PRESS RELEASE – CubCrafters-Built Aircraft Successfully Lands on Helipad on Iconic Burj Al Arab Hotel in Dubai

Pilot lands Fixed Wing Carbon Cub airplane on a 78-foot diameter helipad located on top of the 56-story building.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — (3/14/22) — CubCrafters, in collaboration with Red Bull and extreme sports promotor XDubai, has achieved an unprecedented milestone in aviation by successfully landing a fixed-wing Carbon Cub aircraft on the heliport of one of the world’s most iconic buildings, the Burj Al Arab hotel, in Dubai, UAE.

The Bulls Eye landing event featured Red Bull Air Race pilot and Carbon Cub owner Luke Czepiela landing a specially modified version of CubCrafters bestselling aircraft on a 27-meter wide helipad suspended 212 meters above sea level atop the 56-story hotel.

“All big moments start with little ideas powered by imagination and the desire to create something special,” stated Patrick Horgan, CubCrafters’ President & CEO. “Red Bull has done many projects over the years that have inspired aviators worldwide, so we were honored to join them on this project to demonstrate the incredible capabilities of the kinds of aircraft our company designs and manufactures.”

As Michał Graczyk, Aviation Project Manager for the event explained, “To ensure success, we wanted the airplane best suited to the challenge, and CubCrafters was the obvious choice. They have a long history of innovation and industry leadership, relentless research and development, and an impeccable reputation for the quality of their aircraft. These attributes made us very confident in choosing them as our partner for this event.”

“Throughout the years, CubCrafters’ brand has grown to be synonymous with an adventure lifestyle, and giving pilots the ability to land our airplanes in the most challenging environments is core to our mission,” said Brad Damm, CubCrafters’ Vice President. “This project, two years in the planning and execution, really pushes the limits of what a best-of-class STOL aircraft, and an extremely capable and dedicated pilot, can achieve.” 

Renowned bush pilot, aviation engineer, and YouTube personality, Mike Patey, also joined the CubCrafters technical team for the project. Mike, a Carbon Cub owner himself, customized some of the aircraft’s features to help ensure a successful outcome. “It was a pretty simple formula. We cut weight, changed the C.G. to increase the effectiveness of the brakes, and added extra horsepower,” said Mike. “I’m really proud of how the airplane performed. The Carbon Cub was a great choice to start with, and we made it even better for this event.”     

“Working with CubCrafters and Mike Patey to prepare the airplane for this event has been a true pleasure,” declared pilot Luke Czepiela. “During the training and preparation, I developed full confidence in the aircraft and its unique capabilities that enabled me to successfully accomplish this mission.”

Full details about the project, the aircraft, and the team that pulled it off can be found at:

https://cubcrafters.com/redbull

ABOUT CUBCRAFTERS

Founded in 1980 by Jim Richmond, CubCrafters’ roots are in the 80+ year history of classic grassroots aviation, but the company’s products and services are innovative and completely modern. CubCrafters designs and manufactures Experimental, LSA, and Part 23 Certified aircraft. The Carbon Cub family of aircraft redefined expectations for the backcountry flying experience with innovative design, modern materials, powerful engines, and breathtaking performance. Currently building over 100 new aircraft per year, the company’s newest offering, the Carbon Cub UL is in development specifically for international markets. The key to CubCrafters success is our ability to create unique value in the experience of personal adventure aviation. Learn more: https://cubcrafters.com/about

ABOUT RED BULL

The slogan “Giving Wings to People and Ideas” has driven Red Bull since its inception. When Red Bull was founded in the mid-1980s, a completely new product category was born – energy drinks. For nearly three years, from 1984 to 1987, company founder Dietrich Mateschitz worked on the formula for Red Bull, the positioning of the brand, the product packaging and the marketing concept. On April 1, 1987, Red Bull Energy Drink was launched in Austria and has seen continued success since. As of the end of 2022, the company employed 15,779 people in 175 countries worldwide and had annual sales of over 11.5 billion cans of Red Bull. More than just an energy drink, Red Bull has become a global sports and cultural icon. Learn more: https://www.redbull.com/us-en/energydrink/company-profile

ABOUT XDUBAI

Using sports as a vehicle of positive change, XDubai partners with the top local and international sports brands and athletes to take Dubai’s sports scene to the next level. XDubai encourages the city to come together to experience the thrill of an active life. Seeing sports as a culture and being active as a life choice, XDubai is Dubai’s ambassador for action sports and invites you to take part in the best sporting activities and events in the region. Pushing yourself is the challenge and defying your limits is the fuel that drives thrill seekers, adventurers and action sports fanatics to experience Dubai as the adrenaline capital of the world. Learn more: https://www.xdubai.com/en/about-us

ABOUT THE HOTEL

The Burj Al Arab hotel is considered a global icon of Arabian luxury. The structure itself, shaped like the sail of a ship and built on an artificial island 280 m (920 ft) off the beach of Dubai is described as the only 7-star hotel in the world. Its famous helipad is suspended above the building’s 56th floor, at a height of 210 m (689 ft) above ground level and has been used as a car race track, a boxing ring, a tennis venue, a driving range, and many other legendary projects. Learn more at: https://www.jumeirah.com/en/stay/dubai/burj-al-arab-jumeirah

ABOUT ŁUKASZ CZEPIELA

Poland’s Łukasz Czepiela combines being a commercial pilot with competing in aerobatics competitions and air races. A trip to an air show with his father, at the age of six, led to a lifelong passion for airplanes and a pilot license. Łukasz began participating in acrobatic training camps in 2010 and eventually joined the Polish aerobatics team, Żelazny, competing for a world championship in 2013. Starting in 2014 he began air racing, earning four podiums in 2016, including a first race win. Five more podiums followed in 2017 and won the Red Bull Challenger Cup in 2018. In addition to air racing and aerobatics, Łukasz personally owns a Red Bull themed CubCrafters Carbon Cub EX STOL aircraft for backcountry flying. Learn more: https://www.redbull.com/us-en/athlete/lukasz-czepiela

ABOUT MIKE PATEY

Mike Patey’s aviation journey began in 2002 when he bought his first airplane and received his pilot license and has since gone on to earn multiple other ratings. Mike has always been driven to modify, improve, and explore the limits of the aircraft he owns and flies, which has earned him multiple world speed and performance records in aviation. Mike’s enthusiasm is infectious. He has inspired many to pursue their dreams of flight and personal aircraft construction. His tagline, “Back to Work,” is often repeated in his videos and echoed among fans. “I use it for my life in general. It means to get after something, give your all, enjoy the process, and work hard,” a mantra Mike truly lives by. Mike owns and flies a very custom Carbon Cub EX-3 called “Scrappy.” Learn more: https://www.youtube.com/c/MikePatey

ABOUT SKYDIVE DUBAI

Skydive Dubai has developed two of the world’s most sought-after skydiving locations. Also hailed for its extraordinary and innovative pursuit of excellence in aerial sports with multiple Guinness World Records and World’s Firsts to boot – brought to life by its local aviation expertise together with its strong relationship with authorities. Learn more: https://www.skydivedubai.ae/

SPECIAL THANKS TO

Thank you to all of the key vendors providing specialized gear and aircraft systems to support this project:

• Acme Aero provided titanium main landing gear and custom main gear suspension.
• Custom tundra tires and titanium tail spring were provided by Airframes Alaska.
• Custom high-performance composite propeller provided by Catto Propellers.
• Landing and position lights were provided by Whelen Aerospace Technologies.
• G3X Avionics provided by Garmin with a custom instrument panel designed and fabricated by Avionics Systems LLC.

Special thanks to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President & Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, along with the Government of Dubai, the Dubai CAA, the Jumeirah company, and the Burj Al Arab hotel for the leadership, permissions, and access necessary to make this inspiring aviation project possible.