Gary Mortimer (born 1967) is a British journalist, balloonist, and drone aviator. He serves as editor of sUAS News,[1] an unmanned aviation news website. He is a hot air balloon pilot and current holder of the South African Hot Air Balloon Altitude record. The record was set on 9 May 2005, when he flew to an altitude of 30,334 feet (9,246 m) with DJ Lev David, on a flight in the KwaZulu-Natal region of South Africa.[2] The flight took off from Estcourt Airfield, and the landing took place just outside Weenan.[3]

Gary Mortimer
Gary Mortimer
Born (1967-09-26) 26 September 1967 (age 57)
Bristol, United Kingdom
CitizenshipBritish
OccupationCEO sUAS News Group

He lives in the KwaZulu Natal Midlands and works on projects involving Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS).

In 2010 with Chris Anderson, Mortimer created the T3[4] competition on the popular drone building website DIY Drones.[5] He remains the chief judge for the competition. In July 2010, he was the first person[failed verification] to fly a fixed wing unmanned aircraft at the Farnborough Airshow in Hampshire, England. He flew the Boomerang[6] wing with an AttoPilot autopilot inside.

Personal life

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He lived in the Somerset village of Dowlish Wake and attended Wadham Community School in Crewkerne.

He served in the RAF from 1984 to 1988 in Chivenor No. 63 Squadron RAF and RAF Prestwick.

References

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  1. ^ Press (4 September 2013). "About 60 drone hunting licenses sold while Deer Trail waits to vote". sUAS News - The Business of Drones. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  2. ^ "Record hot-air high for East Coast DJ". Bizcommunity.com. Retrieved 30 May 2010.
  3. ^ "Hot-air balloonists reach new record heights". www.iol.co.za/. Retrieved 30 May 2010.
  4. ^ "T3 Contest Awards Prize to 3D Model of a Fallen German Bunker | 3drobotics.com". Archived from the original on 1 March 2014. Retrieved 14 February 2014.
  5. ^ "Sign In". diydrones.com. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  6. ^ "Tiny drones perform in indoor arena". www.ainonline.com. Retrieved 7 February 2014.