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Around 31st March 1903 eccentric farmer Richard Pearse climbed into a self-built monoplane and flew for about 140 metres before crashing into a Waitohi gorse bush. The amount of control he maintained and exact date (before the Wright bros?) has been oft-debated, memorably by a speculative zoom in Forgotten Silver. This TV film dramatises the life of the reclusive young inventor and his flying machine, from his youth to events leading up to take off and the flight itself. Actor Martyn Sanderson captures "Mad Dick's" obsession in a Feltex-winning performance.
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Television, 1995 (Trailer)
Peter Jackson and Costa Botes capture Pearse's famous flight (maybe)
Television, 1985 (Full Length)
Another dreamer with a lust for lift off
Television, 1990 (Full Length Episode)
Features nature's great flyers: royal albatross
Television, 1990 (Excerpts)
A fictional attempt at powered flight
1976 Feltex Awards
Best Performance (Martyn Sanderson)
Finalist - Most
Outstanding Website
The ONYAs 2010 & 2011
Best Entertainment Website
Finalist – Website design
Qantas Media Awards 2009
NZ ON SCREEN 2012
This website has been made with funding from NZ ON AIR ›
ChrisJBrady
Posted at 11.37PM - 23.10.2010
Research and eye-witness accounts have elicited the fact that Pearse most likely 'flew' before the Wrights. Additionally he built and designed everything himself, whereas the Wrights had the services of experienced bicycle mechanics to help them.