If man's desire to fly was not totally inspired by the flight of birds at least his early attempts at heavier-than-air flight were a direct imitation of birds. To the earliest known aviators two features seemed indispensable in any flying machine, wings that flapped, and wings covered with feathers. The former at least seems reasonable, but no attempt was made to discover the purpose of feathering a bird's wing and feathers were used simply to give the flying contraption the appearance of a bird. As we shall see later these factors probably delayed the advent of sustained flight—not necessarily powered—by many years.

Imagination has always, in the past, attributed the bird with greater powers than it really possessed. Many early flying machines were designed as chariots borne by as few as six doves—powerful indeed! Its powers to soar so high that it became lost to sight gave it the status of a semi-deity, from which came the mariner's faith in the albatross, perhaps.