Flapping like a colibri would, I suppose, also be rather loud and create noise. What fascinated Lilienthal was the way large birds like storks fly: They do flap

Flapping like a colibri would, I suppose, also be rather loud and create noise. What fascinated Lilienthal was the way large birds like storks fly: They do flap their wings to take off, and also when there are no thermals. But most of the time, they glide or use thermals to gain altitude. I do have to say, whenever I see a stork above, or even just a red kite or pelican, I feel envious. Our drones and planes just seem crude in comparison. To be clear: I'm not talking about flight as a means to get from A to B as quickly as possible. That's the domain of the jet engine, and no bird can match it. I'm talking about flying as a thing you do for the enjoyment of it, as a thing of beauty and wonder. In short, that which inspired humans to dream about flying machines in the first place.