Czech Flying Bulls Achieve World-First Inverted Loop Around Europe’s Highest Railway Bridge
The Czech Flying Bulls Aerobatics Team has made aviation history by performing a world-first inverted group loop around Montenegro’s Mala Rijeka Bridge, Europe’s highest railway bridge. This landmark achievement, carried out in challenging conditions, marks a significant milestone for the team and concludes their 2024 season on a high note.
The 80/20 Snapshot:
Historic Achievement: The Czech Flying Bulls Aerobatics Team executed the first-ever inverted group loop around the Mala Rijeka Bridge in Montenegro, flying upside down through the steep canyon beneath the structure.
Technical Challenge: Performing the loop in a tight diamond formation under the added pressures of negative G-force and within a confined environment highlights the team’s exceptional skill and precision.
Complex Location: The steep canyon and towering structure of the Mala Rijeka Bridge created a demanding setting with no room for error, making the successful execution of the manoeuvre even more remarkable.
Deep Dive:
The Czech Flying Bulls Aerobatics Team executed the inverted loop with four planes in a tight diamond formation, navigating upside down through the steep canyon beneath the 500-metre-long Mala Rijeka Bridge. While inverted flight is a common element in aerobatic routines, completing it in such a confined space with the added pressure of negative G-force is a rare and highly challenging feat.
“This kind of move is rarely done even in open skies. To do it in a canyon is something that hasn’t been attempted before,” team leader Stanislav Čejka noted.
The four-member team - comprised of Stanislav Čejka (leader), Jan Tvrdík (right wing), Jan Rudzinskyj (left wing), and Martin Špaček (slot) - took off from Montenegro's Nikšić Airport before approaching the bridge. The manoeuvre demanded precise coordination and timing, as each pilot was required to follow the leader's every movement while skimming past rugged cliffs and flying within metres of the towering structure.
The team’s skill was evident; even the slightest error could have resulted in disaster in such an unforgiving environment. “We had to block out everything - the rocks, the bridge - and concentrate solely on following Stanislav’s lead,” said Tvrdík.
Months of careful planning preceded the attempt. The technical demands of flying in formation, compounded by the psychological challenges of performing in such treacherous surroundings, meant the pilots had to calculate risk and prepare for every eventuality. The bridge’s massive concrete pillars and rough geography added complexity, offering no margin for error.
“The rocky terrain and the fact that a straight approach was only possible from one side made this [flight] exceptionally complex, especially in formation,” explained Čejka.
Originally, the Czech Flying Bulls Aerobatics Team scouted several locations in the Czech Republic for this project, but nearby high-tension wires posed too great a risk, forcing them to look further afield. Montenegro’s Mala Rijeka Bridge proved to be the ideal setting - a remote, towering structure in a dramatic landscape spanning a deep canyon that would test every ounce of the team’s skills.
Although they had planned to include additional aerobatic elements, such as a double mirror pass under the bridge - where one plane rolls while the other mirrors the movement, creating a symmetrical and visually striking effect in the air - weather conditions on the day limited their options.
With numerous records and titles to their name, the Czech Flying Bulls Aerobatics Team continues to redefine the limits of formation flying. This latest world-first adds to their long list of accomplishments, solidifying their reputation as one of the best aerobatics teams in the world.
Thanks to their relentless pursuit of excellence, they are poised to push the boundaries of aerial performance even further; and as they look ahead, the sky is no longer the limit. It’s just the beginning.