Bill Lishman
Encyclopedia
Bill Lishman is a Canadian inventor, artist, and ultralight aircraft enthusiast.
, a bi-wing craft designed in California by Larry Mauro as a hang glider. Bill practiced foot launching from his back yard (a 100 acre (0.404686 km²) wooded lot with a large hill at one end) with varying degrees of success. Steering on the Easy Riser was controlled by two drag rudders, mounted between the wingtips. To turn, the pilot twisted the bars under his armpits from which the pilot hung. Pitch control was by weight-shifting pilot's body; leaning forward made gave a pitch down for more speed; and backward move of the pilot's body gave a pitch upwards and a slowing of the craft.
Tired of endlessly hauling the glider back up the hill, Bill took the next step and bolted an 8 hp go-kart engine on to the back of the hang glider (thus forming an ultralight aircraft), carved himself a propeller and on a fateful day in 1978 made Canadian aviation history by becoming the first in Canada to foot-launch a rigid-winged powered ultralight aircraft.
During the late 1980s and early 1990s, Lishman openly wondered if waterfowl could be taught new migration patterns by following low-speed ultralight aircraft. In 1993, after several years of logistical and bureaucratic setbacks, Lishman successfully led a flock of Canada geese on a winter migration from Ontario
, Canada
to northern Virginia
. Of the sixteen birds that participated in the migration, thirteen returned to Ontario the following year - entirely on their own.
Operation Migration
was co-founded by Bill Lishman and Joe Duff in 1994 and registered as a charity in Canada and a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in the United States. Following the successful experiment with Canada geese, the team turned their efforts to rare and endangered species.
In 1999, Operation Migration, led by Joe Duff, was asked by the US Fish and Wildlife Service to spearhead an attempt to reintroduce whooping crane
s into eastern North America. As of 2005, the team continues to lead a new generation of whooping cranes on their first migration with the goal of establishing a self sustaining flock by the year 2015.
The 1996 movie Fly Away Home
was loosely based on Lishman's early work, including his book Father Goose, published in 1995.
Gliders and ultralights
Lishman started out by flying a motorized ultralight fixed-wing glider called the UFM Easy RiserUFM Easy Riser
-See also:-External links:*...
, a bi-wing craft designed in California by Larry Mauro as a hang glider. Bill practiced foot launching from his back yard (a 100 acre (0.404686 km²) wooded lot with a large hill at one end) with varying degrees of success. Steering on the Easy Riser was controlled by two drag rudders, mounted between the wingtips. To turn, the pilot twisted the bars under his armpits from which the pilot hung. Pitch control was by weight-shifting pilot's body; leaning forward made gave a pitch down for more speed; and backward move of the pilot's body gave a pitch upwards and a slowing of the craft.
Tired of endlessly hauling the glider back up the hill, Bill took the next step and bolted an 8 hp go-kart engine on to the back of the hang glider (thus forming an ultralight aircraft), carved himself a propeller and on a fateful day in 1978 made Canadian aviation history by becoming the first in Canada to foot-launch a rigid-winged powered ultralight aircraft.
Operation Migration
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
to northern Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. Of the sixteen birds that participated in the migration, thirteen returned to Ontario the following year - entirely on their own.
Operation Migration
Operation Migration
Operation Migration is a conservation project.The first Operation Migration project was the 3rd attempt to create a new flyway for the migrating Whooping Cranes in 1993 from Ontario, Canada to South Carolina and Virginia...
was co-founded by Bill Lishman and Joe Duff in 1994 and registered as a charity in Canada and a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in the United States. Following the successful experiment with Canada geese, the team turned their efforts to rare and endangered species.
In 1999, Operation Migration, led by Joe Duff, was asked by the US Fish and Wildlife Service to spearhead an attempt to reintroduce whooping crane
Whooping Crane
The whooping crane , the tallest North American bird, is an endangered crane species named for its whooping sound. Along with the Sandhill Crane, it is one of only two crane species found in North America. The whooping crane's lifespan is estimated to be 22 to 24 years in the wild...
s into eastern North America. As of 2005, the team continues to lead a new generation of whooping cranes on their first migration with the goal of establishing a self sustaining flock by the year 2015.
The 1996 movie Fly Away Home
Fly Away Home
Fly Away Home is a 1996 drama and comedy film directed by Carroll Ballard, the director of The Black Stallion . The film stars Anna Paquin, Jeff Daniels and Dana Delany. The story follows a young girl from New Zealand who survives a car crash that results in the death of her mother...
was loosely based on Lishman's early work, including his book Father Goose, published in 1995.