Flying is largely a matter of having the right attitude– plus, of course, good wing feathers. Flying consists of three parts. First, the take-off, during which there is a lot of fuss and commotion, a lot of splashing and rapid beating of the wings. Second, the ascent, or gaining of altitude–this requires hard work and fast wing action. Third, the leveling-off, the steady elevated flight, high in air, wings beating slower now, beating strongly and regularly, carrying us swiftly and surely from zone to zone as we cry ko-hoh, ko-hoh, with all the earth stretched out far below.
[The Trumpet of the Swan, E. B. White]
Illustration by Edward Frascino
Photo Credit: http://www.arch.virginia.edu/struct/JTW-97/
