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Throughout aviation history there were famous people. The fame that they achieved was earned. There were also people that were behind the scenes. The ones that were behind the scenes were the unsung heroes. Technology with regards to aviation and aerospace has advanced at a rapid pace. The following are some examples of famous firsts.

The Wright Brothers were the first to fly a heavier-than-air airplane but they didn’t do it alone. Without the Weather Service they wouldn’t have known the location in the United States that had constant moderate to heavy winds so they could test there gliders. They corresponded with others such as Octave Chanute. Without the help of Charlie Taylor, their mechanic, they wouldn’t have had an engine to power their airplane. The Wright Brothers didn’t attend an Aeronautical University because one did not exist. They built there own wind tunnel and they designed and made there own propellers. NASA tested them and they were found to be 80% efficient (today’s are only 85%). The Wright Brothers had been told that they were crazy and that man was not meant to fly but they both persisted. They did not give up.

Charles Lindbergh deserves all the fame and accolades that were bestowed upon him when he made his solo crossing of the Atlantic Ocean at the age of 25. But he didn’t do it alone either. He had financial backers to fund his flight. Also, without the designers, engineers, and craftsman the airplane he flew wouldn’t exist. There were many detractors and naysayers. But he was a persistent man. He was told that he needed a multi-engine plane and he said that wasn’t necessary

Chuck Yeager was the first man to break the sound barrier. He was 24-years old at the time. He would not have been able to do so without the people from NACA (the precursor to NASA), or the U.S. Air Force. The Bell X-1 which he flew wouldn’t exist without the designers, engineers, craftsman, and technicians at Bell Aircraft. Hundreds of people were behind his endeavor. The aircraft was shaped like a.50 caliber bullet and was built exceptionally strong. People at the time were saying that the sound barrier was a physical barrier that could not be broken, and even if it was it would lead to the destruction of the aircraft and fatality for the pilot.

Neil Armstrong was the first man to step onto the moon. Without thousands and thousands of people in NASA (scientists and engineers) and all of the contractors and sub-contractors that built all of the hardware (Saturn V rocket, Lunar Module, Command Module, etc., etc.) he would not have been able to make that most famous of steps. We also cannot forget the Mercury Program with the famous original seven astronauts. Then there was the Gemini Program that had two astronauts in a capsule. Then the Apollo Program with three astronauts on each flight. Even with the horrific fatal fire in 1967 of Apollo 1 on the launch pad with the loss of the three astronauts (Gus Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chaffee) the program went forward.

The events that these individuals were involved in that changed aviation history and world history came down to the following famous dates:

Thursday December 17, 1903 at 10:35am for the Wright Brothers.

Saturday and Sunday May 20-21, 1927 for Charles Lindbergh.

Tuesday October 14, 1947 for Chuck Yeager.

Sunday July 20, 1969 at 10:56:15pm EDT for Neil Armstrong.

After each of the above pivotal events in aviation and space there were many, many technological advances and discoveries. After the Wright Brothers made there famous flight in 1903 many other aviation inventors and pioneers from around the world created, discovered and made great strides in aviation. By the way, the speed of the Wright Flyer on that historic flight was 6.8 miles per hour. The same goes for innovations and technological breakthroughs during and after World War I. After Charles Lindbergh made his solo crossing of the Atlantic Ocean in 1927 in 33-1/2 hours, time and distance became shorter and shorter and the world started to become a much smaller place. During and after World War II more and more technological achievements were made. After the sound barrier was broken in 1947 faster and faster aircraft (military and civilian) were created.

And here are two examples of that:

On September 1, 1974 a U.S. Air Force SR-71 “Blackbird” spy plane flew from New York to London in 1-hour, 54-minutes, 56.4-seconds.

On February 7, 1996 a supersonic transport (SST) called Concorde and flown by the British Airways airline, crossed the Atlantic Ocean from London to New York in the record time of 2-hours, 52-minutes, 59-seconds.

And the technology spinoffs from the space program are almost too many to count. The drive to discover, create, innovate and succeed is awe inspiring. These famous firsts will not be forgotten and I am sure there will be many more famous firsts to come in aviation and aerospace.

Prior to 2001, flight school regulation has been minimized to the technical level. Meaning to say, the government agencies that may have an interest on them are those that are primarily related to aviation regulation. Since September 11, 2001 when two airplanes crashed on the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in a terrorist attack, entering a flight school now would entail passing through a tougher screening process.

Any aspiring pilot must pass a given set of requirements for the appropriate authorities to determine whether you are a security threat or not. In fact the TSA has a separate category for non US citizens (or aliens) in taking up flying lessons. Apparently, these regulations were enforced in 2004 as a precautionary security measure so that the 911 terrorist attacks would not happen again. It was stated that the terrorists that flew the passenger airlines to the the World Trade Center buildings were trained on American soil.

If you are an alien who is seeking to be a pilot, then simply complete the necessary documents and tests prior to getting that license. Sure, it’s an added requirement but you’d have to understand that there have been many instances when airplanes have been used literally as weapons of terrorism. Ensuring that you submit the proper requirements and get the proper training could spell a big difference for the safety of your future passengers.

One can only understand these new regulations in the context of these terrorist attacks. They’re not meant to discourage you from ever achieving your dreams of flying, but rather to protect people both on the ground and in the air.

Today, most Masaai are Christians and very few Muslims. Traditionally, they believed in a god, Engai who lived on the mountain of God, Ol Doinyo Lengai. They were monotheistic. A Laibon was the traditional religious leader. He would perform for the people any religious rituals and ceremonies. He was also a seer and a prophet for the people. The man was the head of every family. He was the decision maker and the protector of the family. The woman was the one who did all the work in the family.

The Masaai are nomadic pastoralists. They would move from place to place with there livestock in search of grazing land and water. On the way, women would build the homes they were to live in. Milking, cooking, cleaning and looking after the toddler was also work for the women. The boy child was brought up to know that he was the protector of the community. From an early age he would go through ritual beatings to test for courage and endurance.

In the Masaai culture, the dead were not buried. The people believed that this would pollute the soil. They were thrown away to be eaten by scavengers such as the hyenas. Burial was a ritual only reserved for dignitaries such as the chiefs. The babies once born, they were not fully accepted into the community until three moons [months] were over. This is as a result of the high infant mortality rate. After this period, the babies would be shaven and named in a ceremony attended by other members of the community.

This is the central unit of governance in the Masaai community. It starts once a child is born. Once born, the child after three months is named. Immediately after birth, a child is not fully accepted into the community because i\of the high infant mortality rate. If it is a boy, from an early age, it starts looking after goats and calve. Most of the life of a boy is spent playing with other boys. A boy child was highly regarded than a girl child in the community. The girl child was taught how to help its mother around the home with cooking, cleaning fetching water and firewood, milking and building the shelters they lived in.

Once they boy child got to the age of around 13 to 25 depending on the last initiation ceremony, they were circumcised. The circumcision ceremony was a very painful experience that involved cutting the foreskin of the penis with a very sharp knife. Make shift bandages made from cow hide would be used to prevent excessive bleeding. No anesthetic was used in the process. The boy was supposed to stay firm and not show ant sign of fear or pain during the process. If he did show fear or pain, this was a disgrace to his family.

After the initiation, the boys would be taken to a manyatta build by there mothers but had no security wall around it. This was to emphasize on there role as the village protectors. Now they have become junior morans. The healing process takes around three months. During this time and for the next eight months, they only wear black clothes. During the next initiation process, these junior morans become junior elders and proceed on to become senior elders.

Ladakh is one of the main center, propagating the Buddhist religion. The region boasts numerous Gompas and monasteries, which are the main center for meditation, worship and religion teaching for Buddhists. Globetrotters enjoy the scenic beauty of verdant surroundings near the beautiful monasteries.

Popular Monasteries in Ladakh

Hemis Monastery

Hemis Monastery is a precious gem in the crown of Ladakh. It was founded by the first incarnation of Stagsang Raspa Nawang Gyatso in the year 1630. The monastery houses fine collection of ancient relics including gold and silver stupas, sacred thankas and many more.

Shey Gompa

Shey Gompa was built by King Deldon Namgyal, in the memory of his father Singay Namgyal. It boasts a biggest metal statue of seated Buddha and the largest Buddha statue in the Ladakh. The statue is adorned with copper sheets and glided with gold.

Sankar Gompa

Sankar Gompa belongs to Yellow Hat sect, located at a distance of 3 km from the town of Leh. There are fixed timings for visiting the Gompa. People can go either between 7:00 am and 10:00 am or between 5:00 pm and 7:00 pm.

Shanti Stupa

Shanti Stupa is situated on the hilltop at Changspa. The stupa was constructed by a Japanese Buddhist organization to commemorate 2500 years of Buddhism and aimed to promote world peace and harmony. Visitors can enjoy a beautiful sight of sunrise and sunset from this magnificent white-domed structure.

Namgyal Tsemo Gompa

Namgyal Tsemo Gompa is an architectural wonder, built in the year 1430. It was founded by King Tashi Namagyal and was named by him only. The monastery treasures a three storey high solid gold statue of Maitrieya Buddha.

Ladakh Monasteries are worth visiting which should not be missed in your Ladakh tour.