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Thousands Gather For Flugtag Competition On Delaware River

CAMDEN, N.J. (AP) — Thousands of spectators packed the Delaware River Waterfront to watch nearly three dozen teams take part in a makeshift flying machine contest.

Participants in the gravity-defying Red Bull Flugtag, held Saturday in Camden, attempted to "fly" off a ramp and crash into the river. Their "aircrafts" could not be no more than 30 feet wide and no heavier than 450 pounds, including the driver's weight.

Entrants were judged on distance, creativity and showmanship.

Saturday's event marked the second time in two years that the Red Bull Flugtag was staged in Camden. The 2010 event drew more than 67,000 people.

The Red Bull Flugtag originated in Vienna, Austria, in 1991. The record for the farthest flight of a craft, 229 feet, was set in May in Mainz, Germany.

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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