Parkes Christian School might not have defended their title at the Moomba Birdman Rally successfully, but they raised lots of money for a good cause and came back rich in experience.
In blustery, unpredictable conditions in Melbourne on Sunday, the title for the longest flight became a virtual lottery, however the Parkes Christian School crew did well to manage five metres from a standing start into the Yarra River.
Design and Technology teacher Jason Wynstra said this distance was short of what the students were hoping for, “however it is the experience that really mattered”. “The flight of our craft, the Parkes Flyer 2, was forced into a stall by a gust of wind, and although we lost momentum, it levelled off and gently descended into the Yarra performing exceptionally well. With our charity points added we achieved a respectable 14 metres.”
Pilot Phil Seeley was very impressed with the construction of the Parkes Flyer 2. Another great achievement for the team was raising $1,400 for Currajong Disability Services (CDS). “We are absolutely over the moon,” said Dane Millerd, Communications and Marketing Co-ordinator of CDS. “It is often these unheralded acts of generosity that make the Parkes community such a special place.”