The Flying Bulls

What The Flying Bulls does

The Flying Bulls is an Austrian private company (THE FLYING BULLS GmbH) wholly owned by Red Bull, operating a curated fleet of 30+ rare historical aircraft and helicopters from its base at Hangar-7 and Hangar-8 facilities at Salzburg Airport. Founded formally in 1999 around the personal collection of Tyrolean Airways pilot Sigi Angerer, the company specializes in maintaining and flying airworthy warbirds and vintage aircraft that are unique in Europe, including the only flying P-38 Lightning, the only flying Canadair F86 Sabre Mk.6, one of four flying Chance Vought Corsairs, and one of two Bell AH-1 Cobra helicopters. Its core technical capability is end-to-end restoration and airworthiness maintenance of complex historical military aircraft, supported by Hangar-8 — a purpose-built maintenance facility with approximately 1,650 glass plates and 26,700 m³ of volume — and a pilot roster of approximately 17 including former military test pilots.

The business monetizes this asset base through professional aerobatic display and formation-flying performances at approximately 50 airshow events annually across Europe, with merchandise sales via the Red Bull Shop integration as a secondary stream. Customer relationships are primarily with airshow organizers (EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, Eastbourne, Sanicole, Air Legend, AIRPOWER24, Museumsfest Leipheim) supplemented by corporate-event clientele using Hangar-7. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and the revenue model is closer to a brand-marketing asset for Red Bull than a standalone profit-maximizing enterprise.

Strategically, The Flying Bulls is positioned to expand beyond its European base: a 2026 US debut at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh with a planned transatlantic crossing of the DC-6B and P-38 Lightning marks the first sustained push into North America, accompanied by ongoing fleet expansion (the 2026 Sabre Mk.6 acquisition, the 2021 Bell Cobra addition) and a renewed emphasis on owned digital content via a relaunched YouTube channel and live webcam feeds.

Name

The Flying Bulls

Legal name

THE FLYING BULLS GmbH

Website

https://flyingbulls.at

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Flying Bulls, a Salzburg-based private company owned by Red Bull, operates a fleet of 30+ rare historical aircraft for professional aerobatic displays and formation flying at approximately 50 European airshows per year. It serves airshow organizers and corporate clients from its iconic Hangar-7 and Hangar-8 facilities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Airshow Performance Services

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121)

SIC

Aircraft (3721)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Museums (e.g., Maritime, Aviation, Sports, Music, Film) (THAJADAF)

Keywords

• Airshow performances
• Historical aircraft fleet
• Warbird formation flying
• Aerobatic displays
• Vintage aircraft restoration

Headquarters

HQ city

Salzburg

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Airshow Performances: The Flying Bulls generate revenue through performing aerobatic displays, formation flying demonstrations, and static exhibitions at airshows across Europe and internationally. They participate in approximately 50 events per year.
2. Merchandise Sales: Online shop selling Flying Bulls merchandise including Red Bull shop integration. The company operates an online store for branded merchandise and apparel.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Flying Bulls operates and maintains a fleet of more than 30 rare historical military and civilian aircraft and helicopters, and delivers aerobatic displays, formation flying demonstrations, and static exhibitions at airshows across Europe and internationally. From their Hangar-7 and Hangar-8 facilities at Salzburg Airport, the team performs at roughly 50 events annually, provides corporate entertainment at the Hangar-7 venue, and sells branded merchandise.

Product overview

The Flying Bulls operates a fleet of rare historical aircraft and helicopters centered around iconic warbirds and military machines. The core fleet includes the Douglas DC-6B luxury airliner, North American B-25J Mitchell bomber, Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighter, Chance Vought F4U-4 Corsair fighter, CANADAIR F86 Sabre MK6 jet fighter, and Bell Cobra 209/AH-1F combat helicopter. Additional aircraft include the Grumman F8F-2 Bearcat, North American T-28B, PT-17 Stearman, Fairchild PT-19, Beech T-34 Mentor, Pilatus Porter PC-6, Cessna 337 Skymaster, Cessna 208 Amphibian Caravan, Aviat Husky, Extra 300 LX, P.68TC Observer, BO 105 C, BO 105 S, Eurocopter EC135, Bristol 171 Sycamore, AS 350 B3+ Ecureuil, and Bell 47 G-3B-1 Soloy. The company provides airshow performances, formation flying demonstrations, and scenic flights from their Hangar-7 and Hangar-8 facilities at Salzburg Airport.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Airshow Performance & Formation Flying Service Contracted aerial display service in which the team performs aerobatics, close formation flying, and static exhibitions at airshows and aviation events. Delivered to airshow organizers and event programmers across Europe and internationally at approximately 50 events per year.
• Douglas DC-6B Luxury Air Travel A 1958-built luxury airliner used for transport, sightseeing, and short or long-haul chartered flights. Originally flown by Yugoslavian and Zambian heads of state and now the first European DC-6B to receive Austrian registration (OE-LDM).
• Lockheed P-38 Lightning Display Aircraft Twin-boom WWII fighter featured in airshow demonstrations; the only P-38 Lightning in Europe and one of the few still flying worldwide, capable of 760 km/h.
• Chance Vought F4U-4 Corsair Display Aircraft One of only four Chance Vought Corsairs flying in Europe, featuring the distinctive gull-wing configuration and an 18-cylinder double radial engine producing around 2,000 HP. Used for airshow displays and formation flying.
• North American B-25J Mitchell Bomber Display Twin-engined WWII medium bomber used in airshow performances and formation flying, powered by two 14-cylinder radial engines producing 3,400 HP combined with top speeds above 500 km/h.
• Canadair F86 Sabre MK6 Display Aircraft The only Canadair F86 Sabre Mk.6 flying in Europe, featuring the Avro Canada Orenda 14 engine producing 7,275 lbs of thrust. The most powerful variant of the prolific Western jet fighter, used in airshow demonstrations.
• Bell 209/AH-1F Cobra Helicopter Display Legendary Vietnam-era combat helicopter; one of only two Cobras in Europe. Built in 1967, restored and customized for The Flying Bulls, and operated by specially trained pilots for helicopter aerobatic demonstrations.
• Hangar-7 Venue & Corporate Hospitality Spectacular steel-and-glass ellipsoid structure housing the aircraft collection along with a gourmet restaurant, lounges, café, and bars. Available for corporate entertainment, VIP experiences, and private viewings. The building contains 64,300 cubic meters of space, 380 tons of special glass, 1,754 glass panes with clear span over 100m long and 67m wide.
• Branded Merchandise Sales Online merchandise and apparel sold through the Red Bull Shop integration, featuring branded Flying Bulls products for aviation enthusiasts.

Quantifiable outcome

• Performances at approximately 50 events annually across Europe
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Red Arrows: Royal Air Force aerobatic team performing at major UK and European airshows. Comparable as a top-tier aerobatic display team frequently headlining the same airshows The Flying Bulls attend.
• Patrouille de France: French Air Force aerobatic demonstration team performing at major European airshows. Comparable as a headline aerobatic act competing for premium slots at shared airshow venues.
• Breitling Jet Team: European civilian jet aerobatic team sponsored by Breitling, performing formation aerobatics at major airshows. Comparable as a sponsor-backed civilian aerobatic display team competing for the same airshow calendar slots.

Direct peers

• Aeroshell Aerobatic Team: Four-ship warbird aerobatic team performing vintage AT-6/SNJ aircraft at major North American airshows. Comparable as a branded aerobatic display team flying historical aircraft for event organizers.
• The Blades: UK-based aerobatic display team performing aerobatic routines at airshows across Europe. Comparable as a commercial aerobatic performance group contracted by airshow organizers for premium displays.
• Commemorative Air Force: The largest warbird operator in the world, restoring and flying WWII-era military aircraft across the US. Directly comparable as a historical aircraft collection that flies aircraft at airshows and operates dedicated maintenance/restoration infrastructure.
• Historic Flight Foundation: Restores and operates rare vintage military and civilian aircraft with public exhibition and airshow participation. Comparable as a privately backed historical aircraft collection with show flight capabilities.
• Shuttleworth Collection: UK-based heritage aviation collection operating vintage aircraft from a dedicated facility with regular flying demonstrations. Comparable as a private collection maintaining and flying historic aircraft for public display and events.
• Yankee Air Museum: US-based aviation museum maintaining airworthy historic military aircraft and performing at airshows. Comparable as an aviation museum organization that combines historical aircraft exhibition with live flight demonstrations.

Others

• EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association): Operator of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, the world's largest aviation gathering. Comparable as a customer/ecosystem partner — The Flying Bulls are contracted performers at EAA events, making EAA both a buyer and a key gatekeeper for US expansion.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/theflyingbulls
• Instagraminstagram.com/theflyingbulls
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/flying-bulls

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Flying Bulls