Throughout the world, from ancient times to the present, we find stories of people who actually could float and fly. The earliest and most detailed descriptions come from the ancient Vedic tradition, where hovering and flying are described as the natural abilities of fully developed human beings. Lots of such flying experiments, some probably successful, went on in the unrecorded past in the Orient and the East. Flying carpets, flying yogis, flying machines mentioned in the great Indian epic The Ramayan and elsewhere.

The Myth of Icarus & Daedalus

Daedalus, a Greek master craftsman, was commissioned on Crete to build a labyrinth, Daedalus fell out of favor with king Minos and had to escape. His genius hit upon flight as his only means, as the Creteans controlled the Mediterranean. The maze maker and master craftsman fashioned wings of feathers, flax, and wax for himself and his young son Icarus. He taught the boy to fly carefully, cautioning him to fly at a moderate height; warning him if he flew too low, moisture from the sea would clog his wings, if too high, heat would melt his wax.

After launch, "the child began to savor the joys of this audacious flight, abandoned his guide, and, giving into his desire, approached the sun". The feathers flew and the first crash and burn story resulted ! Daedalus successfully crossed the sea. His son fell, martyr to the first rule of reliable flying: Know your limits and stay within them.

Of flying elephants - 'bringers of rain and good luck'

According to Hindu mythology the first elephants in the world had wings and consorted with the clouds. One day however a group of elephants alighted on a branch under which an ascetic saint was teaching his pupils. Not surprisingly the branch broke and fell on the pupils killing several of them and angering the saint, who called on the gods to deprive the elephants of their wings.

But the elephants remained friendly with the clouds and it was still in their power to call upon their former heavenly companions to bring rain. For this ability elephants are still honoured in India and worshiping them is associated with rainfall and bountiful crops. Even today the symbol of good luck is an elephant headed divinity called Ganesha, to whom Hindus pray before every important undertaking.

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