What’s a Flugtag? Big crowd will see on Saturday

Saturday could see the Delaware riverfront packed as a non-alcoholic energy drink hosts a free event whose competitors appear to have quaffed much stronger stuff.

It's Red Bull's Flugtag, in which 32 teams with human-powered flying machines will launch off a 30-foot logo-plastered platform at the Camden waterfront out over - and into - the Delaware River.

The Flugtag, which means "flying day" in German, runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., potentially luring thousands of spectators, judging from photographs of crowds on riverbanks and in boats in other cities. This Flugtag's a first for the Philly area.

Wackiness seems to be as essential as air-worthiness, judging from the entries. A 10-foot cheesesteak. A flying nun and her "twisted sisters." A "boxing wing" with Rocky. A flying Zamboni. An Amish entry with bikinis. (To see their demented designs, click on photo gallery at right.)

No entry has ever gone farther than 200 feet, pretty much proving Flugtag is way more about fun than physics.

The launching platform will be at Pier One near Campbell's Field, where the Camden Riversharks play, just south of the Ben Franklin Bridge, and right across the river from Penn's Landing. Gates open at 11 a.m., but the first flight is scheduled for 1 p.m. Local parking is limited.

PATCO and the RiverLink Ferry will offer extra service. High Speed Line trains, connecting South Jersey and Philadelphia with Camden, will run every 7 minutes from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Go to www.ridepatco.org for more information.

The ferry will offer express service from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. between the dock at Penn's Landing adjacent, next to the Independence Seaport Museum, and the Camden waterfront. Go to www.riverlinkferry.com for more information.

For more on the event, including a rundown of all the competitors, go to: www.redbullflugtagusa.com/Philadelphia2010.