For Global Peace with Social Justice in a Sustainable Environment

Why Mahatma Gandhi did not used aero plane

Prof. Dr. Yogendra Yadav

Gandhian Scholar

Gandhi Research Foundation, Jalgaon, Maharashtra, India

Contact No.- 09404955338, 09415777229

E-mail-dr.yadav.yogendra@gandhifoundation.net; dr.yogendragandhi@gmail.com

Why Mahatma Gandhi did not used aero plane

In School and colleges students asked me, why did Mahatma Gandhi not use aero plane? It may be common question for all. Then I study on it and found that Mahatma Gandhi used this word many times in his speeches, letters and articles. But according to his belief he said that this is not the transport means of poor persons of India. So how can I travel on it? He saw two world wars. They used it for destroy the human being.

Mahatma Gandhi described, “London has gone mad over Mr. Bleriot who flew in the air in an aero plane and Dr. Cook who claims to have reached the North Pole. Newspapers report their achievements in great detail. People, it appears, throw away thousands of pounds after such things. Personally, I am unable to see what miracles they have achieved. No one points out what good it will do to mankind if planes fly in the air. People go crazy over every impostor making a novel claim. To me at least it appears that life would grow intolerable if there were to be too many planes in the air. We have trains running underground; there are telegraph wires already hanging over us, and outside, on the roads, there is the deafening noise of trains. If you now have planes flying in the air, take it that people will be done to death. Looking at this land, It any rate have grown disillusioned with Western civilization. The people whom you meet on the way seem half-crazy. They spend their days in luxury or in making a bare living and retire at night thoroughly exhausted. In this state of affairs, I cannot understand when they can devote themselves to prayers. Suppose Dr. Cook has, intact, been to the North Pole, what then? People will not, on that account, get the slightest relief from their sufferings. While Western civilization is still young, we find things have come to such a pass that, unless its whole machinery is thrown over-board, people will destroy themselves like so many moths. Even today we can see that there are more and more cases of suicide every day. There are reasons why it may be advisable for people to come to England on some business or for education, but, generally speaking, I am definitely of the view that it is altogether undesirable for anyone to come or live here. We shall consider this point at greater length some other time.”1

In December 17, 1903, the Wright brothers made the first successful experiment in which a machine (aka airplane) carrying a man rose by its own power, flew naturally and at even speed, and descended without damage. Most of us only have to look up into the sky to see an airplane, and many of us have traveled by airplane to places that would have taken much longer by any other means of transportation. An airplane by definition is an aircraft that has a fixed wing and is powered by propellers or jets. However, before the first airplane was invented by the Wright Brothers, inventors made numerous attempts to make like the birds and fly. These early inventions included kites, hot air balloons, airships, gliders, and other devices. As part of the Wright Brothers' systematic practice of photographing every prototype and test of their various flying machines, they had persuaded an attendant from a nearby lifesaving station to snap Orville Wright in full flight. The craft soared to an altitude of 10 feet, traveled 120 feet, and landed 12 seconds after takeoff. After making two longer flights that day, Orville and Wilbur Wright sent a telegram to their father, instructing him to inform the press that manned flight had taken place. Mahatma Gandhi described, “According to the evidence before us, Hans Raj, prior to General Dyer’s arrival, was in possession of the audience estimated at20.000 He and a few others were standing on an improvised platform marked on the plan. An aero plane was hovering over the meeting before the arrival of the troops.”2

All things that fly need air. Air has power to push and pull on the birds, balloons, kites and planes. So how does an airplane use the properties of air to create flight? Inventors continued to improve airplanes after the Wright Brothers, and this led to the invention of jets, which are used by both the military and commercial airlines. A jet is an airplane propelled by jet engines. Jets fly much faster than propeller-powered aircraft and at higher altitudes - as high as 10,000 to 15,000 meters (about 33,000 to 49,000 ft). The evolution of the rocket has made it an indispensable tool in the exploration of space and space flight. By the end of the 19th century, inventors were beginning to consider the possibility of space travel. Ever since man first saw a bird fly, man has wanted to fly. The first attempts were efforts to fly like a bird by attaching feathers to their arms and flapping. Those attempts were unsuccessful. Mahatma Gandhi described, “If there was no excuse for the bombing of the 14th, there was less to bring the aero plane into play on the 15th, because Col. O’Brien had by that time more military aid than he needed, certainly all he had asked for. Sir Michael O’Dwyer seems to have been the originator of the suggestion of bombing from aero planes. Whether he was or not, it is certain that he approved of it. It should be remembered that the people of the Punjab were not used to the aero plane or any other bombing. It must be admitted that aero plane bombing can be justified only in proved necessity, and in the face of existing or imminent danger. All danger had been over in Gujranwala when the aero planes arrived. The mere presence of the aero planes was absolutely sufficient protection.”3

The first successful air flight was in a hot air balloon. In 1783 a few men invented the first flying machine by making the hot air balloon. A hot air balloon is a balloon filled with heated air. Since heated air is lighter than cool air, the balloon would rise into the sky. The pilot would ride in a basket attached to the balloon and control the height by adding and subtracting more heat. The problem with hot air balloons is that you cannot go the way you want. If the wind is blowing west, that means you would have to go west, too. During the Civil War hot air balloons were used by the armies to look at enemy troops. Mahatma Gandhi described, “One man cannot control both the movements those of the submarine and the aero plane; nor can the two directors change places though both may have a common aim. I can strengthen the work in the Councils only by working outside and even by decrying the Councils and thus turning the attention of the people away from them.”4

The first airplane that was flown was a glider. A glider is a non-motorized flying machine Early gliders were launched from high places like cliffs and floated on the wind to the ground. A man named Sir George Cayel made the first glider that actually flew. His first glider didn't have passengers or a pilot. It was too small and could not fit anyone in it. He made another that flew his coachman across a small valley. This glider was not launched from a cliff. Mahatma Gandhi described, “A sattvik person does not go seeking work. A rajasik person is engaged one day in inventing an aero plane and is busy the next in discovering how to reach India from England in five hours. Such a person sets apart half an hour out of twenty-four to deceive his atman, and devotes the remaining twenty-three and a half to his body.”5

During 1890 while Orville and Wilbur Wright were working in a bicycle shop, the Wright Brothers got interested in flying. They learned that bicycles that were closer to the ground were faster. They read all the books they could find about airplanes to learn more. They then began building gliders near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. The Wright Brothers improved the glider. In 1899 they made a large, two wing kite. After experimenting for a while on unmanned gliders, they made a glider where the pilot would control the airplane in the air. After working on glider experiments they found out how to steer a plane while in flight by developing a rudder (the tail of the plane) and flaps on the wings. With the rudder and the flaps, the pilot could control the direction of the airplane and the height. Mahatma Gandhi described, “Today, motor-lorries unload pilgrims at the foothills of Amarnath, just as they would unload goods and the pilgrims on their part regard it as a meritorious deed to travel in such comfort. The remaining distance has to be covered by foot or on horseback and this pilgrims somehow manage to do. They would readily accept if anyone was prepared to carry them right up to their destination or go in an aero plane if it would take them straight to the top of Amarnath.”6

In December of 1903, the Wright Brothers became the first people to successfully fly a plane with a person in it. The plane flew one hundred twenty feet and flew only about twelve seconds. They had three successful flights that day, but Wilbur made the longest flight of 892 feet and stayed up for about 59 seconds. In 1903 the Wright Brothers made their first powered airplane that they named the "flyer." It was a biplane (two winged plane) that had a 12 horse power engine that they had built themselves. The wings were 40 feet wide, wooden, and covered with cotton cloth. The pilot would lie on the lower wing on his stomach and steer the plane. In 1908 the Wright Brothers finally made a plane that could fly for more than one and a half hours. Mahatma Gandhi described, “Thus, human beings, while hankering after comforts, undergo hardships and even court death yielding to religious sentiments. This involves blind faith. Such faith craves for happiness but is prepared to undergo hardships, whereas pure, genuine faith finds happiness in undergoing physical suffering and hence it realizes that, while reaching Amarnath by aero plane satisfies one’s curiosity, it cannot be called a pilgrimage. Those having genuine faith would go walking barefoot and would disregard thorns, heat or cold, the danger from tigers or wolves and even though they might not reach Amarnath, they would acquire the same merit. Although the four ways of travelling by plane, by car, by train or on foot are open to them, they would feel happy in choosing the fourth alternative. When people acquire such determination, their dharma would acquire an altogether new form. Then it would make no distinction between the pilgrimages to Amaranthine that to swaraj. They would regard it as a religious merit to suffer hardships while going to Amarnath and also regard it as such to be sent to the gallows for the sake of swaraj. Those who retreat do not know their dharma.”7

In 1843 William S. Henson, an inventor, patented plans for an airplane after trying to build a model airplane. When those plans failed he gave up on airplanes. His friend, John Sting fellow, tried making a model off of Henson's model and succeeded. The plane launched, but could only stay in the air for a short time. Mahatma Gandhi described, “I am anxious too to show that it does not depend for its spread upon swift locomotion. A suggestion that I should use the aero plane was dismissed as soon as it was made. Nor need anyone run away with the idea that the tour has been undertaken for the sole purpose of collecting funds. I am sure that both the men, women and money that may be necessary for the cause will be forthcoming even though I may be walking.”8

In 1890 Clement Ader took off on the first steam powered plane (a plane with an engine, unlike the glider) that he had built himself. What was very unlucky about that was he could not fly it because he could not control it. Around the same time another inventor, Hiram Maxiam, built a steam powered flying machine. He tested his airplanes, but never really got them off the ground because they were too heavy and he could not control the flight. Mahatma Gandhi described, “The aero plane is not for the poor or for a man who is patient. You probably know that I don’t like even cars, though I do use them when I can’t help it. This may be described as a weakness of mine.”9 During 1894 Samuel Langley flew a steam powered plane and went 0.8 kilometers in one and a half minutes. Once Langley made another airplane, he got a pilot to steer once on October, 7 and once on December, 8, but sadly the plane crashed in a lake. Mahatma Gandhi described, “I have not yet used an aero plane of course, I have seen them flying in the skies, like birds but I have not touched one. So the question of flying does not arise. It is misuse of language to call such a man a dweller in the skies. I am of the earth, earthy. I am an ordinary mortal composed of common clay.”10

U.S Army Lieutenant Thomas E. Selfridge was the first person killed in a plane crash. The military wanted to see how good the Wright Brothers` airplane was for flying. On September 17, 1908, Selfridge went up in a plane with Orville Wright. When they were 75 feet in the air a propeller broke. The plane crashed which killed Thomas and left Orville injured, but the Wright Brothers still did not give up. In 1909, they got a contract from the military to build the first military plane. Mahatma Gandhi described, “You have come here to accomplish a Herculean task. You have to serve crores of people. It is immaterial that you are only sixty one in number. But you will have accomplished something if you leave after gaining scientific knowledge. All the sixty-one of you have to become guardians or trustees for the millions of people. If your example is followed, the number will increase. This Vidyalaya is like the Gangotri1. Its flow will swell like that of the Ganga. This has been my dream for the last 25 years. The hope that I have cherished has not yet been fulfilled. Still I am not disappointed at all because I never lose heart. A great enterprise does not move quickly. Non-violence marches forward slowly but steadily. Its way is straight. It will overtake those who move with the speed of an aero plane. This is my firm belief.”11

Mahatma Gandhi described, “But through you I wish to convey to both of them that the moment they ask me to, I shall accompany them on foot or in a vehicle, whichever way they prefer. I cannot go by air. What shall I be able to see down below from an aero plane? Besides I have never travelled by a plane. Of course I have seen aero planes from below and they look like fishes.”12 In 1911, Calibrate Rodgers made the first flight across the United States. He flew from Sheep head Bay, New York to Long Beach, California. During the 84 days of flying, Rodgers crashed at least 70 times. He had to replace almost every part of the plane before he reached Long Beach. All together this journey took 3 days, 10 hours, and 24 minutes of time spent in the air. Mahatma Gandhi described, “Do you send anybody to the airport on Mondays at the time of arrival of the aero plane? It would be better to send somebody everyday till you receive the Harijan Packet.”13

Mahatma Gandhi described, “Rajkumari Amrit Kaur was to attend the conference at Wardha on the 30th. She should have gone. Dr. Jivraj was also to go. He should have gone. But how can they go? They are tied down to their work. They can get away from it only for a day. But it would take those two days because they cannot return the same day. No aero plane goes to Wardha. It goes only to Nagpur. They can return only after two days.”14 Airplane travel has improved a great deal since the first efforts of the Wright Brothers. Airplanes now travel thousands of miles at altitudes of more than 7 miles, carrying over three hundred passengers. Those passengers rest in comfortable seats instead of on their stomachs like Orville did. Jet engines have replaced propellers and speeds are greater than 600 miles per hour. Not even the Wright brothers could have imagined what air travel would be like today.

References: