Aviation historian Richard Hallion

Richard Hallion is eminent historian of aviation and one of the founders and curaters of Air and Space Museum in Washington, which has the largest number of visitors in the world. Hallion wrote many books, among them "Taking Flight" which deals with the development of aviation from dawn to present. Hallion is among the few historians who thinks that the invention of the airplane is particularly important and determines that the airplane completely changed the face of reality. But Hallion does not attribute to the development of aviation the same importance granted to it in "Holocaust and Aviation", as the most influential factor in shaping modern history. The reason for this, among other things, is that he does not use the concepts of Aerial Awarness and Aerial Conciousness.

Central role in the overall approach of researcing the airplane phenomenon is the use of the terms Aerial Awarness and Aerial Conciousness.

The term Aerial Awarness was created by researchers to explain the initial enthusiasm of the American people for the flying machine. In addition historians began to use the term to describe the nation's interest, of groups or individuals, in any aviation related subject. The term originally referred to the flight enthusiasm of flying machines, but its use also refers to all the traditions and symbols that make up the approach to the subject and the diversified practices of it.

The term Aerial Conciousness means wise use of aerial propoganda to create a complete world view. In other words, this is a unique culture based on the concepts of aviation.

Hallion consequently does not use the term Aerial Dictatorship. In the first half of the twentieth century four dictatorships were established based on Aerial Conciousness: Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, Soviet Union and Imperial Japan. In these countries the airplane was more than just a flying machine. While statesmen from Western powers saw the airplane only as key technology component and a measure of progress, dictatorships of aviation attributed to it also symbolism as the precursor to national pride.

Another important aviation historian, Peter Fritzsche, author of "Germany - a Nation of Pilots”, which parts of it are the basis of few chapters in “Holocaust and Aviation”, discusses the development of German Aerial Conciousness before the rise of the Nazis. He too sees aviation as very important phenomenon, but secondary to the complex social factors that have shaped the history of the 20th century. It may be that the book was a bold intellectual experience for him and he abandoned it as advancing in academic career.

Peter Fritzsche is missing the use of the term Flying Psychology, developed by the philosopher Gaston Bashelard. Aerial phenomenon provides general guidelines which are basic important psychological principles. Experiences of taking of, rising, height, lift, floating, hovering, depth, landing, sinking, fall and so on are the experiences that sum up the human mind above anything else. Nothing explain them but they explain everything. More simply, if a person wants to live and feel them and above all to compare them, he realizes that they have an initial quality and they are more natural than all the others.

Richard Hellion deals in the first part of his book with the dawn of flight dream in humanity, as a process of spiritual purification and scientific investigation. He describes flying legends in ancient cultures, the impact of birds on the Greek and Roman civilizations, the consciousness of the spiritual flight in early Christianity and Islam, and the insistence of individuals in the Middle Ages on aviation experiences with meager means. Then he moves to the beginning of the modern ages, with the invention of gunpowder that also led to the development of military use of rockets, and he ends with the description of the scientific conflicts in early industrial revolution era regarding the proper way by which one can bring a person into the sky.

The second part of Hellion's book is devoted to the invention of the balloon and airship. An important chapter deals with the 'Magnificent Year' of 1783 when the balloon was invented. First floated, in the same year and same city - Paris, balloons which soared by hot air or using hydrogen, in competition greatly resembling race into space of nowadays. Each of the inventions had advantages and disadvantages and they both together forever changed the face of society. Hellion describes the effect of the inventions of the balloon on Paris fashion, but he is not connecting the balloon to the French Revolution which began in 1789 and started one of the most important processes in human history which heralded the era of the modern democratic state. The Flying Psychology of Gaston Bashelard explains well how single technological invention was able to influence in such significant way French society and the whole world.

Hellion finishes his book, which deals primarily with the development of the aircraft at the beginning of the twentieth century with a major part devoted to the Wright Brothers, with an epilogue about the events of 11 September 2001, when a number of airliners that terrorists had kidnapped crashed on major buildings in the United States. The damage and the relative ease with which terrorists were able to act led to worsening security regulations, and a simultaneous decrease in the number of passengers in airplanes. Spectacular airplanes in the sky suddenly became scaring.

September 11, 2001 events are a direct continuation of the Nazi worldview. A similar concern was the head of the public agenda even before World War II. Stanley Baldwin, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in the early 1930th said that the man in the street has to realize that there is no place where the strategic bomber is not able to get and it is better if the airplane had not been invented, but it is now mandatory to incorporate it in religious values.

Hellion states that like all technological inventions, whether the aircraft is good or bad depends on who use it and briefly reviews other periods in the 20th century when the airplane was described as precursor of human solidarity on the one hand, but was used as a weapon in destructive wars. He focuses on Nazi Germany and quotes the last lines from the diary of Joseph Goebbels, written in Hitler's bunker in Berlin shortly before their suicides, in which he wrote that the issue of helplessness against air superiority of Allied bombers which constantly bombarded German soil was repeated on and on in his last conversations with Hitler.

Hellion, like the rest of aviation historians, hardly applies in his book to the contribution of Nazi Germany to the development of modern aviation. Aviation achievements were the mainstay of the regime but they contradicted all his evil deeds. In addition, Hellion may wish to emphasize the contribution of his homeland to the development of aviation and space technologies. The process worked out by the Nazi political leadership, which combined the construction of the world's most sophisticated airplanes with the establishing the mechanism for genocides  of innocent folks, is described in detail in “Holocaust and Aviation” only. It was a process of trial and error of integrated ideology and technology, where the sense of Nazi racial superiority intensified together with their aerial superiority and their need of jenocides intensified as their air superiority declined.

The moral aspect which occurs as by itself let “Holocaust and Aviation” be a poetic and healing research for the soul, contrary to Holocaust studies of the academic establishment, which focuses on conventional explanations and therefore it is still a 'black hole' for them. Aviation is the cornerstone of Israel's security and this gap created social crisis that results in deep social fracture. Holocaust rememberance is incomplete.

The author of these lines grew up as a teenager in the 1960th and experienced the Yom Kippur War. It formed the stimulus for a mental turnaround that led to writing “Holocaust and Aviation” on the foundation of his parents' memories, who were holocaust survivors, memories which he recorded and edited. This multi-year process was done while watching the awakening of public interest in the Holocaust as the clear gap between everyday life of post-modern era to questions of history and future became obvious.

The Many international crises occurred after significant breakthrough in aviation development in the 20th century raise the question of what will be, in the foreseeable future, major developments in aviation. There are four different directions of development, each of which bestows on the other:

a. Space is gaining maximum public attention and the people of planet earth will gradually reach more meaningful and distant places through powerful missiles and large spaceships, mostly unmanned.

B. Automatic unmanned airplanes with elaborate guidance technology will replace mankind in the celestial wilderness. The drones rapidly replace manned military aircraft and the process has huge influence on civil aviation.

C. Personal aviation, in which each person will own an aircraft, will grow immensly in scope. Recreational aviation is very popular nowdays, after it become affordable and available to all. But the big push will be to bring important means of advanced propulsion and guidance to solve the range, navigation and landing problems in 3D reality.

D. Economic aviation using the floating principle, which takes advantage of the air cushion created between the airplane's wings and the ground when flying only a few feet above it, will replace traditional shipping routes and will bring development to remote sea shores.

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Aviation and the 1960th

Spiritual flight is central symbol of the human spirit and freedom. Aviation, so important to national security, is a center of human interest and endeavor. Naturally, mechanical aviation is associated with spiritual flight. Aviation development allows short and sound historical commentary of modern times.

‘Sixties’ in popular culture is a term used to describe counterculture and social norms revolution in clothing, music, drugs, art, customs, emancipation of women and others, which characterized the decade from 1963 to 1974 or so, and has significant influence to these days. Conservatives condemned the decade as suffering from excess of extravagance, responsibility and social order decay, because of social taboos relaxation that occurred during the period.

Sixties have become synonymous in politics around the world with new, radical events and trends and political subversion. In Africa it was major period of radical political change and approximately 32 countries received their independence from colonial rule. Equal rights demands in the developed world, especially demonstrations of blacks in U.S. under leadership of Martin Luther King, changed the political map. In Middle East, Israel won the Six Day War of June 1967 with a quick and glorious victory over the enemies surrounding it.

More than any decade, 1960th will be remembered because of the permissive youth culture, developed mainly in Western developed world in North America and Europe as Hippie Subculture. It evolved together with the expansion of mass media but rejected it. Subculture activists, pacifist and anti-capitalist, rejected the values ​​of their parents' generation and spoke out against old sexual and social taboos, with marijuana and birth control pill at their hand. Rock bands and Pop art were pioneers of this culture. London was known as celebration capital excelled in Hippie culture of manners, style, music and art, all young and original.

The Summer of Love was a social phenomenon that occurred during the summer of 1967, when as many as 100,000 people converged on the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco, initiating a major cultural and political shift. Although Hippies also gathered in major cities across the U.S., Canada and Europe, San Francisco remained the epicenter of the social earthquake that would come to be known as the Hippie Revolution. The city became even more of a melting pot of politics, music, drugs for mind expansion, creativity, and the total lack of sexual and social inhibition than it already was. As the Hippie counterculture movement came farther and farther forward into public awareness, the activities centered therein became a defining moment of the 1960s, causing numerous 'ordinary citizens' to begin questioning everything and anything about them and their environment as a result. This unprecedented gathering of young people is often considered to have been a social experiment, because of all the alternative lifestyles which became more common. Woodstock Music Festival in August 1968 is considered to be the definitive nexus for the larger counterculture generation.

Some commentators see this period as end of classic cycle of ending of a rigid culture, unable to contain requirements for greater individual freedom of the younger generation, who freed themselves from social constraints of the previous age through extreme behaviour. However, this alone does not explain the mass nature of the phenomenon.

In the International relationship arena world peace has deteriorated considerably during the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union, which almost resulted in nuclear holocaust in 1962 and 1973. Establishment of Berlin Wall and Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia demonstrated the ongoing diplomatic rift between the two superpowers. Cold War was manifested in conventional military wars, specially in Vietnam and the Arab-Israeli conflict. It was manifested especially in technological arms race. Most of this arms race was of ballistic missiles with atomic warheads.

As part of military balance of terror the super powers were armed with thousands of missiles with nuclear warhead. This race lasted about thirty years, from the 1950th to the 1980th. It stopped after U.S.A and U.S.S.R signed agreements of partial dismantling of these weapons which a small percentage of them could destroy the whole world.

The arms race of the Cold War created hostility and cultural and social disconnect between the capitalist and communist blocks. The nuclear confrontation created a strange time for the individual too on both sides. World was controlled by a small number of politicians and generals, so none of ordinary citizens, everywhere, knew what will bring next day. Sense of logic was missing in world politics. Insanity of the arms race created suspicion among the youth in every corner on the planet. It created the post-modern, underlying despair and skepticism towards the establishment, with a need for relying only on self and search for alternative culture haven.

Arm race had a by product of civil race to space with a relatively small budget and using military technology. It began by sending the first satellite and first man into space by U.S.S.R and reached its climax in landing of the first man on the moon by U.S.A. In sharp contrast to the early Hippies culture, 1960th technological achievements were outstanding.

Missiles reached very important place in the media after World War II. The front place in the headlines was analogous to that of the airplanes before the war. Missiles had become the largest flame in the global campfire. Television was nicknamed Global Electronic Campfire, referring to the few available channels where all news and entertainments programs were broadcasted.

Subject of nuclear missiles is seemingly incomprehensible by ordinary citizens. In fact it is nothing but a modern form of the intense and irrational fire which is the basis of civilization, as Freud described. These are the instincts that are operating and simmering beneath civilization. Ballistic missiles are perceived in human consciousness as most dangerous weapon on one hand, but as exhilarating means of transportation to conquer space on the other. Ballistic missiles, as result of the terror balance they created with global armament, are paralyzing the spine with fear reflex. Paradoxically, through the powerful vertical flight to uncharted boundaries, they also free us from this fear.

In the 1950th fear of atomic missiles attack was in top of global agenda. In 1960th conquest of space, managed by the same rocket scientists, became gradually the most important issue.

In 1959, first cosmonauts and astronauts were chosen. Golden Age of the race to conquer space started. Short time intervals occurred between launching missiles of the parties, each of which represented a significant technological improvement over its predecessor. Each launch was more impressive. It was a race similar any race, vivid, fascinating, prestigious and with lots of followers. The Space Race was with stressed schedules, so countless rockets and satellites of both sides crashed. Biggest failures were that of the Soviets.

On 12 April 1961 Yuri Gagarin was launched into space and became first human who view whole planet earth. First American astronaut, Alan Shepard , was launched a month after Gagarin flight.

Experience of Gagarin and all cosmonauts and astronauts after him is holistic experience of united world, a result of a floating weightless in space, along with viewing beautiful planet earth, knowing that they are at the top of an advanced technology enterprise and eyes of the world are watching them. This holistic world view penetrate gradually to the international political arena.

Ecstasy gripped the Soviets after the landing and was used by their political leaders for expanding internal and international influence. Sending the first man into space created a global resonance. It was a tremendous blow to American prestige that forced president Kennedy to announce launch of a man to the moon within ten years. Kennedy turned to former Nazi rocket scientist Von Braun to formulate a plan that would put U.S.A back in first place. Von Braun wrote in reply that he believes it is possible to land on the moon before the Soviets. Kennedy made historic speech to the American people to devote themselves to achieving this goal by the end of the 1960th.

Second half of the 1960th were climax of the race to conquer space with the American program to land a man on the moon on top. American Apollo program began to take shape, while Gemini program progressed rapidly at the same time and pairs of astronauts were launched almost every two months in competition with the Soviets.

Koriolov, head of the Soviet space program, also received approval to fly to the moon, with rocket N-1, but with a limited budget. At the same time he designed the spacecraft to carry cosmonauts there. In 1969 N-1first launch failed in a huge explosion on the launch pad, thus ended the space race between the United States with secret decision of Soviet leaders to stop investing in it. It was fatal mistake of the Soviet leadership which preferred to invest instead in military missiles. Soviets opened the space race and led at first by a big margin. Not only they launched the first satellite, first animal and the first man, but also the first satellite to the Moon. They made the first spacewalk and created the first and very successful space station. All of this may have led to complacency sense down the road, which U.S. utilized to catch up.

Even today the achievements of the U.S.A does not overshadow those of the Soviets. Soviet experience in space was well expressed during the construction of the International Space Station. They recognized before the Americans the importance of the near space and operated large space station for decades. Their lessons were important for the construction of the ISS, of which the first component was launched in 1998 and it is in ongoing construction in 2013.

Half a billion people worldwide watched TV broadcasting launching Apollo -9. On 20 July 1969 Neil Armstrong landed on the moon. It was a small step for man, a giant leap for mankind. It took all of humanity to a new reality, seemingly magical.

Von Braun initiated another five successful manned flights to the Moon. The fact that the Nazi rocket scientists ran the space program of U.S.A added confusion for the younger generation, who could not tolerate it, together with the continuing arms race, regional conflicts and dictating media dominance.

1960th were the best example of the gap that existed between government aviation programs and personal spiritual flying experience. Although in this period mankind had reached the peak in mechanical flight, on Earth drug culture was developed with many young people engaged in it, looking in this way for their the personal flying experience. It could perhaps be concluded that Western countries civilization has reached maturity with the understanding that there is not allegedly a link between the spiritual flying experience and the fascinating flight of airplanes and spaceships. Large passenger airplanes became common in the 1960th and flight in them became dull as bus traveling. But the extensive drug culture for mind expansion shows rather that the youth felt frustrated as a result of the control of a small elite of all aviation and space technology, together with all economic, technological and cultural advantages it gave them.

Since all significant aviation and space operations were in exclusive control, political, social and economic elite concluded that they can create direct continuation of this situation through a strategy to create stable society. It was called Strategy of Desire. Psychological advertisement was main tool for distributing this strategy which was originally created by Freud’s nephew in the 1930th and adopted by totalitarian and democratic regimes as well. It is psychological conditioning where the material new product is not intended to provide just direct need, but also indirect psychological need. It create material surrounding to strengthen the self with consumer products that have ability to uncover hidden desires and give people sense of common identity with those around them. Most powerful people in the world were those who could read or even generate public opinion, in order to satisfy the masses by providing profitable products, through advertisements in the then few existing mass media channels.

But psychologists have discovered how difficult it is to understand and influence the internal structure of personality. They chased a ghost idea by which the human mind can be manipulated and influenced from outside by external factors. They found that humans are much more complex creatures. Application of childish psychoanalysis received sharp criticism for not answering fundamental problems and needs, such as  neglect of youth and creating problems of surplus products.

Emptiness created by artificial abundance resulted in emotional frustration. Humans have a wide range of emotional expressions that need a living space and should not be forced with normative consumerism. Source of evil is not internal conflict but society itself. This debate spilled over into violence in the 1960th. Resistance to mass consumer culture brought waves of protest, influenced by thinkers who opposed the theory of Freud as interpreted by the establishment. Student protest movements have been established, they tried to confront directly with the ruling establishment which shaped their lives not according to their will.

May 1968 events in France, birth place of modern aviation and French Revolution, were a volatile period of civil unrest punctuated by massive general strikes and the occupation of factories and universities across France. It was largest general strike ever attempted in France and first ever nation-wide wildcat general strike. In the height of its fervor, the unrest virtually brought the entire advanced capitalist economy of France to a dramatic halt. The events had a resounding impact on French society that would be felt for decades to come.

Events began with a series of student occupation protests, followed by strikes involving 11,000,000 workers, more than 22% of the total population of France at the time, for two continuous weeks and its impact was such that it almost caused the collapse of French President Charles de Gaulle's government. The movement was characterized by its spontaneous and de-centralized wildcat disposition. This created contrast and sometimes even conflict between itself and the establishment trade unions and workers parties.

Student occupations and wildcat general strikes initiated across France were met with forceful confrontation by university administrators and police. Tall de Gaulle administration's attempts to quell those strikes by police action only inflamed the situation further, leading to street battles with the police in the Latin Quarter, followed by the spread of general strikes and occupations throughout France. Protests reached such a point that government leaders feared civil war or revolution. Tall de Gaulle went to a French military base in Germany and after returning dissolved the National Assembly and called for new parliamentary elections for 23 June 1968. Violence evaporated almost as quickly as it arose. Workers went back to their jobs, and when elections were finally held in June, the Gaullist party emerged even stronger than before.

Uprising failed. As a result, young people began gradually thinking that if it is impossible to eliminate the mind police by eliminating corporations and the state, there should be a way to enter the mind and get rid in it of the control mechanism they implanted in it. This in purpose to create a new self and consequently a new society, by reaching full human potential through internal search. One of the dominant techniques designed to release the mind and teach the human being to be itself was the seminars of Werner Erhard. According to Erhard, the idea that every individual has a core of self is another way to limit personal freedom. In reality there is no fixed self. The purpose of his seminars was to expose the layers of personality up to the last and most internal ones, to find out that the nucleus is essentially meaningless. As humans shed all their personality layers to the last one, they found that what remains is an empty space.

Empty space is a great place to stand and an outstanding starting point to start from. Only from empty space it is possible to create originality and design life that are invented honestly. Be what you want to be. Without linking to it directly, Erhard's teachings have a direct connection to the conquest of space. One can compare the astronaut in white space suit, a tiny figure floating in outer space against the dark void, to the insights of personality’s internal empty space.

There are many similarities between 1960th to the 1930th. Fascism and Nazism were carried out by young people in a radical turn to the nationalist right, as a result of what they thought was irresponsible and decaying social order.

Futurism was dominant artistic and social movement that flourished in Italy at the first half of the 20th century and is significant to these days. It was largely Italian, but there were parallel movements also in Russia, England and many other countries. Futurism turned to the feelings of modern man with his experiencing of new means of mass production, electricity grid, radio, television, cinema, phones network, modern home appliances, advanced cars and highways, airplanes and fast food. These changes influenced all aspects of life and in this way altered the modes of expression of the poet and painter. Futurism expressed an intense loathing for all that is old, especially political and artistic tradition. Futurists admired speed, technology, youth and violence. They liked the car, airplane and the industrial city. All of these represented for them triumph of human technology over nature. Futurists artists were in most art fields, including painting, sculpture, ceramics, graphic design, industrial design, interior design, theater, film, fashion, literature, music, architecture and even gastronomy. Airplane became major player in the Futurist drama. Aerial paintings were at top of Futurist art achievements and typical of the final stage of Futurism development in the late 1930th and early 1940th.

There were many links between Nazism and Futurism. Love of the future and youth, love of modernization and technology, violence, nationalism, war and more. Hitler and other leaders of the Nazi movement started their ideological career in the spiritual associations 'Tula' and 'Vril'. These were just two of many cults for spiritual development, inspired by famous spiritualist figures from the 19th century. Tula was the cult were Hitler practiced his mental skills in his early stages. Berlin’s Vril and Munich’s Thule were interested in society and politics as well as with personal development and science. Members held concentration exercises, yoga and meditation. Head of the cults was professor Karl Haushofer, a retired general from World War I and a student of Japanese samurais, Tibetan shamans and famous Russian mystic Gurdjieff who was popular in the 1960th as well. Haushofer eventually became central pillar in the Nazi movement as professor of Geopolitics who conceived the notion of Living Space, was mentor of Mein Kampf and designer of Nazi’s international strategy and extreme form of eugenics policy.

In early 20th century use of intoxicant drugs, nowadays forbidden by law, was legal and common. There is a theory that one source of Hitler's mental distortion and that of many of his followers originates from drugs use, including hallucinogens. Hitler recognized the immense popularity of intoxicants in his time and his Nazi party offered colorful substitute for drug addiction which became another addiction for childish minds. Hitler was addicted to drugs, including amphetamines from his personal physician. They were originally used to calm tensions but they had huge impact on his fateful decisions. He acted under influence of euphoric feeling. During the war use of stimulants was common among front line fighters of German army with prescriptions from military doctors.

Feminism, sexual tolerance and equal rights were a major difference between 1930th and the 1960th. Futurist and Nazis believed that women's place is at home.

However, debate regarding Nazism and Holocaust in particular were deleted in 1960th from public agenda of the establishment and that of the Hippies as well. Rocket scientists did not like recalling their dark past and Hippies did not like the similarity between their youth subculture to that of the 1930th. Holocaust became a Black Hole in the public mind in the same fashion of black holes of deep space.

In 1960th long wild hair was very common among the youth. Long hair, flapping in the wind, is best expression of the air element in human body. The musical ‘Hair’ is one of most important cultural symbols of the 1960th. 'Hair' depict the short life of a rebellious young man, who is sent to Vietnam as a soldier and dies in the war.

As in the musical, the era of 1960th ended with defeat, in Vietnam and Yom Kippur wars, of United States and its Western allies.

Cold War continued after these wars, but the parties understood that the arms race is too dangerous and acted for arms reduction. Although at first defeated in the Domino game of international relationship, achievements of the Americans in the race to space, particularly manned missions to the moon and space shuttle launches, kept their political, social and technological advantage up to the 2010th. 

Cold war walls collapsed because of the revolution in sport aviation in the West during the 1980th. During this period the wind glider and and ultralight airplane were invented and became very popular among the youth due to their cheap cost. Private pilot liscence which was until those days very expansive to get, became affordable to the average youth and with it came immense creative energy input to society. Communist U.S.S.R was more oriented then the West toward regarding aviation as cultural trademark for society mobilization, but its dictatorial regime was indoctrinating and could not assimilate the free spirit needed for personal aviation.

Oigins of the world energy crisis, which effects even the economies of 2010th, are in Yom Kipur war of 1973. In retrospective the energy crisis can be described as a plan from outer space to take care of fragile planet earth ecology, in times when global heating is of great danger to it. High prices of oil force developing substitutes technologies of clean energy.

1960th ended with a crisis that strengthened the alternative cultures of the period in western democracies. Alternative culture became progressively central, through engaging topics such as environment, sustainability, self improvement, spirituality, religion, Holocaust, individual rights, cultural pluralism and more. these are nowadays in the core of Western culture.

Ex Hippies from California developed the personal computer as new form of self expression. Most international media and communication today is via the Internet which gradually replace the traditional newspaper, television and phone. Internet, with its infinite channels, symbolize the potential for personal aviation and spiritual flight experience for every human being.

Source:

Holocaust and Aviation

Nazi Germany Aviation as Major Cause for the Holocaust

Aviation, Economy, Globalism and Localism

Aviation, more than anything else, emphasized the relationship between national aspirations and technological advancement. Because It promised military advantage along with controlling the forces of nature, aviation became obvious criterion, best and most effective sign of success, personal, social and national. Aviation systems are heavily dependent on other services, chaining the whole defense and civil system. Financial cost of air weapons is enormous.

Aviation is equally inextricably involved with personal existential dimension. There is relationship between the development of aviation and human development. This is due to the importance of the experience of flying in the reality of creative imagination. ‘Flight of ideas’ is not a worn phrase. Flight is the engine of our thoughts and aviation is a tangible expression of it, much like the flight of birds in the past. Aviation images were very popular during the first half of the 20th century because they expressed ability and opportunity. World of Aviation was perceived as being rich in resources, so everyone could find his own world in it. The airplane expressed desire to control the physical world and thinkers of the Golden Age of Aviation treated it as a superb political machine. Working class can breathe a sigh of relief, said Bertolt Brecht because aviation heralded a better future for him. Russia made the airplane almost religious icon. It represented G-d and the salvation of man. Aviation was designed to release the Russian nation from the shackles of the past, when most Russians were slaves and serfs of the emperor and nobility. Underdeveloped society expected a quick transition to the level of most advanced and powerful nation in the world.

Nowadays the dramatic impact of airplanes as technological innovation largely faded, but in the second half of the 20th century airplanes, and even more the missile, had decisive impact on the international political system. It is very difficult to estimate the economic return resulting from investments in aviation development. Means of modern aviation usually finish their use after several years as junk and give way to a new generation. Preliminary decisions may turn out to be mistaken, and changing them costs a fortune. Every decision in this area is a strategic military, economic and political decision that affects deeply the nerves of any state.

Here are two examples:

‘Lavi’ fighter project of Israel was canceled in advanced stage, because it was considered too expensive. Critics argued that Israel will turn into 'airplane that has a state’. This economic decision weakened the political status of Israel as an independent state. Corruption scandal uncovered at the time led to increased prices of fighter planes from U.S.A. Savings achieved eventually by cancelling the project were minimal. Cancellation of the Lavi was thought by enemies of Israel as expression of mind weakness. Some time later a wave of suicide terrorism started.

Sweden faced similar dilemma. Despite financial burdens, it decided to develop its own fighter plane. Following this decision Sweden is considered now days more independent politically and economically. All technologically related industries, such as electronics and automobiles, continued keeping competitive advantage.

High costs of developing modern means of aviation, along with the ability to move with airplanes high above physical obstacles, contributed much to utopian vision of united world. Aviation did so probably a lot more than any other idea or technological innovation in history. First pilots expressed utopian ideas and intentions, but failed to prevent two world wars in 20th century.

Space flight too caused a shift in public perception of the world. Earth from space looks as magical oasis, green and blue, small and fragile against black space that surround it. Astronauts impressions gradually filtered into international public consciousness, particularly after constructing of International Space Station .

Today, economy of the world is greatly global. Economic benefits win national aspirations. But globalization does not guarantee economic rationality. It may create a sense of economic dizziness, similar to that prior the Great Depression of the 1930th. Chronological proximity of the Great Depression with Golden Age of Aviation is indicative of the relations between them. Spiritual vision is the dream of every individual, and aviation is vital for securing the skies.

Greatest ordeal of a any state is whether it is capable of holding aviation strategy, using the appropriate resources, including personnel, media etc., by understanding the nature and vulnerability of itself. Successes and failures of air forces throughout history were resulted not on account of date but due to circumstances. Not technology, but foresight and understanding of aviation management equation correctly, recognition of the importance of supporting factors, played a major role. It created great opportunity for personal interpretation.

Swinging 1920th were age of euphoria, a result of eliminating physical limits thanks to airplane and radio. Economic behaviour became greedy. Financial pyramid schemes were popular and so were baseless acquisitions of real estates. The law of prohibition in U.S.A was ignored and the number of bars had more than doubled over the period. Sports stars salaries became imaginary. But the real sport was buying and selling of stocks. Stock market surge in the 1920th was psychological. Public followed it eagerly. It was popular as popular sports. Speculations were amazing. It was unbelievable. Everybody engaged in speculation and speculation only. People hovered in the air, losing ground underfoot. No one cared. Market created a fake, made ​​fake prosperity, finding its expert commentators. High-tech stocks took an important part in the stock market soaring. They prompted speculators to raise the stocks to extreme level.

It is possible to link between the financial crisis of 2008 to the existence of the International Space Station, expansion of cheap air travel and rapid development of personal aviation. They all create a sense of global utopia, but do not guarantee robust economy and society.

Aviation does not guarantee real rational behavior as normal trade does. Regular trade is an equation where two sides benefits equally and it is a Win-Win game. Aviation as a trade give unique advantages to its operators.

Nobody is interested in a global vision in which he does not have full equality. Globalization is controlled by giant corporations, based in developed countries. These corporations control the civil life in their countries. Developed countries span technological and economic umbrella over developing countries.

Any individual in modern society suffers from stresses: personal, professional, economic, political and more. When pressures are local, the individual finds easy ways to relax. When pressures arise from a remote source, the result is often alienation, helplessness and exhaustion. Today, communication satellites network circle planet earth. The most common broadcasting channels are small local stations.

Economy has not yet found the mechanism for fair competition in globalization. Competition is sacred value of human society. It highlights the best over the worst. After World War I few stagnated European empires disintegrated into dozens of small vivid nation states.

There are unique problems in aviation itself:

Pilot training is a dangerous activity. During World War I most pilot casualties were a result of accidents. To be suspended between heaven and earth is not trivial. Particularly dangerous is landing, which is the transition from transparent and divine sky to the tough ground. What appear initially as a calm activity is actually totally engaging, with multi challenges, of many options and many risks. Pilots are required to adjust to a new 3D aerial orientation perception which vary greatly from that of normal human 2D on earth.

Airlines passengers often experience a sense of loss in flight. Fast distance leaps stress and epidemic dangers, fear of heights, jet lags resulting from disruption of biological clock, boredom of being for long hours in air desert and more, cause significant increase of weakness and depression. Depression and fatigue are common nowadays more than any time.

There is no better cure for depression than coming home to supportive environment. There is an African proverb: 'It take a village to raise a child’. This wise proverb describe the strong forces pushing people towards Localism.

There is therefore uncertainty and rotation between global and local visions. This cycle which individuals are passing influence also countries with great powers. Each country debate on the subject.

Good examples of the conflict between Globalism and Localism are:

Continuing debate about Colonialism in the 19th century.

Political divide between left and right in modern countries. Wiemar Republic failed because its leaders failed to express German Localism compared to the Nazis who emphasized and highlighted it by violating the Treaty of Versailles and investing of large part of the national budget in aviation.

Wars in Iraq and other developed countries. Major players in the international arena fails to impose order in developed countries, because there is a persistent minority who still prefer local interests, which are usually that of familial and ethnic groups.

The result of this conflict is that we live in partial Globalism. The international system is a conflict between few partners competing for hegemony in world markets.

This competition is best reflected in the aerospace industry:

Space industry of the Soviet Union didn’t allocate enough resources to develop the Soviet space shuttle when it was slightly behind the American space program. The result of stopping the project was a huge deterioration in international prestige of the Soviet Union, which led ultimately to its collapse. Russia, which emerged out of the collapse; was in deep economic recession and found international markets almost blocked to the many products of its aerospace industry. Russians are now working hard to return to international markets.

Americans collaborate in building the international space station 'Freedom' with many other countries and especially Russia. This step is essentially economic, but has far-reaching political implications. It maintain world peace, but at the same time open a doorway for Russia's return to the status of the Soviet Union together with the Cold War.

Europe is currently a political and economic union. European Union invest in some aerospace programs, knowing that this is the key to continued stability development. Airbus company, which manufactures advanced passenger airplanes all over Europe, is one of the flagships of the Union. EU has serious economic and social problems, particularly in light of the technological and economic gap between North to South states. Having a brilliant showcase space program of its own may change the situation.

China's economy depends on export of its goods worldwide. Yet the Chinese are developing independent space industry targeted for man made missions, in purpose of creating a much needed sense of identity, authenticity, originality and national prestige, prestige that each successful space mission brings.

India sends probes to Moon and Mars, in order to create the image of technologically advanced superpower. Competition with China is a major consideration in investing many resources in this race.

Japan was defeated in the technology intensive competition on world markets against cheap China. Economic strategy chosen by Japan is printing money to the markets in order to rescue its economy from ongoing recession. This policy mimics the economic rescue measures of the United States. Japan's space policy too favors more international cooperation, through the International Space Station partnership where it has a separate unit.

Clumsiness of the crystallization of Globalism nowadays shows that it can become huge conflict, in light of the individual's dependence on his family, community and ethnic group in which he grew up and was developed. Globalism failed again and again throughout history because it had always a central control mechanism, liberal but authoritative.

Many empires rose and declined while representing the world’s best of their time.

Huns defeated the Romans, Mongols defeated the Chinese, Indians defeated the British. The fate of the Jewish people in the diaspora is proof of that. They always paid the highest price for the faith in united world. German Jews are the best example.

Aviation development highlighted excessively, in a demagogic style, any social gap. For many radical groups aviation was a symbolic primary weapon, legitimate in their eyes, vital and destructive.

It was used for radical change by unsatisfied political movements, such as Nazism or Islamic terrorism. Its high profile made any aviation operation successful eventually, even if it failed. Governments attention for it only fueled the conflicts.

Spiritual flying experience is the secret dream of every individual. It involves natural and organic connection with many life aspects and systems. During maturation of the Aviation Age, when airplanes became the primary means of war and flight became, in parallel, mass experience, there was dramatic shift in the expectations of many people. They experienced frustration, loss of control, lack of social balance, euphoria and crash out of hopes. Disappointment was much stronger than the hope at the beginning of the era.

1960s are perhaps the best example of the gap that the global aviation program for personal flying experience. Although this period mankind has reached its peak in flight, through launching man to the moon, on earth drug culture was developed and youth were on recreational drugs, looking this way for personal flying experience with mind expansion. It may be concluded that Western countries reached maturity in aviation development with the understanding that there is no link between the psychological flying experience and the fascinating experience of flying in airplanes which became more boring than bus travelling, but it was rather that the youth felt frustrated as a result the aviation experience in space, with all the advantage economic and technological that it gave to narrow elite only.

Use of passenger planes by terrorists in September 2001 attack and the decisive response of the United States indicates that aviation remain, locally and globally alike, in the forefront of the human soul and that the relationship between spiritual flight experience mechanical flying experience will stay forever.

Description of the intense conflict between globalization and Localism produced by aviation development was brought by famous science fiction writer HG Wells. In 1907 Wells published a book: "War in the Air". The book describe the destruction of the world as a result of global air war between the superpowers. War begins as personal war mongering by a German airship captain. The result is the rapid spread of war throughout the world, a global destruction of civilian population centers, after which the economy get back to a primordial status, as well as non ending of the war, which continues somewhere else after the hero returns to his destroyed native village.

Few more books of Wells are: "Shape of Things to Come" from 1936. This book describe the collapse of the international political system after World War I, ending in devastating global air war. After the world is destroyed, somewhere few pilots survived, with airplanes that the use fore trade transport connection from place to place. Their transportation monopoly encourage them to establish the 'Dictatorship of Aviation'. This is global association of airlines which

manage wisely the world as a whole. The organization's first conference is held in the city of Basra. The book became a movie in 1938. UK viewers view on screen swarms of bombers bombing London. The public reaction was that this is pure science fiction that there is no chance that it will materialize.

Wells described in his the book "world Set Free" the atomic holocaust , and in "Island of Dr. Moreau" the abominations of genetic modifications on the basis of race theory. He won the honor of kings after World War II, as his most visions realized.

Wells was a believer in global government, composed of the educated elite. Yet full realization of the vision seems very difficult today, because of the question 'who will be the boss' and ongoing struggle between globalization and Localism in many places around the world, particularly Arab and Muslim world where the extended family institution is dominant. 

Historical experience shows that during the thousands of years of human culture adolescence experience remained similar. Each generation strive to re-invent the world. Humanity has evolved through leaps of thought, derived largely as a result of enlightenment experience of individuals. Enlightenment is momentary flash of inspiration and insight in which a solution pops up for existing problem. Enlightenment may be derived or developed, in many cases, in connection to the experience of spiritual flight, which is momentary disengagement from the shackles of gravity and hovering over reality. So Aviation, which is the realistic expression of spiritual flight, is appropriate activity to stimulate enlightenments. It is the arena were enlightrnment can be found, developed and approved. In absence of appropriate cultural heritage for aviation transportation revolution, polarity between Globalism and Localism may continue for the foreseeable future, especially as means of aviation will increase. The more there will be there will be more people who will be interested in personal spiritual flight. The wish of flight is in the base of mankind's consciousness.

Source:

Holocaust and Aviation

Nazi Germany Aviation as Major Cause for the Holocaust

Poetic and Healing Research

Part A – Chapter 2

Aviation importance to humanity

Author: Avinoam Amizan

Gaston Bachelard and his book Air and Dreams

Main

Like any previous transportation revolution, from the wheel up to the steamer, Aviation gave its masters the tools for world conquest. But unlike land and sea which are the cradle of human activity, Air is a completely new field of activity. Humanity lacks the cultural background to connect the imaginary vision of flight, central for mental development, to practical aviation activity. The dialectic between flight and airplane is vague and destructive. Problematic relationship between aviation and flight were prominent in the case of Nazi efforts to become world rulers while accelerating aviation development with Racialism.

Content

Famous French philosopher Gaston Bachelard [1884-1962] specialized in the role of imagination. His concept of ‘Dynamic Imagination’ is valuable to anyone interested in developing creative abilities.

According to Bachelard, Imagination is created by any movement. Human will is to integrate with that movement. Thought is the search for way how to do it in practice. Philosopher who wishes to understand mankind must concentrate on learning the poets.

Bachelard described the benefits for the imagination as a result of being united with a one of the four material elements. These elements are good conductors of all that is real and provide continuity to the imaginative mind. World of phenomena present in this way primary examples of change and movement. ‘Poetic End’ is a precursor to the practical end needed by the organism.

In his book ‘Air and Dreams’, published in 1942, Bachelard describes the psychological concepts of flying experience.

Any element which the imagination practice is capable of producing special sublimation, purification and clarification. Aerial sublimation is of the purest type. It is carried on with a light dialectical clarification.

It looks as the flying creature moves beyond the actual atmosphere in which it is flying. There's always room to rise further and the Absolute is the final stage of the consciousness of freedom created in this way. The adjective linked most to the noun ‘Air’ is ‘Free’! Natural air is free air.

The aerial phenomena are the most obvious and regular. They give us guidelines to very important psychological feelings: standing up, growth, climbing, flying and purification. These feelings are the basic principles of Developmental Psychology that can be called ‘Flight Psychology’.

In the heart of every psychological phenomenon there is a real sense of verticality. This verticality is not empty rhetoric. It is a principle of order, scale over which a person can experience various degrees of emotions. Mental life, all delicate and subtle feelings, hopes and fears, moral forces involved in our future, have vertical differential, in the full geometrical meaning of the word. Especially notable are the images and thoughts associated with the fundamental values of the soul: freedom, joy, lightness, sublimation.

Elevation, depth, decline, fall, etc., are axiomatic metaphors par excellence. Nothing explain them and they explain everything. In simple language, if a person wishes to live them, feel them, and above all combine them with real life, he realizes their primary quality and naturalness. It is impossible to express moral values ​​without reference to the vertical axis. Every nerve in the body is a vertical transmitter. The imaginary air is a mental growth hormone for mankind.

If we want to really know how things evolve, the first thing to do is to determine the extent of which they make us heavier or lighter. The positive or negative vertical differential indicates well their impact and purpose for the mind.

First principle of the ‘Ascending Imagination’ is: of all metaphors, the vertical metaphors, such as light, height, elevation, depth, decline, fall, are consensus metaphors above all else. Nothing explain them and they explain everything. More simply, if a person wants to live, feel and above all compare them, he realizes that they have primary quality and are more natural than all others. They are the best expressions of almighty Gravity. Man has to learn to weight them in order to know their value for him.

Although this intangible aerial metaphors concerns us more than substantial metaphors, our language is not adapted to them specifically. Language is conditioned by forms and cannot easily make the picturesque images of dynamic height.

Nevertheless, these images have extraordinary power. They control the dialectic of enthusiasm and despair. Vertical boldness is so vital and clear. Its superiority can not be disputed. The mind can not turn away from it after recognizing its immediate and direct meaning. It is unable to express moral values ​​without regard to vertical axis. After studying the physics of poetry and physics of ethics we believe that any courage is vertical.

Individual images are the effective way to define vertical orientation. The focus on individual expressions allows us to experience a unique tonal quality of the aerial hopes, hopes that are not disappointing us because they are not heavy. These hopes are associated with words of hope, words of the inner immediate future which let us discover new ideas, exciting and fresh, original ideas that are our new treasure.

Aerial imagination imagery evaporate or freeze quickly. We therefore always capture them between constantly active two poles.

The words 'wing' and 'cloud' provide evidence for the bi-polar quality within a single aerial image. They may be a mirror or an illusion, a drawing or a dream. They carry the ambivalence of grim reality or soft imaginary. They are metaphors before being analyzed as nouns and adjectives. But only for a short moment we capture their exact meaning for us. We trust these poetic images which are too non-physical, but does it willingly.

Aerial imagery impact the entire entity. After we got very high and far we certainly find ourselves in a state of open imagination. Images of freedom present a problem if their various stages are not tested one by one. Same difficulty exist with truths delivered in open and liberating air. In the Infinite Air dimensions are deleted and we come into contact with non-dimension material that gives us a sense of total internal purification. We are in a state of repose and movement at the same time.

After we arrived by air so far and high the mind is carried away out of control as by drug. Eager to try the upper air reality, the imagination will double any impression by adding any new available image to it. In its new different form, the mind express a resemblance between ambiguous contradictory images, which blur the colors of good and evil and violate the most stable laws governing the values ​​of humanity. The end result of this yearning may be ambivalent moral significance.

There is, naturally, the journey down. Fall, even before moral metaphors intervene, is constant psychic reality. But the images of dynamic falling are few and poor, in contrast to the numerous images of ascension. Psychological downfall is simple, negative, short, scary, meaningless, isolated, nothing, emptiness. It has poetic and moral value only when it is connected to the positive dynamic verticality which is clear and rich in images and contribute to rising up.

Mental slope is constantly changing. If the slope increases, the person straighten up. Paths to greatness are created among us in this task. Everything in the mind is a path. Each path encourages us to soar.

Indeed things are growing. The way of energies, in imagination and reality, is to expand too much. Will is always a wish for power that does not exist at the present. Superman, who arrived by air so far and high, has no equal rivals. He is sentenced, without being able to go back, to existence full of pride in the legendary pantheon of heroes, even though he may never admit it, even to himself.

Folklore fits well with the images of flight. Great images hidden inside legends suddenly get wings, blooming with new meanings. Allegedly meaningless, they has psychological benefits after being analyzed.

The German tales became a catalyst in the development of German nationalism in the 19th century. German soul absorbed and implemented them as an ideology that attributes special qualities to this nation at the expense of ethics.

Airplanes at the beginning of the 20th century, the early era of aviation, were too appealing to be simply integrated into the hierarchy of human needs only.

In addition to the innovation of technological power tool, the airplane is very similar to a man spanning his arms and therefore it can be easily be personified. The plane is a ‘Medium Became Message’, like all the basic primordial aerial metaphors which Bachelard described.

Aerial Consciousness is a term meaning the use of the general public interest regarding aviation to the purpose of creating a complete world view.

In the first half of the twentieth century various thinkers and ideologies combined the airplane with the Ascent Psychology, in several countries seeking a modern definition, leading to the establishment of a Dictatorship of the Air.

Aerial Consciousness shaped the political stage and life of Nazi dictatorship.


Source:

Holocaust and Aviation

Nazi Germany Aviation as Major Cause for the Holocaust

Poetic and Healing Research

Part A – Chapter 1

Gaston Bachelard and his book Air and Dreams

Author: Avinoam Amizan

Tolerance and Estimation

Many political leaders in Israel celebrate the value of "Tolerance" almost to the level of a religion. Politicians preach citizens  "Tolerance"for others, especially if they belong to any minority. Is not this important request also a request to be tolerant for mistakes of the politicians themselves. If "Tolerance" is so important and they preach it vigorously, why not allow them from our hearts an overdose of "Tolerance" and not expect anything in return?

It is therefore important to understand the origin of the term "Tolerance" in modern society. Although "Tolerance" is an ancient value, its philosophical meaning in modern politic was developed by the philosopher John Locke in the 17th century, in his influential book "Essay on Human Understanding", in which he explores the wisdom of the human mind and human behavior in society.

"Essay on Human Understanding" was in competition with corresponding Thomas Hobbes' "Leviathan". Hobbes described a nature where the big fish swallow the little fish, and that natural behavior require a state of absolute monarchy or a dictatorship.

John Locke, unlike Hobbes, described a society in which the value of collaboration with others is before it's all-out war. The reason for the existence of a natural community is the need for constant learning together to overcome common challenges. Constant need for learning and collaboration to achieve quality goals, which are inherently beyond the power of the individual, naturally creates a "Tolerance" value - as the basis for cooperation between people who are different from one another, and so it is promoted as a supreme value.

Value of "Tolerance" as described by John Locke has become the cornerstone of modern society: liberalism, democracy, free markets, social help, and more, were all right. The concept also became popularized and often cited by every politician.

But it is  important to remember that "Tolerance" exists in the community to achieve common goals, and above all learning together. Power of it is important only when community members can learn from one another more easily.

To explain how "Tolerance" helps us learn from one another John Locke coined the term "Estimation"', which has close meaning to the concept of 'probability'.

We can not know everything on our own. This is evident today, in the era of knowledge revolution and knowledge economy. But it was also the same in the past. We were always depend on others to get most information and knowledge we needed for our survival and development. We humans are warm-blooded mammals that live in groups, and imitate very well as a developed skill. We do not work individually, or automatically play a role, such as with reptiles and insects. We are constantly changing depending on the circumstances, and exchange roles and places all of our lives, along with other people around us, and always it is rooted in us that under certain circumstances and efforts, we can fulfill any place in the social hierarchy.

We humans are able to do so because we do not need much time to store all the information necessary for our existence, but we are satisfied with the storage and processing of only a small part. The main part we find around us without thinking. We are able to perform so many actions, even when we have learned very little, because the total amount of information is found in those around us.

We are part of the 'Universal Mind', a concept coined by the French philosopher Chardin, and we find in society at any time the ability to connect to that mind and draw from it to our needs.

We sometimes call this ability 'faith', 'inspiration', 'recollection' or 'revelation'. But in reality it is the most common behaviour. It is an integral part of everyday life, but we tend not to pay attention to it because of inconvenience.

Of course the phenomenon is more common in more intimate settings, such as family life, children environment and the like. In children "Estimation"' is the strongest and most successful way of learning. They really swallow large pieces of knowledge without adults noticing.

To the ability to draw a conclusion in emotional way rather than by dry logic, by the common human experience, large or small, John Locke called indeed  "Estimation". It is the basis in our lives, through which we discover the surrounding in natural faith and act on the basis of mutual trust. It is developed in us to the concept of 'learning something out of something else' in daily life.

Of course "Estimation"' has many limitations and restrictions. We can easily misuse mutual trust, but this are considered 'the exception that proves the rule'. Society founded on the principles of Hobbes put a lot of resources to maintain order, and has much trouble with understanding others, because of the secrecy and suspicion Kafka described so well. This society collapses quickly as a bad memory. However society based on mutual trust devote much less resources for maintaining social order, and therefore it is much more efficient. This is also what teaches us the historical experience: democracies defeated dictatorships and the free thinker always win his dogmatic rival.

"Estimation"' is therefore equally important to "Tolerance", but what its political application?

While politicians are waving about "Tolerance" they forget the value of the "Estimation". They impose on citizens rigid rules, authoritarianism and limited individual freedom, which does not allow to fully form economic and civil spheres.

Worse yet is that without an understanding of the concept "Estimation" politicians tend to be short-sighted regarding the long-term vision of the state and city management.

"Estimation" requires flexible thinking and the use of imagination and creativity when making any important decision. You can not be "Tolerant" and in parallel design a city or country, social or physical plane, according to conservative planning principles, limited and short-sighted.

Who is showcasing the flag of "Tolerance" must also use the tool "Estimation" in its fullest creative applications. When one releases himself from strict rules and narrow considerations, he discovers the ability to connect with the general human spirit in full, with all sources in the world, learn from the experience of others and imitate their blessed labor. Politicians must see the future not for short-term political end, but also for future generations. With  "Estimation" parallel to "Tolerance", they will look straight ahead through two observation tools and will have important insights as with powerful binoculars.