You may well see some Bognor Birdman who think an umbrella is going to provide them with the lift necessary to fly.
One or two souls are semi-serious and take part in hang glider-esque contraptions. One guy, Ron Freeman does such a thing year after year, and each year his aircraft, as he lovingly refers to his battered old hang glider, needs serious repair work. Good for Ron though to take part; most serious hang gliders won't put their gliders anywhere near the competition for fear of personal ridicule and damage to their flying machine. Look around this Bognor Birdman site and you will get a feel for the kind of nutters who have been Bognor Birdmen in the past. These are just a few Bognor Birdman pictures. As you can see some Bognor Birdmen are nutters, some are serious, but it's a fun day out for all who take part, and their friends.