How can I safely observe a Solar Flare? Solar Flares obviously release extreme amounts of energy and extend thousands of miles out into space. 

Because they are so big I would like to be able to observe some of these events through a telescope but I am wary of damaging both my eyes or the sensitive telescopic equipment.

How might I safely observe a solar flare through an amateur telescope? Might this be solved by using light filters to dim the amount of light entering the telescope or is a more specialist piece of equipment required?
One truly safe way of solar flare observations is to not directly observe them (with your eyes or imaging technology) at all, such is the case with radio-astronomy.  There are a number of examples of how this could be done, for example, the Sudden Ionosphere Disturbance Monitor, this device measures disturbances in the ionosphere that includes the effects of solar flares.  This operates in the VLF (3-30kHz) range.

From the Society of Amateur Radio Astronomers, the advice is


  For VLF solar flare observations you will need a strip chart recorder and a radio receiver capable of operating in the noisy 20 to 100 kilohertz radio band. These receivers are quite simple and may be home constructed.


(Plans for these can be obtained from that group)

A repository of further links (far too many to list here) can be found on the website Amateur Radio Astronomy on the Internet.