Crash Landing for Birdman
By Steve Robinson
A plane-loving Chinese man has been admitted to hospital with a broken leg, after his home-made aircraft crashed.
The amateur pilot - dubbed 'Birdman' by the Chinese media - managed to fly the plane he built himself for two minutes at a height of 150 feet before the crash.
"Luckily the engine was not damaged," said Li Xianfeng, 30, in hospital. "I will continue flying until I make a perfect landing."
Li describes the flight as 'partly successful', despite the fact his 30,000 yuan (around £2,000) aircraft was severely damaged. One has to say that although it may be 'partly successful' for Mr Xianfeng, most of us will see it as mainly 'unsuccessful', given the fact he is now incapacitated in hospital.
Private aircraft require permission from the aviation authorities, but apparently many do fly in sparsely-populated, rural areas. Although the idea of the airways aboveChina
The amateur pilot - dubbed 'Birdman' by the Chinese media - managed to fly the plane he built himself for two minutes at a height of 150 feet before the crash.
"Luckily the engine was not damaged," said Li Xianfeng, 30, in hospital. "I will continue flying until I make a perfect landing."
Li describes the flight as 'partly successful', despite the fact his 30,000 yuan (around £2,000) aircraft was severely damaged. One has to say that although it may be 'partly successful' for Mr Xianfeng, most of us will see it as mainly 'unsuccessful', given the fact he is now incapacitated in hospital.
Private aircraft require permission from the aviation authorities, but apparently many do fly in sparsely-populated, rural areas. Although the idea of the airways above
Image: mterraza
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Your Say:
1. He built a plane. Tick.
2. The plane took off. Tick.
3. The plane flew. Tick.
4. The plane crashed. Cross.
5. He didn't die. Tick.
I'd say that was a 80% successful flight. Good on him.
Daryl, Bristol.
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