Story of Flight

the story of flight: as told by the indian stamps

yv jeppu

Man’s first attempt to fly was perhaps by the use of giant man-carrying kites. In China, swift horses pulled along a huge kite with a person sitting atop it. This method was used to observe enemy position from above. German submarines have used similar tricks during World War II. An observer held on to a huge kite attached to the conning tower and was pulled along by the submarine. Mishaps often resulted in a watery grave for the poor "volunteer". Flying kites today is a pastime for children and adult alike. A colorful display of kites is a common sight in North India during Makara Sankranthi (A Hindu festival). On April 18, 1993 Mukesh Manekji Lodaya and Ketan J Shah of Kochi, Kerala flew 1001 kites on a single line. A similar sequence of kites can be seen on the stamp issued on November 15, 1993.