RAIMUND RIEDMANN

摘要

Raimund Riedmann lives for aviation. As chief fixed-wing pilot of the Flying Bulls, the remarkable Red Bull-backed collection of historic and display aeroplanes, he may find himself at the controls of a P-38 Lightning or B-25 Mitchell one day, an Extra EA300 or Sukhoi Su-29 the next. When he's not doing that, the Austrian energy drink giant's business jets are his regular berths. The corporate flying takes Raimund all over the world, but there was really only one place for us to meet: Salzburg Airport, where the support of Red Bull and its founder Dietrich Mateschitz, an enthusiastic pilot himself, has made possible the development of some remarkable facilities. Hangar-7 is the Flying Bulls' public showcase, a 40,000-square foot, aerofoil-shaped vision in glass and steel where aircraft, Red Bull-sponsored racing cars and motorcycles, innovative art and rare plants provide the surroundings for fine dining, stylish drinking and live TV broadcasts. Across the apron, the architecturally similar Hangar-8 is the maintenance area, while over the road is a dedicated restoration workshop. It's all a far cry from the draughty hangars more usually the preserve of the historic aircraft world.