Not since Farfegnügen has a German term penetrated the English language like Flugtag. Deutsch for "air show," the event kicked off in 1991 in Austria, ze birthplace of ze Red Bull. Fast forward 35 Flugtags later, and the word has become synonymous with good times, ridiculous aircrafts and one big global party.
But that's not all the info you'll need to enjoy yourself at Flugtag Chicago on September 8. Rather than just stand there in attendance (what are you, some kind of amateur?), we want you to cheer on competitors in German, the native tongue of Red Bull's homeland. So, read on and pay attention, then head to Flugtag with an arsenal of cheers and jeers to lob at the competitors.
Flugkapitan: German for flight captain.
Recommended Usage: After the winning flight touches down on the placid waters of Lake Michigan, yell "someone call up Lufthansa, we've found their new flugkapitan!"
Notlandung: German for emergency landing
Recommended Usage: Stemming from the German expression, "zat was a nice landung, not!", this is a great insult to hurl at any team that nose dives off the pier (trust us, there will be several).
Reisepass: German for passport
Recommended Usage: Praise a pilot's valiant effort by asking "has someone stamped that pilot's reisepass? Because with skills like that she might fly all the way to Vienna."
Luftfahrt: German for aviation
Recommended Usage: The Germans go giddy any time they can append the term "fahrt" to one of their words, and you should to. Proclaim your love for all things Flugtag by screaming "Ich liebe luftfahrt!" (but never ask "who just luftfahrted?" because remember, whoever smelt it, dealt it).
Abheben: German for lift off
Recommended Usage: Anytime a team actually achieves flight (i.e. they glide instead of nose dive), scream "und vee have abheben!"
Bruchlandung: German for crash landing
Recommended Usage: Similar to notlandung, bruchlandung should be reserved for teams whose crafts bust apart upon impact.
Badeanzug: German for swim suit
Recommended Usage: When a team is falling toward the depths of Lake Michigan, yell "I hope that team packed their badenzugs, because they're about to get wet!"
Geil: German for awesome, epic, cool, sweet or sexy.
Recommended Usage: Employ this when you witness an awesome flight, an epic crash or meet one fine Flugtag Fraulein, then coo "du bist geil."
Schwimmweste: German for life jacket
Recommended Usage: When a team is bobbing up and down in the water, be sure to scream "someone get those aviators some schwimmwestes!" Safety first, people.
Auswerfen: German for eject
Recommended Usage: You'll see plenty of fearless pilots refusing to abandon their doomed aircraft, so be sure to razz them with taunts of "auswerfen! auswerfen!"
These 10 words will have you sprechen ze Deutsch like a native and will surely make you a popular spectator come Flugtag. Now close out of Rosetta Stone, write these down and mark your calendar for the September 8 event.
