<P> The first great ships of the air were the rigid dirigible balloons pioneered by Ferdinand von Zeppelin, which soon became synonymous with airships and dominated long - distance flight until the 1930s, when large flying boats became popular . After World War II, the flying boats were in their turn replaced by land planes, and the new and immensely powerful jet engine revolutionised both air travel and military aviation . </P> <P> In the latter part of the 20th century the advent of digital electronics produced great advances in flight instrumentation and "fly - by - wire" systems . The 21st century saw the large - scale use of pilotless drones for military, civilian and leisure use . With digital controls, inherently unstable aircraft such as flying wings became possible . </P> <P> The origin of mankind's desire to fly is lost in the distant past . From the earliest legends there have been stories of men strapping birdlike wings, stiffened cloaks or other devices to themselves and attempting to fly, typically by jumping off a tower . The Greek legend of Daedalus and Icarus is one of the earliest known; others originated from India, China and the European Middle Age . During this early period the issues of lift, stability and control were not understood, and most attempts ended in serious injury or death . </P> <P> In medieval Europe, the earliest recorded tower jump dates from 852 AD, when Armen Firman, also known as Abbas ibn Firnas (810--887 A.D.), made a jump in Cordoba, Spain, reportedly covering his body with vulture feathers and attaching two wings to his arms . Eilmer of Malmesbury soon followed and many others have continued to do so over the centuries . As late as 1811, Albrecht Berblinger constructed an ornithopter and jumped into the Danube at Ulm . </P>

Where did the idea of flight come from
find me the text answering this question