Birdman Rally Comes to Bognor

2008 (event originated 1971 at Selsey)

The International Birdman competition, in which contestants launch themselves from a platform above the sea in home-made flying machines, moved to Bognor Regis in 2008 after years at other south coast locations. The event originated at Selsey in 1971 and was held at various venues including Worthing before settling at Bognor, where the seafront and beach provide an ideal stage for the spectacle. Competitors range from serious aviators attempting to fly the furthest distance using human-powered or glider-type craft to comedy entrants in elaborate costumes who have no expectation or intention of staying airborne for more than a second. The event draws large crowds to the seafront, with thousands of spectators lining the promenade and the beach to watch the launches. The launching platform is erected over the water, and competitors leap off in sequence, observed by judges who measure the distance flown. Prize money is awarded for the longest flight, and the serious competitors use increasingly sophisticated hang-glider and human-powered aircraft designs to maximise their distance. The Birdman Rally has given Bognor a distinctive annual event that generates national and sometimes international media coverage, bringing the town to public attention in a way that complements rather than contradicts its image as a cheerful, unpretentious seaside resort that does not take itself too seriously.