Dragonphotographic

How many copies do you want Simon? What day was it published? i'll ask around my neighbours etc and see if I can scare some up

Congratulations Dan, Mrs Dan and of course Andrew Hmm, water landing huh?

I have thoroughly enjoyed every blog posted so far, Some have been inspirational, all have been informative. Thanks to everyone for posting them. As soon as the weather calms down I will definately be posting my own blog. I am posting this now because I firmly believe I have already begun my training by reading and learning as much as I can from all of you here

Once we were an Empire, ruled by uncrupulous and greedy Emperors, Then we were a kingdom, ruled by unscrupulous and greedy Kings, now we're a country...............

WTF is happening here?. When I got injured in 1982 I was sent to a Military Hospital in Bucks. A fantastic place. A two year recovery was made a lot easier with the help of the staff there. It seems that most military hospitals have now been closed and sold off? The one I was in is now a housing estate? A neighbour's son was recently sent back from the middle east with a limb loss injury. His reward for his dedication was to be put in a West Midlands general hospital in a bed next to another patient of middle eastern origin who's family spat at him while visiting their relative! On top of that he is also now suspected of having MRSA! This is getting ludicrous!

OK, being a newbie I could use some help. If there were to be a Devon club, presumably a flying site would be required?. Could someone mail me a list of basic requirements etc so I can start looking around on my travels? I live less than 2 miles from the Dartmoor park boundary and will happily start putting feelers out

There isn't one in Devon yet? Anyone working on that?

Rob13, I too am new to this, but I'm spending some time while the weather is atrocious soaking up as much info as I can before actually going flying. As well as this forum, another invaluable resource has been manufacturer websites that give all the technical info you are asking on their respective engines. Another fantastic resource is the CAA website which has great links to intructionals on things like navigation and meteorology etc etc . There are plenty of others too

Some excellent points made in this discussion, both for and against. Having worked in TV for many years, on the rare occasion I actually watch anything it is always tempered with more than a little scepticism. The upshot of this programme, wether you loved it or hated it has been a massive ammount of interest in the sport. That much is without doubt, and that can only be good. Another, perhaps more hidden benefit is I can guarentee that manufacturers like Garmin, Philips et all will be seriously beavering away behind the scenes now to make sure that next time someone attempts this, or anything similar, their equipment will be up to the job. We all benefit from that surely? This is just the opinion of a bloke sitting at a computer somewhere out in cyberspace dreaming of at last getting his feet OFF the ground again for the first time in 20 years

I'm not trying to be antagonistic or anything here, and as a total newbie I may be talking out of turn... BUT... Erm, is it just me? or is there a serious flaw in this test procedure. First of all, jumping into a swimming pool with an approximation of weight made of bricks will not give you anywhere near realistic characteristics, especially without the added loads/forces of a wing. Also, any body of open water is subject to forces far beyond those that can be simulated in even the largest of swimmimg pools. Crosswinds, tidal flow, undertow/swells, waves etc etc etc. As for the wing, the report says it was seen to be still flying at first. At the base of the cliffs it's anyone's guess what that was doing in the various vortices that always occur. (A VERY painful, but thankfully brief unexpected flight happened to me when I launched a 4sqM parafoil kite too close to rocks on Dartmoor in only a 15knott wind a few weeks ago!) Once it gets waterlogged and therefore then subject to the law of sod AND Posiedon,, it doesn't bear thinking about.

I tried to post this earlier on today, but for reasons I cannot yet fathom, I kept getting an error message. I am a photographer living on the edge of the Dartmoor National park. I have always loved anything that flies. At 16 I got my glider licence, 17 saw me getting a PPL(Courtesy of the Air Training Corps) at 18 I was stupidly jumping out of perfectly servicable aircraft as well as learning to abseil from helicopters in the RAF Regiment. I'm a lot older now, but not much wiser. My knee was knackered while I was happily fastroping from helicopters, but my love of flying has never diminished. I am not in a financial position to buy a paramotor right now, but if anyone has a meet they would like photos of, I am more than happy to attend. If you'd like to see some examples of my recent work, go to Flickr and type in Dragonphotographic Regards Mark

Gilo, congratulations to you and your wife. we have 6 girls and a boy, so if you ever need a babysitter, call someone else huh? It's one thing to ask someone to watch your kite, kids are summat else! Thanks again for a fantastic programme. Congrats all round Mark

I've been following this story since I first heard about it. I was gutted when Discovery got the first airing in November in the US. but I suppose that was a sponsorship and schedule issue. it was well worth the wait though! Giles, my wife was as rivetted with the story as I was. She often nags about me getting in harm's way to get a shot. Watching that tonight I finally got to ask "Do you want me to do THAT instead then?" This sport has Definately gone to my "MUST DO THIS YEAR" list. Just give her indoors time to redo the insurance

Well, doing the maths, and looking at the pictures, I reckon Bear made it approximately 3K/ft over the summit. The telephoto effect makes it look closer, but knowing the lenses etc the crew were probably using (I've worked with them before) I reckon it's pretty much there. Gilo, next time you do it, take a transponder

Fantastic achievement. Rivetting television. Well done to all concerned. Gilo, I wanna talk to you about an ariel photography rig when you got a mo? LOL