The bird's story and a rocket scientist

B R Hills, Karnataka, Oct 15 (UNI) A story on how birds fly, narrated by his teacher, fascinated a school boy on the flying technique the birds employed that resulted in him taking a oath that he should become an aeronautical engineer.

The teacher was Mr Siva Subramania Iyer of a government school in Rameshwaram of Tamil Nadu and the boy was none other than President A P J Abdul Kalam, the 'Rocket Man of India'.

Recollecting the story told by his teacher several decades ago, to the tribal students of Vivekananda Girijana Kalyana Kendra in this backward district of Chamarajanagar in Karnataka, he said when he was 13-year-old his teacher told the class about the technique birds use when they fly. Initially it was difficult to understand but once he did, this made him to be an aerospace engineer.

''Our teacher, during a class, told us about the bird story explaining how they fly. He explained how they change direction while flying. He also drew a diagram of a bird depicting the wings, tail and the body structure. However, after a 25 minute lecture explaining how they flew in formation of 10, 20 or 30, most of us couldn't understand how they did it. But he was not upset,'' Mr Kalam explained.

Then that evening the teacher took the students to the shore of Bay of Bengal near their school, where birds were flying with sweet chirping sound. The teacher, virtually making the sea shore as a practical class, asked the students to study the technique they used. Mr Kalam watched closely and found how they flew changing direction whichever way they liked.

''The teacher asked us to look at the tail portion with the combination of flapping wings and the twisting tail. Then he asked us where the engine was. The bird was powered by its own life and motivation of what it wants. We understood the whole dynamics from this practical example. How nice it was. Our teacher was great. I am sure teachers in schools and colleges will follow this example,'' Mr Kalam explained.

The President said the bird's flight entered into his mind and created a special feeling. From that evening he had decided that he should persue studies in flight and flight systems. The teacher's teachings and the event that he witnessed at the beach made him decide about his future career.

''I asked my teacher, Sir please tell me how to progress further and learn all about flight. He patiently explained that first I should pass the eighth standard I was studying, finish high school, pass out of a college and then become a aeronautical engineer. If I excelled in what was connected with flight sciences, this advise and the bird flying was the base of it. This gave me the goal and a mission for my life,'' Mr Kalam said.

Thus his life was transformed. He passed all levels of studies with distinction, including the engineering degree in IIT, Madras, and after a long struggle ultimately became a rocket engineer, aerospace engineer and a technologist. The live example proved to be a turning point in his life, Mr Kalam concluded.

UNI BSP RS MS RN1819