Red Bull Air Race Technical Director Adrian Judd, a driving force behind the sport for the last five years, has died at the age of 44 from injuries suffered in a motorcycle accident in Germany. A man widely respected and deeply admired by pilots and crew alike and known for his commitment to the sport, Judd is survived by his wife Sharon and three daughters.
A down-to-earth man with a vibrant sense of humour from Buckinghamshire in Britain, Judd was the final authority on whether an aircraft complied to Red Bull Air Race rules and regulations. He was the epitome of fairness and worked tirelessly, and without compromise, to ensure the sport developed in a positive direction, and fairly for all pilots regardless of their position in the championship. A pilot himself, Judd’s knowledge was instrumental in ensuring the planes were in the best shape possible.
Adrian Judd will be missed greatly by all
Nigel Lamb said: “I’ve known Adrian from just after he left school when he was 18 and sweeping the hangar floor. He’d be delivering fuel at the weekends, working really hard and over time we developed a very deep friendship. He was always one of my heroes. Losing him is a really bitter blow. He would have no appreciation of just how many people’s lives he would have touched in such a positive way. He was a very unique person who I had the utmost respect for and it’s going to take a while for it to really sink in. My thoughts are with Sharon and the girls.”
Paul Bonhomme: “Top bloke and he was the most honest guy ever. I know him as a friend and I’ve done business with him and he was honest through to the core. My last memory of Adrian was when I was doing an interview that required silence. He passed my hangar on a quad bike with exhaust blaring. He then stopped outside Hannes’ hangar next door and I shouted to him to turn the bloody thing off. There was lots of laughter and the next thing, he goes past me backwards on the quad bike, now turned off, with Hannes pushing him and both of them laughing their socks off.“
Hannes Arch: “I dedicated the training session on Friday to Adrian and I think everyone of us feels that way. It’s for him, it’s for his spirit and it’s for air racing.”
Director of Aviation, Heinz Moeller: “He was a self made highly successful engineer in the aviation community, a widely known and respected individual with specialist expertise and top knowledge. He was highly trustful, very straightforward and with a big heart.”
Judd was introduced to the Red Bull Air Race through Lamb in 2005. He first worked as a technician for the Nigel Lamb at the Longleat race after having maintained Lamb’s aerobatic planes for more than 20 years. His experience and knowledge of light, high performance aircraft meant that when the race evolved further, Judd became the natural choice to oversee the technical regulation and he took over the role of Technical Director.
