The International Bognor Birdman festival 2011
On October 1st 2011, Bognor Regis pier will once more be taken over by flocks of human flying machines as part of the International Bognor Birdman festival. Postponed to this date from the 16th and 17th July 2011 because of bad weather, the delayed Bognor Birdman promises as much flying action as ever.
So what is the International Bognor Birdman festival?
The International Bognor Birdman festival is when amateurs raising money for charity, or designers aiming for the distance trophy, jump off Bognor Regis pier in human powered flying machines.
The Bognor Birdman festival began its life as the Birdman Rally in Selsey, back in 1971, where it stayed until 1976. It was this year that the Birdman Rally organisers were told they could no longer use the lifeboat pier at Selsey, and the Birdman festival moved to Bognor for the first time in 1978.
In Bognor the Birdman festival stayed until 2008. The competition saw the arrival of international interest over the years, with German and Swiss teams arriving in 1981. The existing Birdman record was set by one Dave Bradshaw, whose flight of 89.2 metres still stands.
It’s not all about the serious distance fliers either – although their feats of engineering are impressive. Over the years, the International Bognor Birdman festival has raised thousands of pounds of money for charities and causes. There have also been some fantastic costumes and flying machines: Donald Duck, a flying squirrel, penguins, ninja turtles, a skateboarding cow and even a Tardis.
In 2008, the Bognor Birdman competition had to find a new home after the end of Bognor pier was removed after health and safety fears were raised over its stability. For the following two years, the festival moved to Worthing.
Last year, the Birdman competition returned to Bognor, where it will once again be held for 2011. Worthing now also hosts its own Birdman competition too, aptly named the International Worthing Birdman festival.
The International Bognor Birdman festival 2011
This year, the Kingfishers will be in the spotlight, as unfortunately the Condor and Leonardo Da Vinci classes have not been rescheduled for the 1st October. However, this does mean that the focus will be on those raising money for various charities including the Teenage Cancer Trust, MacMillan Cancer Support, the Navakiran Children’s Home in Nepal, Diabetes UK and Minehead RNLI, to name but a few.
Wondering what costumes you’ll be able to see? Lined-up for the rescheduled date are daring aviators dressed up as the QE2, a wedding party, the ugly duckling, Buzz Lightyear and even a flying anvil.
What else is on at Bognor Birdman?
The main Birdman event will happen at 1.50pm on Saturday 1st October – but there’s tons to keep you entertained all day.
There’ll be displays from Silk Road Belly Dancers, the Littlehampton Sea Cadets, Urban Dynamics Street Dance and the Littlehampton Sea Cadet Band, all at the promenade area to the west of the pier.
Over at the Royal Norfolk Hotel Lawn there’ll be a Punch and Judy Show, a performance from the Bognor Regis Concert Band, a magic show, displays from the Chichester Fencing Club, face painting and a bouncy castle – plus much more.
For more information on the Bognor Birdman Festival, and for a full line up of entertainment, head over to the Bognor Birdman website.
Photo: somewhereintheworldtoday
From my home in Bristol, I bake cakes, cupcakes...
Bristol
for a fun night in, where a consultant will brin...
Taunton
Wednesday May 8th. £5, 7.30pm. The S...
£5
Steyning
a fantastic new website crammed full of great ide...
Bath
Catering packages start from £9.993 cou...
London
form a new all Girl Band based in Guildford. If y...
Guildford
June 1st.. 2.30 til 4.30...tables £8 (...
Hailsham
with two rooms with capacities of 600+ per r...
London
club run by Ashot Hovhannisyan.We train tw...
Eastbourne