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whos First to Flight?


whos First to Flight?
Photo Information
Copyright: Robert Akrawi (rafid76) Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 508 W: 12 N: 514] (2523)
Genre: People
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-01-08
Categories: Artwork
Camera: Olympus E1, Olympus Zuiko 50mm
Exposure: f/2, 1/40 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): IRAQ from a different angle! [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2007-01-11 4:53
Viewed: 1443
Points: 26
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
"Ibn Firnas was the first man in history to make a scientific attempt at flying."
—Philip Hitti, History of the Arabs.


A thousand years before the Wright brothers an Arabian poet, astronomer, musician and engineer named Abbas ibn Firnas made several attempts to construct a flying machine. In 852 he jumped from the minaret of the Grand Mosque in Cordoba using a loose cloak stiffened with wooden struts. He hoped to glide like a bird. He didn't. But the cloak slowed his fall, creating what is thought to be the first parachute, and leaving him with only minor injuries. In 875, aged 70, having perfected a machine of silk and eagles' feathers he tried again, jumping from a mountain. He flew to a significant height and stayed aloft for ten minutes but crashed on landing - concluding, correctly, that it was because he had not given his device a tail so it would stall on landing.

Statue in his memory on the way to Baghdad International Airport and a crater on the moon are named after him. (sources - NASA's MOON MAPPING SOCIETY)

--------------------------------
When I was young my father told me about this man and his acomplishments, which inspired me to follow in his footsteps and become a pilot.
I remember when I was at the University here in Michigan studying Aviation and in one of my courses we had to wright an essay about history of flight, I chose to wright about him and the professor told me that neither he or his entire faculty in the Aviation Depertment heard of this man untill I mentioned him!!

It occured to me how in different regions in the World people never view "HISTORICAL FACTS" but their version of it :)

I use the olympus E-1 to photograph orginal slide an slightly adjust copy to match orginal in CS2.
tigra, jtclee77, canan, sc07, adores, soma, xuaxo, Yar, plimrn, manub, Leo71538, haraldpr has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To plimrn: linkrafid76 1 04-07 14:44
To xuaxo: i know bart!rafid76 1 01-18 05:02
To canan: different country different historyrafid76 1 01-13 04:27
To aadilj: historyrafid76 1 01-11 05:21
To jtclee77: :)rafid76 1 01-11 05:01
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • tigra Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 646 W: 154 N: 552] (2946)
  • [2007-01-11 4:57]

Hello Robert
Very life-asserting composition!
Well-done. Thanks for sharing
Katia

Hey bro,

Great picture. Good use of DOF and very nice lighting.. Well done. Good positioning of the main subject as well.

TFS,
Jon

That indeed is a detailed, rightful and knowledgeable tribute to the Aviation and the contribution of the human kind to it during all ages and times and at all places. Indeed even I had not known about Ibn Firnas before this and believed what i was taught. The image is well captured with the statue in clear and sharp focus with some good lights, pov and dof. The combination of clear and blurred focus works well in this pastel hued composition Robert. Good work...after a long gap!

  • Great 
  • canan Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Note Writer [C: 270 W: 0 N: 41] (945)
  • [2007-01-11 6:22]
  • [+]

also there is a man called hazerfen ahmet celebi in turkish history who did exactly the same took uf from the galata tower in istanbul...strange...

  • Great 
  • sc07 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 176 W: 50 N: 169] (1260)
  • [2007-01-11 7:18]

Hi Robert!
Great photo, with an excellent DOF to emphazizes this wonderful symbol. The blurred background is very soft and beautiful...Great symbol of hope too
Seb

  • Great 
  • adores Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2795 W: 53 N: 3957] (12627)
  • [2007-01-11 14:07]

Hi Robert!
Great photo and a great story.
I really like this photo, colours and light are just great. It really seems he's goingto start flying at any time.
Well done!
Regards, Anabela

  • Great 
  • paura Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 4290 W: 8 N: 2767] (23228)
  • [2007-01-13 7:32]

Nice and interesting shot here, Robert. Excelent POV and lighting.

Regards

Paulo

Hi Robert,
A Great shot, and very interesting story.
Ciao
Andrea

  • Great 
  • toto Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2468 W: 107 N: 2700] (14251)
  • [2007-01-13 13:18]

Belle photod' une belle sculpture qui parle de l' histoire arabe de l' aviation. Amitiés Thomas

  •      
  • xuaxo Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2617 W: 179 N: 2433] (4089)
  • [2007-01-15 14:05]
  • [+]

Hi Robert
Beautiful photo (interesting, the background seems like inside a modern airplane).
I liked very much to learn about Abbas ibn Firnas. I didn't know about him.
My country (Portugal) is not far from Cordoba and in that time was part of that realm. Maybe Abbas ibn Firnas' heritage passed, 900 years later, to Bartolomeu de Gusmão, a Portuguese who worked on lighter-than-air airship design.
Yes,... we only know versions of historical facts.
F

  • Great 
  • soma Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 142 W: 40 N: 119] (917)
  • [2007-01-15 15:41]

hi rafid :)
i remeber his story from school days ...the statue really illustrate him and his attempt very well...i really loved the note

  • Great 
  • Yar Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 189 W: 0 N: 118] (732)
  • [2007-01-21 10:28]

Hi
nice aspiring moving monument, and good info to the image, thank you

Hi Robert,
I really like the way you've framed this lovely statue. Your note is interesting as well. I've been contemplating a hang glider ride which sounds a lot like what Firnas did. Wishing you health, love & Joy, Pat

History is written by yhe winners, aint it?

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