A towering, homemade flying machine shaped like a Cuban sandwich is set to launch off a pier into Biscayne Bay this Saturday, as Red Bull Flugtag Miami returns to Bayfront Park for a full day of amateur-built aircraft taking the plunge. The sandwich-shaped craft, dubbed the Cuban Flyer, is built to resemble ham, roasted pork, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard stacked between bread, and its creators are hoping it soars rather than just belly-flops into the bay.
The project comes from a partnership between local media outlet A Day in Miami and Little Havana's own Sanguich, according to Time Out. The outlet reports the Cuban Flyer is an oversized, human-powered craft designed to fly across Biscayne Bay, and that the project was conceived as a tribute to Cuban heritage, local entrepreneurship and Miami community spirit. The team behind the build includes Eduardo “Eddy” Moya, Kiko Suarez, Daniel Figueredo, Juan Pablo Gane and Jorge Dueñas, per the same report.
A Sanguich Co-Founder Turned Engineer Leads the Build
Figueredo isn't just a restaurateur for this project — he's also a Sanguich co-founder and trained engineer, Time Out notes, giving the team some actual aeronautical know-how behind the kitchen-inspired design. Sanguich has a Bayside Marketplace spot that the Miami Herald described as its fourth South Florida location when it opened.
In the lead-up to the event, A Day in Miami has been releasing weekly behind-the-scenes videos every Friday, the Time Out report states, documenting construction progress, structural setbacks, creative changes and the local business partnerships that helped bring the giant sandwich to life. Those videos have offered a glimpse into just how much work goes into turning a lunch counter staple into something meant to fly, even briefly, over open water.
Chasing a 78.5-Meter Flugtag Record
The Cuban Flyer team is reportedly aiming to break a 78.5-meter (roughly 257.5-foot) Red Bull Flugtag world distance record, per Time Out's reporting.
What to Expect at Bayfront Park This Weekend
This year's Red Bull Flugtag Miami runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Bayfront Park, and the event is free and open to the public, according to the Bayfront Park Management Trust, with viewing areas available on a first-come, first-served basis. Teams of up to five people spend months building homemade, human-powered flying machines, and on event day, one pilot per team launches off an elevated flight deck and into the water below, the park's event listing explains. Judges score each attempt on flight distance, creativity and showmanship — meaning the Cuban Flyer's chances don't rest on distance alone.
Spectators can gather at Bayfront Park to watch the homemade crafts launch from the pier, with the giant sandwich likely drawing plenty of attention regardless of how far it actually travels. Whether the Cuban Flyer manages to clear the water by any meaningful distance, or simply provides a memorable splash, Saturday's event promises a lighthearted spectacle built around one of Miami's most beloved sandwiches.
