Pegasus
Foaled from the blood of Medusa upon her defeat by Perseus. Caught and tamed by Bellerophon — with a golden bridle gifted by Athena — in his quest to defeat the Chimera. Pegasus is the winged horse: the union of earthbound power (the horse) and aerial freedom (the wing).
Bellerophon riding Pegasus was the emblem of British Airborne Forces during WWII. The Pegasus Bridge, seized by British paratroopers in the opening hours of D-Day (June 6, 1944), is named for the symbol on their shoulder patches. The ancient myth was wearing military insignia into one of history’s most consequential battles.
The Creature as Aircraft
Pegasus belongs to a category of aeromythic figures — griffins, dragons, the roc — who function as living aircraft: vehicles that carry humans skyward through their own power. Unlike the mechanical aircraft, these creatures require relationship, taming, or cooperation. You don’t fly a Pegasus so much as negotiate with one.