Collection BIRDMAN

Angelo d’Arrigo was an Italian air sportsman, innovator, hang-glider and a man who couldn’t imagine his life without the sky.

Angelo d’Arrigo’s path to long-distance free-flying started from nursing two bird offspring — condors. It was he who developed a hang glider that imitates the wing of a condor, and flew with these birds, teaching them to fly. Later on, he flew with them, watching the birds catch the air currents at a particular altitude. So he became the first to fly with a hang glider to an altitude of 9000 meters.

Angelo d’Arrigo set numerous world records, including the following: a trip on an ultralight trike across the Sahara, a free flight across the Mediterranean Sea, a free flight through Siberia (5300 km) and a free flight over Everest.

For his love for the sky he received a nickname “Human Condor”.

Despite his experience in dangerous flights, he died in 2006 at an air show as a passenger of a small plane.