Red Bull Japan

Plane: Edge 540
Race number: 31
www.yoshi-muroya.jp

 

Yoshihide “Yoshi” Muroya of Japan is the first Asian pilot in the Red Bull Air Race World Championship but the ambitious rookie from Fukushima wants to be known for more than just that by the end of his first season. Muroya, one of four rookies in 2009, has set his targets high – finishing in the top eight twice and scoring at least eight championship points, a tall order considering last year’s rookie Glen Dell of South Africa did not score a single point. Even if Muroya falls short of what would be a record start for a rookie, he is optimistic his participation in the championship will ignite interest in the sport across Asia. Flying an Edge 540, Muroya will certainly have one of the most powerful machines in the race, a blindingly fast plane on straight out-and-back tracks.

“The first goal is to fly safely and avoid penalties,” he said. “Beyond that I think I can win at least eight points and make it to the Super 8 at least twice. For the first few races I’ll be concentrating on flying safe and getting through the track cleanly. After that, the goal will be the Super 8. I’m looking forward to bringing a bit more of a truly international scene to the race.” Muroya admits he admires and will try to emulate the smooth flying style of Britain’s Paul Bonhomme, who finished second in both of the last two seasons. The efficient, graceful style that avoids wasting energy and drag also caught the eye of Austria’s Hannes Arch when he was a rookie. Arch also unabashedly copied what he could from Bonhomme’s flying. “Bonhomme’s got a super-smooth style of flying,” said Muroya, who will also try to incorporate some of Arch’s strategy into his game plan. Muroya said he was impressed with the way Arch, who might not have had as many hours flying as his rivals, meticulously went about his preparations as a rookie - watching, listening, patiently learning, building a fast plane and putting together a strong team. “It’s only normal to steal some flying ideas from other pilots. It’s the same in every competition,” he said. On the other hand, Muroya said he would probably not be borrowing anything from American Mike Mangold, who has won two championships with his famously aggressive style. “I think I might get out of control if I tried to fly as aggressively as Mangold does,” Muroya said.

Muroya is not counting on veterans being all that helpful anymore. He believes they will be leery about the four rookies in 2009, the largest crop of newcomers ever. “I think they will be a little bit worried about us,” he said. They might offer a few tips, he said, but after Arch took advantage of their advice as a rookie in 2007 before winning the title in 2008, the tips won’t be as good anymore, said Muroya, who has 17 years of flying experience. “They love the sport,” he said. “But still I expect to get a little bit less help than they used to give rookies.”

Muroya has worked hard on improving his physical fitness to cope with the high Gs of the race as well as his mental fitness by learning the traditional Zazen meditation. An avid snowboarder, Muroya has also done some race car driving to help prepare for the race. He started flying gliders at 18 and got his pilot’s licence at the age of 20 in Los Angeles to save a few yen and has 10 years of aerobatics experience. A talented linguist, Muroya has picked up English with relative ease over the years – mainly by attending various flying events and camps. He said there has already been a stirring of interest in the Red Bull Air Race in recent years in Japan, a nation that loves motorsports. He expects that to grow exponentially in 2009 with a Japanese pilot battling for points. “I think there’s going to be an explosion of interest in Asia,” he said. “It’s really going to take off now.”

Red Bull Air Race World Championship results
New to the Red Bull Air Race

Flying achievements
2008 27th FAI World Grand Prix Haute Voltige in Motegi 6th
2007 26th FAI World Grand Prix Haute Voltige in Motegi 5th
2006 FAI Al Ain Aerobatics Championships 5th
1995 Japan Glider Competition 3rd place