat famili ...
,
Hungary
Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...
. He lived near the airport of
Budapest
Budapest is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns of Hungary, most populous city of Hungary. It is the List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, tenth-largest city in the European Union by popul ...
and became interested in flying when he was a child. From watching 1962
World Aerobatic Championships he decided to become a pilot. At 15 years of age he flew a
glider for the first time. In 1976 Péter entered his first flying competition
by piloting a glider and showed his talent, finishing in second place.
Besenyei became an aerobatics pilot and won several titles in national and international championships. He won his first gold medal in 1982 at the
Austrian National Championships.
His specialty is free-style aerobatics. He invented a number of original snap rolls and, in 1984, the "knife-edge spin". In 1995 Péter Besenyei won 2 gold and 2 silver medals and he was named the most successful aerobatics pilot of his time.
In 2001 Besenyei flew upside down under the
Széchenyi Chain Bridge
The Széchenyi Chain Bridge ( ) is a chain bridge that spans the River Danube between Buda and Pest, the western and eastern sides of Budapest, the capital of Hungary. Designed by English engineer William Tierney Clark and built by Scottish e ...
,
that spans the river
Danube
The Danube ( ; see also #Names and etymology, other names) is the List of rivers of Europe#Longest rivers, second-longest river in Europe, after the Volga in Russia. It flows through Central and Southeastern Europe, from the Black Forest sou ...
in Budapest, a maneuver that became a standard in air races today.
Besenyei is sometimes referred to as the godfather of the
Red Bull Air Race World Championship
The World Championship Air Race is a series of air races sanctioned by the World Air Sports Federation (FAI). Originally established in 2003 as the Red Bull Air Race, and created by Red Bull GmbH, the event involves competitors navigating a ...
because of his work helping develop it.
He was asked, in 2001 by
Austria
Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
n energy-drink company
Red Bull
Red Bull is a brand of energy drinks created and owned by the Austrian company Red Bull GmbH. With a market share of 43%, it is the most popular energy drink brand as of 2020, and the third most valuable soft drink brand, behind Coca-Cola and ...
, to help develop the concept of an
air racing
Air racing is a type of motorsport that involves airplanes or other types of aircraft that compete over a fixed course, with the winner either returning the shortest time, the one to complete it with the most points, or to come closest to a pre ...
competition. With enthusiasm he helped set up the rules and regulations and carefully selected the most daring pilots, with skills and courage, to handle the extreme physical and mental challenges of the air race. The first race was held in 2003 in
Zeltweg
Zeltweg () is a town in Styria, Austria. It is located in the Aichfeld basin of the Mur River in Upper Styria. Larger municipalities in the vicinity are Judenburg, Knittelfeld and Fohnsdorf.
History
Some farms were recorded at Zeltweg in the Du ...
, Austria. After two years the competition became a worldwide organization of
Red Bull Air Race World Series
The World Championship Air Race is a series of air races sanctioned by the World Air Sports Federation (FAI). Originally established in 2003 as the Red Bull Air Race, and created by Red Bull GmbH, the event involves competitors navigating a ...
.
He is currently a
test pilot
A test pilot is an aircraft pilot with additional training to fly and evaluate experimental, newly produced and modified aircraft with specific maneuvers, known as flight test techniques.Stinton, Darrol. ''Flying Qualities and Flight Testin ...
for the Hungarian Aviation Office and a
flying instructor for aerobatic pilots on
Zivko Edge 540
The Zivko Edge 540 manufactured by Zivko Aeronautics is a highly aerobatic aircraft. Capable of a 420 degree per second roll rate and a 3,700 foot per minute climb rate, it has been flown to victory on the international Unlimited aerobatics ci ...
. Péter enjoys car racing, skiing, sky diving, fishing, and photography.
Besenyei retired from the Red Bull Air Race at the completion of the
2015 season.
Achievements
;1982:
* Austrian National Championships – overall winner
;1990:
* World Aerobatics Championships – 2nd
;1993:
*
Breitling Aerobatics World Cup - 3rd
;1994:
* World Champion of the Compulsory Program
;1995:
* European Champion Freestyle
* European Champion of the Compulsory Program
;1998:
*
FAI World Grand Prix Series 1st
;2000:
* World Champion Freestyle
;2001:
* FAI World Grand Prix Series 1st
;2003:
*
Tokyo
Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
,
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
- 1st
;2005:
* FAI World Series Grand Prix,
Lausanne
Lausanne ( , ; ; ) is the capital and largest List of towns in Switzerland, city of the Swiss French-speaking Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Vaud, in Switzerland. It is a hilly city situated on the shores of Lake Geneva, about halfway bet ...
,
Switzerland
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
- 1st
Honors
* 1996 - "Gold Medal of the President of the Republic of Hungary" by President
Árpád Göncz
Árpád Göncz (; 10 February 1922 – 6 October 2015) was a Hungarian writer, translator, lawyer and liberal politician who served as President of Hungary from 2 May 1990 to 4 August 2000. Göncz played a role in the Hungarian Revolution of 19 ...
Legend:
* CAN: Cancelled
* DNP: Did not participate
* DNS: Did not start
* DSQ: Disqualified
* NC: Not classified
See also
*
Jurgis Kairys
Jurgis Kairys (born 6 May 1952 in Krasnoyarsk Krai) is a Lithuanian Aerobatics, aerobatic pilot and Aerospace engineering, aeronautical engineer.
See also
*Competition aerobatics
References
External links
Jurgis Kairys�� leader of Airbandit ...
*
Competition aerobatics
Competition aerobatics is an air sport in which ground-based referee, judges rate the skill of pilots performing aerobatics, aerobatic flying. It is practised in both Reciprocating engine, piston-powered single-engine airplanes and also Glider (sa ...
References
External links
Péter Besenyei Official SitePéter Besenyei (Official Fan Page) *
Red Bull Air Race World Series official websiteAerobatics website with Péter Besenyei videosThe Story of Péter Besenyei on YoutubeThe Story of Air Show Unawatuna Beach, Sri Lanka
{{DEFAULTSORT:Besenyei, Peter
1956 births
Living people
Hungarian aviators
Hungarian air racers
Red Bull Air Race World Championship pilots
Red Bull Air Race World Championship winners
Aerobatic pilots
Test pilots
People from Körmend
Sportspeople from Vas County