One vision

No Bull

There were many puzzled looks and unanswered questions when it was announced that the Red Bull Air Race would take a break in 2011 – not the least from the race teams themselves. Out of nowhere the drama and excitement of Formula One air racing was pulled from the headlines and placed into storage in order to “fast track the technological advancements currently in the making to improve the already high levels of safety” and “revise the main organisation and commercial areas”.

Essential issues no doubt, but necessitating the cancellation of a season? Surely, there was more to it.

As I sit with Matt on a quiet winter’s afternoon in the NSW Hunter Valley, the adrenalin of screaming engines, towering pylons and max-G turns seems a world away. And so it is, although hopefully not for long. Matt explains that the Red Bull Air Race was like so many aviation undertakings – a great concept, but an average business. The main reason that this occurred was that in a commercial sense, the air race grew much bigger and faster than anyone had foreseen or planned. In a handful of years it had grown from some stock aerobatic aircraft flying a low level course to highly specialised racing machines entertaining crowded foreshores of the world’s most picturesque cities.

The original business plan saw income being generated by such contributors as sponsors, TV rights, ticket sales and the host cities. With Red Bull being synonymous with the air race, its brand tended to drown out the message for other potential sponsors, while television rights suffered the same problems when it came to selling advertising. The income was not quite as forthcoming from some host cities in latter seasons, and ticket sales failed to pay their way as well. As they say, “No bucks, no Buck Rogers. ” In terms of technological development, Matt says that there were some key safety measures that had been targeted for implementation. Importantly, a monocoque cockpit was needed that would effectively create a singular, immensely strong safety cell around the pilot as used in Formula 1 racing cars. Furthermore, there was a need for seats to be removable, so that pilots could be removed ‘in situ’ from a downed aircraft, minimising potential injuries on extrication. Another safety measure was to relocate the fuel from the wings and into a central fuselage tank.

So it was genuinely reasons of designsafety and commercial organisation that drove the air race wheels to a halt, as it was decided that these issues were better rectified in isolation, rather than patched up on the run. For the likes of Matt Hall, who had personally invested a significant sum into his new MXS-R race aircraft, the news had an obvious commercial impact. However, personally Matt admits that the year off has been a great chance to catch his breath, spend time with his family and get a real sense of his own company’s business model.

Matt explains that, “I ran a hard race for 18 years in the RAAF, only to leave and enter a sprint”. An indication of the demands on an air race pilot was evident when Matt discovered that 212 nights of the previous year were spent in hotel rooms! With a new CEO at the helm and all business models being examined, the air race may be in limbo, but it is far from gone. Whether it re-emerges as a handful of racing ‘expo’ flights or a fully fledged Formula 1 circuit will be founded upon sound business principles this time around.

Matt Hall is keen to race once again, but the hiatus of 2011 has offered an opportunity to realign his compass and establish a series of new projects that will continue to complement his air racing when the competition returns.

Irons in the Fire

While the issues with the Red Bull Air Race undoubtedly had an effect on Matt Hall’s plans, they were never going to slow him down. As both an individual and as a brand, he is seen as ‘bankable’ as sponsors like Massel have been there from the outset and are in for the long haul, while recently Aeroshell has come on board, representing a vote in his future direction. Just as he bounced back from skipping the water in the Windsor air race to finish on the podium in Germany, Matt is gearing up to take on new challenges.

One new aspect of his company, ‘Matt Hall Racing’, is addressing corporate clients in the various aspects of the challenges that confront any professional. From the outside looking in, what Matt does in an aeroplane can seem virtually impossible, but he emphasises that “it is actually very achievable using the correct strategies and risk management principles”. Additionally, Matt’s proven ability to recover quickly from setbacks on the race circuit or in a combat situation are qualities that can be applied very readily in the corporate sphere as well.

However, the lecture theatre for these addresses are not limited to well lit auditoriums – the sky is literally the limit. Armed with a newly re-engined Extra 300L sporting Matt’s corporate colours, executives can see first hand how Matt practices what he preaches – making the impossible achievable.

Still, for those not necessarily in the corporate set, a flight with Matt is not out of reach. He is currently busy developing the opportunity to take some fortunate individuals aloft “as part of a boutique package which ties in with accommodation and thevineyards here in the Hunter Valley”.

Matt has also been active flying a range of air displays, many of which incorporate the dramatic components of air racing at sea level, as well as the attention grabbing manoeuvres such as the hover, tumbling and torque-rolling. The MXS-R race plane is ideal for these displays and remains in race configuration, although Matt has “toned the engine down in the interests of longevity”. For many, the highlight of these displays was the Avalon Airshow in March. With 11,000 views on YouTube, his cockpit camera footage from Avalon gives one of the purest insights into the physical demands of his high-G environment.

However, the physical demands are equally balanced by the mental challenge of such a performance, from the moment of conception to the execution in front of an awe-struck crowd.

Matt explains that the Avalon display began with a core concept and the music.

Firstly, the display “had to be safe and it had to be spectacular” – such that it was designed for an engine failure to occur at any point and Matt would be able to land the aircraft where HE wanted. This was achieved by never being below 150kt when flying below 1000ft, which is rather rare in aerobatic displays. For the music, he sought a piece that possessed the correct degree of ‘build up’ in tempo, becoming more aggressive with time – Queen’s One Vision and AC/DC’s Shoot to Thrill. This facilitated Matt to commence with high speed passes initially for the ‘look at it go’ factor, before evolving into more dramatic manoeuvres.

Matt exercised regularly to the music and began putting the pieces in place. The elements included hitting the four-point roll ‘on beat’, crowd-centre, and tail-sliding the MXS-R coincidentally with the music stopping. Such a display is challenging to plan, but phenomenally difficult to execute when synchronised to the crowd’s loudspeakers, and the vagaries of wind and weather are added.

Even so, Matt finds the preparation and flying of an air display relatively straightforward compared to air racing. At the heart of each air display are familiar, core components. If conditions call for it, Matt can increase the safety margins of a display by reducing the G-forces or flying it a little higher, with no real effect on the crowd’s experience. In contrast, Matt explains that in air racing “every race track is different and within that every day is different given the conditions”. Similarly, “if you back off on the G-forces, you can’t physically make the turn and if you fly higher, you lose points”. The is also a huge amount of mental preparation in flying the race circuit, and Matt goes into virtual isolation for an hour before the race to clear his head and avoid any distractions.

As with all of his endeavours, the correct balance and timing of both mental and physical components are essential.

On a broader scale, that balance is necessary to keep all of his current undertakings and future ventures in perspective. He has recognised the role of the new social media such as Facebook and Twitter in conjunction with his website, but still maintains the ability to deal competently one-on-one with people from all walks of life. It’s a skill set that serves him well and demonstrates that Matt Hall Racing is a much broader entity than purely Red Bull air-racing – although he looks forward to returning to that challenge too.

More in Store

Whether it is corporate presentations, air show displays or racing on the circuit, the high level of professionalism Matt displays never waivers. Yet for all the pressure, when removed from the cockpit where his focus is singular, he is at heart one of the most affable guys you could ever meet. For my money, that’s another point worth noting – knowing when to switch on and how to switch off.

Perhaps one of the truest indications of Matt’s persona exists in his race number of ‘95’. He could have picked an old squadron number, or the designator of one of his past military fast jets, but he didn’t. He deferred to the savvy judgement of his young son, Mitchell, who thought it appropriate that Dad’s number should be that of Lightning McQueen, the ‘rookie that could’ in the original Cars movie. As we all know, that Hollywood blockbuster has just launched a successful sequel, and one cannot help but believe that for Matt Hall there is also a lot more in store. Stay tuned.