SAN FRANCISCO -- Shoving off above the chilly waters of the San Francisco Bay in an unmotorized homemade contraption might not seem like the sanest way to attempt a solo flight.
But for 35 teams competing at the Red Bull Flugtag, sanity wasn't the central concern.
For a shot at real flying lessons or a cash prize, competitors attempted to engineer a human-powered flying machine, no more than 30 feet wide, to launch from a pier above the bay.
Contestants, whose contraptions ranged from a daredevil catapult device fashioned from an old surfboard to a gravity-defying parachute and bike combo, were judged on creativity, distance and showmanship.
Click on the images on the left for a look at their contraptions in action.
