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This
photograph shows a critical moment in the flight of the Gossamer Albatross across
the English Channel. The flight had started in calm weather and the plane
was flown close to the sea to take advantage of the ground effect. Well into
the flight a head-wind increased and the sea became rough causing the near
surface air to become turbulent. The pilot felt exhausted and wanted to be
picked up by the raft shown. To achieve this it was necessary for him to increase
the altitude of the plane so that the man standing in the bow of the
raft could catch a ring on the underside of the plane with a modified fishing
rod and bring it down on the raft. After increasing altitude, the pilot-powerplant
found that the turbulence was less and the drag on the plane reduced.
He abandoned his request for a "landing" and continued the flight
to France. The cyclist-pilot, Bryan Allen made the cross Channel flight of
56.3 km from Folkestone to Cap Gris-Nez in 2 hours and 49 min. |
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