Friday, March 10, 2006

First hang glider to fly from Mt Kinabalu on display at Sabah Museum

Visitors can now view the historic Hang Glider at
the Sabah Museum beginning this Saturday.
(Photo Copyright Borneo Bulletin)



By Ismail Hj. Mansor

KOTA KINABALU - The public will now have the opportunity this Saturday to see the first-ever Hang Glider which had been used by Ernst F.C Witte when he became the first person ever to hang glide from Mount Kinabalu, South East Asia's highest peak, on March 23, 1984.

The Hang Glider was donated to the Sabah Museum by Yayasan Sabah. The Hang Glider has been exhibited at the Sabah Museum in 1984 and managed to draw quite a big crowd. The glider has been taken back by Yayasan Sabah.

Due to its historical significance, Yayasan Sabah and Sabah Museum have decided to exhibit the Hang Glider again at the Sabah Museum for public viewing. A soft opening of the exhibition will he held this Saturday at 10am.

On March 23, 1984, 46-year-old Mr. Witte who hailed from West Germany, took off from the South Peak Cliff at a height of 4,050 metres (13,287 feet) above sea level at 7.37am and glide down to land in a small clearing at Tenumpok in the Bundu Tuhan valley near Ranau.

At one time, he even glided higher above the summit of Mount Kinabalu, a height which even the helicopters could not fly up to.

Meanwhile, Sabah Museum is also preparing for the forthcoming special exhibition on "The Beauties Of Sabah Islamic Arts" to be held next month.

Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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