A tale of two flying machines !!

 

A tale of two - "One waits for the runway. The other carries its runway above its head." 

A few years ago, at  Tribhuvan International Airport, the small plane was waiting to take-off and the window offered this wonderful view of so many helicopters with one flying nearer !!  - it is interesting to know that this  airport was originally named called Gauchaur Airport !  In Nepali, "Gauchaur" refers to a place where cows graze. 

Two flying machines ! but different.  The helicopter and the aeroplane both fly by generating lift, but they achieve it in fundamentally different ways. One flies by rotating its wings, the other by moving its wings through the air. 

Imagine a ceiling fan whose blades are shaped like aircraft wings. As the main rotor spins, each blade behaves like a tiny wing. Air moves faster over the curved top surface than underneath, creating lift. By changing the pitch (angle) of the blades, the pilot controls: lift, forward, backward motion, sideways movement and can take off vertically, hover, fly sideways and can even move backwards, besides landed in small spaces.   

An aeroplane has fixed wings that do not move. Its engines provide thrust, pushing the aircraft forward.  Unlike a helicopter, an aeroplane must keep moving forward to continue flying. 

Aeroplanes cannot hover – when its engines are   running while it is stationary – they produce plenty of thrust, but since there is almost no airflow over the wings, the wings cannot generate enough lift. The aircraft remains on the ground.  A helicopter, however, creates its own airflow with its spinning rotor blades, allowing it to hover even without moving forward. 

Centuries ago, the brilliant inventor Daedalus and his young son Icarus were imprisoned by King Minos on the island of Crete. Since the sea was guarded, escape seemed impossible. 

Daedalus devised an extraordinary plan. He collected feathers from birds, arranged them from small to large, and fastened them together with thread and beeswax, creating two pairs of magnificent wings. Before they took flight, Daedalus gave his son one simple but vital warning: "Do not fly too low, for the sea's spray will soak the feathers. Do not fly too high, for the Sun's heat will melt the wax. Follow the middle path."

Together they rose into the sky, soaring like birds over the sparkling Mediterranean. At first, Icarus obeyed. But the exhilaration of flying overcame him. Feeling invincible, he climbed higher and higher, intoxicated by the freedom of the heavens. As he neared the blazing Sun, the wax holding his wings together softened and melted. One by one, the feathers drifted away. Frantically beating his bare arms, Icarus plunged into the sea below and drowned. 

Daedalus, heartbroken, continued alone and later buried his son on a nearby island. The sea where Icarus fell came to be known as the Icarian Sea. The myth has survived for over 2,500 years because it speaks to every generation. It is not a warning against dreaming big, but a grim reminder that ambition must be balanced with wisdom.   

Today, the phrase "flying too close to the Sun" is used to describe someone whose overconfidence or unchecked ambition leads to their downfall. For photographers, pilots, scientists, entrepreneurs—and indeed all of us—the story of Icarus is a timeless reminder: 

"Dream high enough to fly, but remain wise enough to return safely."

 
Interesting !
 
Regards – S Sampathkumar
11.7.2026