Fred's Photoblog
FanMan revisited
Posted by Fred (Easton PA, United States) on 4 February 2007 in Sport & Recreation and Portfolio.
It's below freezing outside, and the temperatures aren't forecast to rise until the end of the week. I'm not going out unless I have to.
So here's a old but warmer photo of one of the Fan Men .
@j. coleman miller: No , haha..he flew right over my head...I was focusing as he approached me and almost fell on my ass while leaning back for the capture as he zoomed past right above !
Jerry from Tampa, United States
I don't blame you for staying in Fred! This is a nice image!
4 Feb 2007 7:54am
@Jerry: Thanks, it's currently 6 degrees fahrenheit out there, so expect more old photos from warmer days for the rest of this week /grin .
@badala: Thanks alot Badala, I lucked out on this one !
Jen from United States
I like the warm colors...the weather here is set in cold mode all week too. What is a FanMan?
4 Feb 2007 1:51pm
@Jen: Thanks for the compliment, As to your question of what is a FanMan, well I guess this photo may be deceiving , because it's of a Fan Buggy and not a FanMan. Hopefully I can clarify the difference for you.
A Fan Buggy is sort of like a go-cart with a rahter large fan on the back, some have one seat while others can carry two passengers. They use a rather large and over sized parachute as a wing to keep them aloft while the fan provided the power to move them along and upward.
In contrast to that a FanMan is an individual who in my opinion may be mildly insane. Only because they decide to forgo the buggy and strap the fan directly to their ass !
Though they are graceful to watch, I'm sure the view and feeling of freedom they get up there is wonderful. But there's something about the thought of strapping a motor with a fan that's big enough to cool a whole house on ones backside that makes me think twice.
I'll have a close up of a buggy tomarrow and a FanMan the day after that .
Wayne from Melbourne, Australia
Lovely! I wonder what a shot from that height would look like =D
4 Feb 2007 2:17pm
@Wayne: Probably would get some great shots, I was in a two man ultra-lite ( like these but with a ridged wing structure connected to the buggy ) and it was great. Having flown in small personal aircraft on a few occasions with my Uncle I can say that flying without the confines of a cabin is pretty amazing !
I had my old 35 mm with me at the time but was so into the flight that I actually forgot to take pictures lol .
@Dimitrios: It's fun stuff !
Thanks for stopping by !
Donna from Manchester, New Hampshire, United States
great shot1 don't blame you for hanging inside for the week :)
5 Feb 2007 2:33am
@Donna: Thanks, your up north I see, it must be even more chilly there !
M.E. from Encino, United States
lovely, crisp colors! your comment about the FanMan and Fan Buggy is interesting and informative. I'll wait for the pictures of the Buggy and the FanMan.
5 Feb 2007 4:27am
@M.E.: Thanks for the compliment and your interest, I hope you enjoy the upcoming photos !
Wayne from Melbourne, Australia
Hi Fred! I'm actually quite interested in learning how to fly. Was it easy getting your wings? Or do different licensing rules apply to ultralights as oppose to personal prop planes?
5 Feb 2007 4:43am
@Wayne: Wayne, when I did it I was a passenger.
I have an Uncle who is a pilot and have flown with him on occasions. He also had a business where he used to assemble the ultra-lights then selling the finished product. At that time there were no licencing requirements to fly them. This may still be the case.
But then again, your in Australia, I'd wager the rules to be quite differnt there .
Canon EOS 30D
1/320 second
F/13.0
ISO 1600
55 mm