"Bonhomme and I are like Iceman and Maverick"

If you add together the flying hours, Mike Mangold has spent a few years of his life in the air. During a stopover on solid ground the Red Bull Air Race champion took some time for a comprehensive review of the season in two parts.

“I feel the need – the need for speed” is one of the most famous film quotes of all times. What role does this feeling play in your passion for aerobatic flying?

“Speed is life” is a true fighter pilot quote. This is how I feel about flying in the Red Bull Air Race. When I’m going really fast, I feel very alive!

The quote comes from Tom Cruise’s character Maverick in ‘Top Gun.’ The film was released just after you yourself won the ‘Outstanding Graduate’ award in the Air Force for your year – the so-called ‘Top Gun’ award. Is there anything to the rumor that your career may have inspired the scriptwriters?

No direct connection. At that time my career was the same as many other Top Gun Fighter pilots. In reality we did more extreme ‘bad boy’ flying and got into more trouble off-duty.

The battle in the Red Bull Air Race World Series 2007 also developed into a duel like the one between Maverick and Iceman. What made Paul Bonhomme your most dangerous rival?

There are similarities amongst the four of us. Paul is a very talented pilot with a superb race plane and crew chief. His performance is very consistent and he rarely makes big mistakes. He probably thought my flying was dangerous, just like Iceman said to Maverick in the movie. In the end, we’re all fellow aviators and would come to each other’s aid.

As early as a year ago you predicted on www.redbull.com that this year’s race would be a close decision. However you also suspected that the leading group would be made up of five to six pilots. Why were you a little off the mark here?

There were only two pilots in the top group because the other teams were unable to find the proper formula to stay with the leaders throughout the series. There’s a lot more to winning the championship than being an excellent pilot.

In spring you had several health problems. Was that the reason you were more successful in the second half of the season than in the first?

Exactly. I knew my airplane was well suited for the style of RBAR flying. I also knew I was not physically performing at top level due to injury and sickness. Many things need to go right each race for a team to make the podium.