12 March 2007

Birdman Rally

| Danman
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The CT is reporting that there may be a re-incarnation of the birdman rally for next years Canberra Festival.

ACT Chief Minister Jon Stanhope has pledged to be the first person to fly off a ramp into Lake Burley Griffin if a planned revival of the infamous Birdman Rally goes ahead for next year’s Celebrate Canberra Festival.

It goes on to say:

Festival-goer and grandmother Diane Davis said she looked forward to seeing Mr Stanhope catapult into the water.

“I’ll help push him,” she said.

Makes me wonder how many people will be lining up to:

(a)Fly (read fall) into the blue green infested cess pit, and
(b)Push Standope into said cess pit.

UPDATED: Bill Stefaniak is all fired up to give it a go. Dangerous as the lean Chief Minister is going to have some real advanatages over the more solidly built opposition leader.

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I loved that thing. They use to show it on tele and all!

They have these Birdman Rallies here in the US too. Dunno who invented them, them or us. But they are the same. Amateur pilots stay up nights in their sheds trying to make something that will fly. most people dress up as toilets or similar with the intention of failing spectacularly.

I hope they resurrect the Canberra one, it was always a very popular day.

Jon needs a push at the end of a sharp sabre. And yes those 20 kilo stones are a start. What about 40 kilos of feathers strapped to each leg?

No, pollution.

la mente torbida3:33 pm 12 Mar 07

Question: What do you call a drowned Chief Minister and opposition leader at the bottom of Lake Burley Griffin?

Answer: A good start.

10 meters.

I always wanted to build something and enter that when I was a kid. In my memory the launching thing was very high, but then I was a lot smaller…. Does anyone remember just how high it was?

queen_vic_toria_II12:19 pm 12 Mar 07

Bring on the tidal wave!

Shit yeah Thumper – I also have a morbid fascination of how Bill Stefaniacs belly flop would go from the platform.

Conjures up images of Mike Griffin from The Family Guy doing a belly flop.

With all due respect of course – I could compete for biggest splash 🙂

I’d like to be the first to suggest that Stanhope’s flight suit be a twenty kilo stone strapped to each arm.

The lake ain’t so bad really. I’ve been swimming in it a lot lately…as long as the algae isn’t around (which mostly it isn’t) then it’s fine.

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