Most pilots have had the dream … the one where gravity melts away, and you can lift both feet off the ground and fly like a bird. It’s the ultimate in aviating, and while nobody yet has figured out exactly how to make it work for humans, you can get a taste of it at Discovery’s bird-tech site, where video shots from tiny cameras attached to Tilly the golden eagle reveal every twist and turn of this most-sophisticated all-natural flight-management system. The technology is a step beyond what was used to film the movie, Winged Migration, released in 2001. To capture birds in flight in that film, those filmmakers followed them aloft using gliders, helicopters, balloons, remote-controlled model aircraft and ultralights. Five teams worked for three years, visiting seven continents. If you missed it in theaters, the film is now out on DVD.
Flight: See How It’s Really Done
Key Takeaways:
- Pilots often dream of experiencing flight like birds, and Discovery's bird-tech site offers a glimpse into this using tiny cameras attached to a golden eagle named Tilly.
- This bird-tech system provides a unique perspective on natural flight, revealing the intricate maneuvers of the eagle.
- The technology used for Tilly's footage is more advanced than the methods employed for the 2001 film "Winged Migration," which involved extensive efforts across seven continents using various aircraft.
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