It is a warm, sunny day in March. The right day for a picnic outing.  

The locale is Islands grounds, Madras. It looks as though the whole city is gatered there.

The rich and the poor, the sophisticated and the simple- minded, they are all there, coming in an endless

stream to a vast enclosure cordoned off curious eyes by man-high palm-leaf thatching held together with

 stiff bamboo poles.

The vast enclosure has several gates: entrance is by fee, varying from two annas to five rupees. The poor

squat on the bare ground, while chairs are provided for the affluent, the officials, the sahibs.

A band  is in attendance and plays westerns tunes that reminds you a circus show.

What is it that has brougth all this crowd together?

A real aeroplane that flies! The wonder is not that it  flies , but that it has been made in Madras itself!

The vast concourse eagerly looks in the direction of a big. kite-like machine, its two small wheels touching the ground,two horizontal wings of cloth, a body narrowing towards the rear, a small engine and a fan blade in front.

The band suddenly strikes a loud note. A tall white man. dressed in polo atire- Jodhpurs and a full shirt, whit a peak cap on his head- briskly walks towards the contraption grounded in the distance. Acclamation greets him.Acnowledging the cheers with a wave of his hand, he jauntily approaches the machine. cheecks this lever and that button, goes round it once or twice, eyes everything and , satisfied that all is in good order, waves his hand and jump into the seat in the body of the machine. His head shows above the opening, and every movement of his is visible. He puts on his goggles and, with the turn of somethings sets the engine into motion.It starts with a purr and the blade in front starts rotating.

His assistants move away from the machine, and the plane starts moving on the ground. Slowly it makes a circle, so that every one can have a clear view of the plane and its occupant, and then with a deafening increase in noise starts running fast on the ground.