I'd have thought that if you do wandering about the North pole on your own and a Polar bear spots you, it'd wonder over for a look if only out of curiousity. Presumably to a Polar Bear's mind you are either (a) edible, or (b) alive and therefore know where some food is to be had.
Hard to really judge this, the pilot was obviously a capable professional doing something difficult and dangerous, which he was nonetheless able to do.
As to the explorer? Well, after 3 failures to perform a slight variation on what other people have done before, one is tempted to wonder what drives him? There may be good reasons, he may be bringing back useful scientific data, he may be a complete pillock who is lucky enough to attract sponsorship. Frankly, I think the information isn't there to judge.
I agree that the feminist dig about Ellen MacArthur's coverage was totally uncalled for. Whatever one thinks of them, the British press tends to praise or criticise either sex equally these days, and Ms Macarthur got a lot of praise, which personally I think she earned. When Colin Bodill and Jenifer Murray did their formation / dual solo round the world flight (he in a Mainair Blade and she in a Robinson R44) it seemed to me that outside the microlighting press she got more publicity, but neither really had cause to complain.
G
Last edited by Genghis the Engineer; 25th May 2002 at 14:05.