Red Bull Air Race - world's largest spectator sporting event: next race begins this weekend in Perth, Australia

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The Red Bull Air Race, started in 2003, is a series of air races, held all over the world, where pilots fly specialized aerobatic planes (with top speeds of over 250 mph / 400 kph) through a series of gates, racing the clock, accumulating points toward the championship title. Pilots must also perform specific maneuvers while passing through the gates. The photos shown here are from the most recent two races, in Budapest, Hungary, and Porto, Portugal. The next race in the series is scheduled for November 1st, in Perth, Australia, and video of the event will also be streamed over the web. Last year's Red Bull Air Race World Championship final in Perth attracted 340,000 spectators.

Hungarian pilot Peter Besenyei (bottom), Britain's Nigel Lamb and Paul Bonhomme (top) fly over Budapest, Hungary on August 17, 2008 during their "recon flight" prior to the seventh stage of the Red Bull Air Race World Series. Picture taken August 17, 2008.

U.S. pilot Mike Mangold performs during the qualifying round for the 6th round of the Red Bull Air Race World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, August 19, 2008.

Glen Dell, of South Africa, flies his Edge 540 aircraft over the Douro river during the seventh stage of the annual Red Bull Air Race World Series in Porto, Portugal, Sunday Sept. 7, 2008.

Austrian pilot Hannes Arch performs during the final of the Red Bull Air Race on August 20, 2008 in Budapest, Hungary. Arch claimed his first-ever victory in the competition.

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Photos courtesy of Reuters/Karoly Arvai, Reuters/Dean Treml/Handout, Reuters/Balazs Gardi/Red Bull Air Race, AP Photo/Paulo Duarte, and Joerg Mitter/Red Bull via Getty Images

Original Source: Boston Globe and WAtoday

Official Site: Red Bull Air Race