Angelo d'Arrigo
Encyclopedia
Angelo d'Arrigo was an Italian
aviator
, of French origin, who held a number of world records in the field of flight, principally with microlights and hang gliders, with or without motors. He has been referred to as the "Human Condor".
D'Arrigo was born in Catania
, Sicily
. In 2001 he initiated a sequence of breath-taking events which saw him flying alongside various birds of prey as he attempted to learn from them their techniques for migratory flight by taking advantage of thermal air currents for long distance flight with low energy consumption.
In 2002 he crossed the Sahara
and the Mediterranean with an eagle
. His hang glider was launched from a microlight.
In 2003 he flew 5,500 kilometres from northern Siberia
to the Caspian Sea
in Iran
in the company of a flock of Siberian Crane
s who had been born in captivity and, due to imprinting (psychology)
, considered him their parent: the bird is at risk of extinction and in order to try to save the species, Russia
n ornithologists
hatched this plan: have the eggs incubated under Angelo's hang-glider, so the chicks saw this as they hatched. Have Angelo be with the chicks as they fledge. And when they were ready to fly, have them fly alongside Angelo so they would consider him their mentor. That way, he could show them the traditional migratory route for their species. They had no other way to learn it. This approach was similar to the one taken in the movie Fly Away Home
.
In 2004 he was aerotowed by Richard Meredith-Hardy
and released over Mount Everest
another world record; And he flew near the Everest with a trained Nepalese eagle. The story is fully narrated in the documentary Flying Over Everest by director Fabio Toncelli.
In 2006 he followed the migratory routes of the condor, over the Aconcagua
mountains in the Andean Cordillera, the highest mountain in the Americas.
In March 2006, he died in an accident during an airshow at Comiso
, Italy, at the age of 44. A small Sky Arrow plane, in which he was a passenger, fell 200 meters to the ground. Both d'Arrigo and the pilot, a general of the Italian Air Force and ex-test pilot, were killed on impact.
The causes of the accident are still not completely addressed, because the airplane was in perfect working conditions and the two pilots were both extremely experienced.
At the time of his death, Angelo was engaged in planning an expedition to Peru
to re-introduce two Andean condors, which had been bred in captivity and raised by d'Arrigo at his home on Mount Etna. A documentary about this was being made at the time. It was called "Born to Fly".
In memory of her husband, his widow Laura has instituted a charity, the Fondazione Angelo d'Arrigo, with the aim of helping children in Peru.
Angelo d'Arrigo was posthumously given the alternative sportsperson's award at the 2006 Laureus World Sports awards.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
aviator
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
, of French origin, who held a number of world records in the field of flight, principally with microlights and hang gliders, with or without motors. He has been referred to as the "Human Condor".
D'Arrigo was born in Catania
Catania
Catania is an Italian city on the east coast of Sicily facing the Ionian Sea, between Messina and Syracuse. It is the capital of the homonymous province, and with 298,957 inhabitants it is the second-largest city in Sicily and the tenth in Italy.Catania is known to have a seismic history and...
, Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
. In 2001 he initiated a sequence of breath-taking events which saw him flying alongside various birds of prey as he attempted to learn from them their techniques for migratory flight by taking advantage of thermal air currents for long distance flight with low energy consumption.
In 2002 he crossed the Sahara
Sahara
The Sahara is the world's second largest desert, after Antarctica. At over , it covers most of Northern Africa, making it almost as large as Europe or the United States. The Sahara stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean coasts, to the outskirts of the Atlantic Ocean...
and the Mediterranean with an eagle
Eagle
Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
. His hang glider was launched from a microlight.
In 2003 he flew 5,500 kilometres from northern Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
to the Caspian Sea
Caspian Sea
The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area, variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. The sea has a surface area of and a volume of...
in Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
in the company of a flock of Siberian Crane
Siberian Crane
The Siberian Crane also known as the Siberian White Crane or the Snow Crane, is a bird of the family Gruidae, the cranes...
s who had been born in captivity and, due to imprinting (psychology)
Imprinting (psychology)
Imprinting is the term used in psychology and ethology to describe any kind of phase-sensitive learning that is rapid and apparently independent of the consequences of behavior...
, considered him their parent: the bird is at risk of extinction and in order to try to save the species, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n ornithologists
Ornithology
Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the study of birds. Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and the aesthetic appeal of birds...
hatched this plan: have the eggs incubated under Angelo's hang-glider, so the chicks saw this as they hatched. Have Angelo be with the chicks as they fledge. And when they were ready to fly, have them fly alongside Angelo so they would consider him their mentor. That way, he could show them the traditional migratory route for their species. They had no other way to learn it. This approach was similar to the one taken in the movie Fly Away Home
Fly Away Home
Fly Away Home is a 1996 drama and comedy film directed by Carroll Ballard, the director of The Black Stallion . The film stars Anna Paquin, Jeff Daniels and Dana Delany. The story follows a young girl from New Zealand who survives a car crash that results in the death of her mother...
.
In 2004 he was aerotowed by Richard Meredith-Hardy
Richard Meredith-Hardy
Richard Meredith-Hardy is a British extreme microlight pilot. He has been flying microlights since 1984, was twice World Microlight Champion and has held a variety of speed records.Notable voyages by Meredith-Hardy include:...
and released over Mount Everest
Mount Everest
Mount Everest is the world's highest mountain, with a peak at above sea level. It is located in the Mahalangur section of the Himalayas. The international boundary runs across the precise summit point...
another world record; And he flew near the Everest with a trained Nepalese eagle. The story is fully narrated in the documentary Flying Over Everest by director Fabio Toncelli.
In 2006 he followed the migratory routes of the condor, over the Aconcagua
Aconcagua
Aconcagua is the highest mountain in the Americas at . It is located in the Andes mountain range, in the Argentine province of Mendoza and it lies west by north of its capital, the city of Mendoza. The summit is also located about 5 kilometres from San Juan Province and 15 kilometres from the...
mountains in the Andean Cordillera, the highest mountain in the Americas.
In March 2006, he died in an accident during an airshow at Comiso
Comiso
Comiso is an Italian municipality in the Province of Ragusa in Sicily.-Geography:Comiso consists of three boroughs: Comiso, Pedalino, and Quaglio. It lies some 22 km west of Ragusa in the South of Sicily...
, Italy, at the age of 44. A small Sky Arrow plane, in which he was a passenger, fell 200 meters to the ground. Both d'Arrigo and the pilot, a general of the Italian Air Force and ex-test pilot, were killed on impact.
The causes of the accident are still not completely addressed, because the airplane was in perfect working conditions and the two pilots were both extremely experienced.
At the time of his death, Angelo was engaged in planning an expedition to Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
to re-introduce two Andean condors, which had been bred in captivity and raised by d'Arrigo at his home on Mount Etna. A documentary about this was being made at the time. It was called "Born to Fly".
In memory of her husband, his widow Laura has instituted a charity, the Fondazione Angelo d'Arrigo, with the aim of helping children in Peru.
Angelo d'Arrigo was posthumously given the alternative sportsperson's award at the 2006 Laureus World Sports awards.
External links
- Angelo d'Arrigo: personal website
- 'Birdman' Angelo d’Arrigo lost in a plane crash
- The TimesThe TimesThe Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
: obituary - The Fondazione Angelo d'Arrigo: charity founded in Angelo's memory
- Footage of the flight over Everest