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| OF involvement in Attenborough's latest series |
Last Updated: Friday, 16 October 2009
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Ben Simpson (B84-86) fascinating career has just taken another twist. Over the last couple of years he has been working with the BBC Natural History unit on their latest David Attenborough series called “Life – Extraordinary Animals, Extreme Behaviour”. Specifically he has been involved in flying a helicopter to capture the aerial shots of birds for the Lammergeyers in Ethiopia and Flamingos in Kenya, plus Barbel feeding off hippo botties and shots of Ethiopian Wolves in Hunters & Hunted. The first program was aired on BBC1 last Monday at 9.00pm and subsequent episodes will be shown at the same time over the coming 9 weeks. More recently Ben has just finished filming the aerials for a Disney feature film, which will be released in cinemas in 2012. A future Yearbook will include more detail on both these activities.
His career has previously involved paragliding and surfing in Hong Kong, motor biking from one end of Africa to the other and across South America. He also has approximately 9,500 hours in aeroplanes and helicopters gained over 14 years flying in Kenya, Sudan, Ethiopia and Somalia. His helicopter license was gained in Hawaii. He now runs his own helicopter charter operation in Kenya with great success. He now lives on a ranch in Northern Kenya with his long term partner Karina, a fourth generation Kenyan, and they have two sons Frank and Digby.
Ben’s grandfather is Commander John Simpson (K32-36) and therefore a member of the mighty Simpson Clan who have attended Brandeston and the College.
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