I wonder who was the first human to observe a creature in flight and wish they too had that amazing gift. Flight is an obsession we've had for centuries, both in other creatures and for ourselves. How many animal mash-ups were made even more exotic through the addition of a pair of wings? (Gryphon! Hippogriff! Harpy!) We even stick wings on regular creatures (Pegasus!) and give them magical powers to defy every law of physics (Rudolph and team!) to make them special.
Then there's the history of attempts to give humans wings. Think how far we've come! From the story of Icarus to the wacky efforts by various people to glue feathers on themselves or strap wings to their arms and jump off something tall to man-carrying kites to hot air balloons to gliders to the Wright Brothers to the fighter jets and passenger airlines of today to base jumping and wingsuits. We are a tenacious and creative lot when it comes to achieving the dream of flying!
I wouldn't say that I've ever been overly obsessed with flying, but I definitely have a penchant for high places because of the amazing views that usually come with them. This is why I climb mountains, run to the top of monuments and tall buildings to see a city, always try to get a window seat when traveling, jump out of perfectly good airplanes, fling myself headfirst into thin air with a giant rubber band attached to my ankles ... okay, maybe there is a small flight obsession here. So it's not so crazy that last summer (2013) I took the opportunity to experience a whole new high point and method of flight by HANG GLIDING!
Then there's the history of attempts to give humans wings. Think how far we've come! From the story of Icarus to the wacky efforts by various people to glue feathers on themselves or strap wings to their arms and jump off something tall to man-carrying kites to hot air balloons to gliders to the Wright Brothers to the fighter jets and passenger airlines of today to base jumping and wingsuits. We are a tenacious and creative lot when it comes to achieving the dream of flying!
I wouldn't say that I've ever been overly obsessed with flying, but I definitely have a penchant for high places because of the amazing views that usually come with them. This is why I climb mountains, run to the top of monuments and tall buildings to see a city, always try to get a window seat when traveling, jump out of perfectly good airplanes, fling myself headfirst into thin air with a giant rubber band attached to my ankles ... okay, maybe there is a small flight obsession here. So it's not so crazy that last summer (2013) I took the opportunity to experience a whole new high point and method of flight by HANG GLIDING!
