Hoekwil brothers take flight at Red Bull Flugtag

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GEORGE NEWS - Five brothers from Hoekwil quite literally took the plunge earlier this month when they launched their home-made flying machine off an 8m platform at the Red Bull Flugtag in Cape Town.

The De Necker brothers, Eddie (26), Jared (25), Daniel (22), David (20) and Destin (18), joined 43 other teams at the V&A Waterfront earlier this month for the world-famous event that draws tens of thousands of spectators each year.

Their youngest brother, Darryl, was too young to compete.

The Red Bull Flugtag is an international spectacle during which teams of five build and pilot their own human-powered flying machines, pushing them off a high platform and into the water below.

Each team performs a short dance before take-off and is scored by Red Bull judges on creativity, showmanship and flight distance.

This year's Cape Town event attracted a record crowd of around 100 000 people, and the De Necker brothers, competing under the name The Flight of Scrat, a name inspired by the beloved Ice Age character, were right in the thick of things.

"We've always seen the event and dreamt of entering," said Daniel.

"When a friend sent us the entry link, we knew we had to give it a go. We spent four days putting together our story, design and theme before the entry window closed. Planning, building and then transporting everything to Cape Town was a mission, but one we absolutely loved."

Despite competing against big corporate teams with elaborate builds, these Hoekwil brothers held their own. Their craft, despite not taking home any prizes, flew an impressive 11m before splashing down.

"All the fear disappeared once we were up there," Daniel said. "We just locked in and had a jol. We had the time of our lives."