Worthing 'Birdman' event '09

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ron freeman
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Worthing 'Birdman' event '09

Post by ron freeman »

Brilliant Birdman event this year at 'Worthing' in West Sussex, 18 jumpers on Saturday and 39 on Sunday.

Saturdays weather was the best conditions i've ever seen for the jackpot attempt for £30,000 for the furthest flight over 100 meters.

Steve Elkins, the second last pilot to jump, was the man who achieved 99.8 meters!!! If the wind had been an extra few knots he would of done it...

I was very pleased with a flight of 86 meters with a take off wind of only 3 knots, ( I was the last pilot to jump).

Sunday, very simliar conditions; hot 30c ; clear blue skies and with a 3-5 knot southerly wind. The tide began to drop at around 3 o'clock, which virtually destroyed the light southerly wind.

With Steve winning the first day, he was the last pilot to jump and decided to go for a 2-3 knot tail wind takeoff :o this cost him dearly as he only flew 23 meters and this scuppered his chance of winning the overall competition.

My two flights of 86 meters and 62 meters won the Condor class and the overall Birdman event but I would of without doubt traded in these flights for that fantastic 99.8 meter effort, well done Steve, this fantastic flight will make lots of pilots out there realise that the elusive 100 meters flight can be done by a hangglider.

The Shoreham airshow was only 10 miles away to the east this was an added bonus becuase all the competitors were taking off under B52's; Lancaster Bombers and Spitfighters and to top it all off we had a low fly pass from a war veteran Vulcan bomber...

What a fantastic weekend. ( Any takers for hanggliding? )
Last edited by ron freeman on Thu Aug 27, 2009 1:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Maximise your time & dosh do both Hanggliding & Paragliding :)
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gary stenhouse
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Post by gary stenhouse »

well done ron looks like if you get it wrong you can realy hit in hard

cheers gary
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ron freeman
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Birdman 09

Post by ron freeman »

It hurts just a bit !
Maximise your time & dosh do both Hanggliding & Paragliding :)
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AlastairW
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Post by AlastairW »

Well done Ronnie!
It is sad to measure your life in terms of hours flown...... but even sadder not to.........
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tony anderson
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Post by tony anderson »

Well done Ron, got to put the pretenders in their place 100 meters next year.
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John Watson
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Post by John Watson »

Well done ron, --- almost there !!!
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RonDon
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Post by RonDon »

I can see you are be coming another” Barns Wallis” Ron. Back to the secret testing site reedy for next year, well done.

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Post by Kitt Rudd »

RonDon wrote:I can see you are be coming another” Barns Wallis” Ron. Back to the secret testing site ready for next year, well done.

RonDon.
Now let me think - A secret testing site = a site where nobody goes.

I've got it.

It's the Cheviots! :x


Sorry Ronnie and others could not resist. :lol: :lol:

BTW Well done - I can imagine next years event will see a few others in the Condor class - Gary S I'm sure you would be up for the challenge.

kitt
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John Wallis
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Post by John Wallis »

Gary S I'm sure you would be up for the challenge.
He can't land normally yet never mind in the sea :)

Barns Wallis...........Grandson of
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ron freeman
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Thanks

Post by ron freeman »

Thanks for the comments chaps.

Its a lot of hard work for a 12sec flight ! worth it though over £1000 for the Great north air ambulance !

Kitt, you should come and fly the Cheviots sometime... then you will know what you are talking about, could not resist :wink:

p.s. the secret site is Druridge bay on the beautiful coastline of Northumberland.

Gary's hangliders landings were perfect in my school thats why I signed him off 8) he should of stayed with his Rio for a while but thats another story.... :roll:
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RonDon
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Post by RonDon »

Barns Wallis...........Grandson of



Some good stuff in little bundles .



:wink: :wink:
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Post by Kitt Rudd »

touché Ron

I will take you up on that offer.

Do you have a good NE site ( I ask not in jest - in case there isnt) Would imagine it could give a potentially great xc run.
Kitt
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ron freeman
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Good n.easterly's

Post by ron freeman »

The next time its n.e and unstable give me a ring 07816 455 654 and we can go for a big one... not many weeks left though :(
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Post by Kitt Rudd »

Cheers Ronnie,
Though I think I will save theoffer till next year -as you rightly say not many days left now :cry: :cry:

Kitt
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Dave Hume
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Post by Dave Hume »

Did anyone see the Gadget Show last night? One of the presenters was flying in the birdman on a rather flash rigid wing designed by the aeronautics department at Southampton University. Spotted our Ronnie in Northumbria Airsports T-shirt as wingman.......

Looked like some machine. The TV company must have put a stack of money into the university research project to design and build this, computer simulations, wind tunnel testing, CNC machining the lot! Just a shame they were handicapped by having the TV presenter as the pilot. Couldn't help thinking a real pilot could have really done something on that machine.
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Post by steve-gill »

Steve Elkins 99.8m.

Wonder if he'd had a slightly smaller A frame he might have got the extra 17cm.
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John Wallis
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Post by John Wallis »

Couldn't help thinking a real pilot could have really done something on that machine.
You would have done well on that Dave it didn't have uprights to bend :twisted:
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Dave Hume
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Post by Dave Hume »

John Wallis wrote:
Couldn't help thinking a real pilot could have really done something on that machine.
You would have done well on that Dave it didn't have uprights to bend :twisted:
Your right John. Like I said it needed a real pilot........

Couldn't help thinking the designers did a great job of dumbing down the controls for the TV presenter. Just one huge handle..... "as soon as you go off push this handle forward as far as you can" and that was it.
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