The 2007 Intrepid Entrants

Will anyone win that £25,000 this year? The competitors in the Leonardo da Vinci and Condor Classes will be flying on both Saturday and Sunday to try to achieve the 100 metres.

Back again this year to attempt this feat will be:

Joint winners from last year TONY HUGHES and RON FREEMAN will be testing their skills and hoping for just that optimum moment to succeed. They have been the top two for several years, with Ron notching up the most wins and raising lots of cash for the Northumberland Air Ambulance in the process, while Tony will e boosting the funds of the Whale and Dolphin charity.

LES FEAR, an experienced paraglider and paramotor pilot who will fly in aid of the Cancer & Leukemia in Children charity.

After a two year gap we welcome back STEVE DREW and his Drendy Albertross. He supports the Anthony Nolan Trust.

Having missed last year, we are glad to see the return of PHILIP WRIGHT an aerodynamics engineer from Gloucestershire.

PAUL FESSI, an experienced hang-glider and microlight pilot, will be here boosting his fundraising for Diabetes UK. Watch out for Paul with a crazy routine in the Kingfisher Class too.

The fabulous Fletcher, a Giant Human-powered bat suit, is the means of flight for DAVID MOORE travelling again from Connecticut, USA and raising funds for Cancer Education for Women. You can read a separate article about David and his craft design elsewhere in this brochure.

ANDREW BILL and Team Ultra Light Airworx will be powering Flash Pheonix or the Beast of Bognor for the 5 th year running in aid of Cancer Research.

With 25 years experience of hang-gliding and placed fifth last year, DEAN GUNN will be another strong challenger while contributing to Cancer Research and Oxfam.

STEVE ELKINS works in the manufacture of hang-gliders and is back having admitted to catching the Birdman bug after his first appearance last year.

Newcomers

JIM JUTTON and TREVOR CROSSMAN, with experience in military aircraft maintenance and the design and flying of model aircraft, are fulfilling a 30 year dream to be Birdmen and will in aid of Oxford Children's Hospital and Children in Need.

VALENTIN STAVREV from Sofia, Bulgaria will fly an inflatable delta wing he has designed. Professionally Valentin designs and builds blimps and balloons up to 40ft. long. Last year he went to compete in the Red Bull flying contest in Baltimore.

In response to a bet that he can fly 100 metres, SAM PROCTOR will be flying a propeller driven single wing Sam has qualifications in aerospace engineering and hails from Stoke on Trent.

TERRY HOOPER holds the British Gliding Association Bronze Badge and is making his own tailless swept wing glider. He will raise money for Kar Gom or Shelter.

The students in the SCIENCE CLUB at WESTERGATE COMMUNITY SCHOOL will be using their knowledge of physics to build their craft under the guidance of teacher ALISON LESLIE and will be raising money for Chestnut Tree House Children's Hospice.

Representing the Australian challenge, while temporarily living in Norfolk, will be MICHAEL THORN, a self taught hang-glide pilot who has previously competed in the Birdman Rally in Western Australia. He is being assisted in designing and building his craft by friend Simon Sanderson whose expertise in building flying machines was demonstrated in the BBC series 'Leonardo'.

The Kingfisher Class of comic, fun entries between them raising thousands for charities has attracted these 'games for a laugh' people who will 'fly' on Sunday.

Returnees

The winners from last year SCOTT BLYTH and NIGEL CHRISTIAN, now also to be known as Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker 'May the life Force be with you! And them! This for the Lincs and Notts Air Ambulance.

ROBERT JONES from The Body Shop. Is this Leonardo da Vinci reincarnated for the benefit of Children on the Edge?

ANDY FRANKS, this year accompanied by the intrepid PAUL HARTLEY. What did he do to BENJI MING last year? Between the three of them they will sink 'The Best of British' in aid of Dreams Come True for sick children.

We don't know yet what antics PAUL FESSI will be up to.

Newcomers

What comes after sky diving in America, stunt flying with Aerobatics ace Alan Cassidy, wing walking with Utterrly Butterly?- well entering Bognor Birdman, of course, according to JAMES HARRISON who, in the guise of a Human Frizbee, will be raising money for Acorns Children's Hospice, Worcester .

JOEL HICKS regularly travels the country raising money for charity. With is he is flying in fancy dress for the Rainbows Childrens Charity.

TINA MILLS from Havant as an orang-utan. Will she be the King of the Swingers. All for Monkey World.

Your worst nightmare?- Snakes on a Plane piloted off the pier for Cancer Research by SIMON WILLIAMS from Newport.

NEIL FLEMING-SMITH and MARC STEVENS a.k.a. Dick Dastardly and Muttley will be assisted by that vision in pink Penelope Pitstop (ANDREA COOKE). The Mean Machine from Worthing will race wackily on behalf of the Local Hospice and a nominated Nations Charity.

ANDREA COLEMNAN students at the BOGNOR REGS COMMUNITY COLLEGE will be busy kitting out the Eco Warrior and Wasteful Wally for their musical battle before they enter the water for their nominated charity.