History Main / Flight

* Flight is one of the Pool Powers in ''VideoGame/CityOfHeroes'' that can be taken in addition to the main powersets, one of four 'travel powers' (the others being SuperSpeed, [[InASingleBound Leaping]] and {{Teleportation}}). It's notable among the powers for being technically the slowest, but providing full 3D movement and being very easy to use. And oddly enough, the pool includes a melee attack specifically for use against flyers. The Peacebringer Epic [[AnAdventurerIsYou Archetype]] gets Flight for free. Several popular Temporary Powers are flight-capable jetpacks.

* Many heroes in ComicBook/AstroCity can fly. Of particular note is the second Hummingbird, who sprouted wings on her twelfth birthday. [[spoiler:This turned out to be the first step in a BalefulPolymorph.]]

** The Riders in ''Series/KamenRiderBlade'' have to ability to seal a defeated MonsterOfTheWeek into a magical card. They can use these cards to gain special abilities based on said monsters. The 'Float Dragonfly' card gives the user the ability to fly. Also, when the TheHero and TheLancer receive their MidSeasonUpgrade, wings are added to their suits.

* Creator/HayaoMiyazaki . He is a BIG enthusiast of flight and you can find a flying scene in almost every film he directed: ''Anime/TheCastleOfCagliostro'', ''Manga/NausicaaOfTheValleyOfTheWind'', ''Anime/CastleInTheSky'', ''Anime/MyNeighborTotoro'', ''Anime/KikisDeliveryService'', ''Anime/PorcoRosso'', ''Anime/SpiritedAway'', ''Anime/HowlsMovingCastle'', and ''Anime/TheWindRises''.

* In Alexander Belyaev's ''Ariel'' the eponymous youth is rendered able to somehow "order" the heat motion of atoms in his body in single direction. Later he learns how to emulate several other superpowers with this (WalkOnWater to mock religious peasants, SuperStrength by flying his arms under the weight, SuperSpeed by dashing just abowe ground while pretending to run, etc. )

* If the eponymous villain in ''Film/{{Warlock}}'' performs a certain spell for which he needs to kill and harvest an unbaptized child, he can fly through the air at his own discretion.

** Vaarsuvius can fly--if s/he casts the (presumably Overland) Flight spell, of course, which it seems s/he, as a high-level wizard, has made a habit of casting when the day starts.

** ComicBook/JubileeMarvelComics when she was a vampire.

* In a couple of the ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry'' games Dante's Devil Trigger can be upgraded with the power of flight.

* In ''Manga/OnePiece'' some characters have a DoubleJump or use their abilities in a way to stay in the air longer than usual (e.g [=CP9=], Sanji, Robin, Franky, Smoker, Domflamingo, Gear 4 Luffy, Big Mom with her Homies, The Vinsmoke Family, Charlotte Yuen and other mooks) true flight is actually quite rare. Only five Devil Fruit Users (out of LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters) have been shown to have it thus far: "Peregrine Falcon" Pell, Lafitte (one panel in Impel Down shows him with wings while landing), Marco "the Phoenix", Bian and Kabu who are {{Lilliputians}} with insect devil fruits, Kaido who can turn into a chinese dragon (though it can be argued that it's NotQuiteFlight as he's using flame clouds he controls to fly) and King, one of Kaido’s CoDragons who has a Pteranodon Devil Fruit.

* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'':
** In the finale, Ozai uses firebending to fly by propelling himself with jets of fire.
** Similarly, Azula uses her fire powers like a jetpack on several occasions, though not as controlled as Ozai managed.
** Zuko also displayed the ability to propel himself with fire in the finale, as well as in the comics. Like Azula, though, he was not as maneuverable as Ozai.
** Normally Aang can fly all the time with only a fragile-looking glider and airbending. Without it he can manage NotQuiteFlight and some big jumps. While in the Avatar State he can airbend strongly enough not to need the glider at all.
** Aang's ten tonne air-bison Appa can fly, much to Sokka's incredulity. He's the team's usual mode of transportation.
** In the comics, Katara used waterbending to create a slate of ice that lifted her through the air like a magic carpet.
* In the SequelSeries ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra''
** True flight is revealed to be possible by an airbender who [[EnlightenmentSuperpowers severs their ties to the material world]]. In the case of [[spoiler:Zaheer]], it is [[spoiler:the death of his lover]] that leads to him achieving this power.
** Korra uses a glider like Aang after she learns airbending. During her fight with [[spoiler:Zaheer]] she uses flame-jets like Ozai, Azula, and Zuko.

* In the Italian B-movie ''L'Uomo puma'' (known to [[Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000 MST3K]] fans as "Film/PumaMan"), the main character has all of his powers based on puma abilities -- including the ability to "leap" great distances (as a visual effect, indistinguishable from stock superhero flight). This delights Mike and the 'bots no end ("Are pumas known for their ability to fly?"). Adding to the comedy is the obvious blue screen flying effects along with the actor being suspended by wires, along with unstable camera shots, making it seem as if The Pumaman is not only floundering around, waving his limbs wildly, but is flying in odd directions (i.e. sideways).

* In ''Fanfic/NewBloodArtemisgirl‘’ This technique was invented by Lord Voldemort, achieved by [[VictorGainsLosersPowers absorbing]] an [[BlowYouAway Air Elemental]].

* The [[WitchSpecies Sartan]] can fly (using the proper spells) in ''Literature/TheDeathGateCycle''. The Patryns, a rival WitchSpecies, ''can't'', unless they [[VoluntaryShapeshifting shapeshift into something with wings]], since their magic is more firmly rooted in the material world; Haplo the Patryn, while in an EnemyMine with Alfred the Sartan, feels a stab of irritation when he contemplates this fact.

* In the original ''{{Transformers}}'' series, the power of Flight was one of the defining characteristics between Autobots and Deceptions -- all Decepticons could fly in their robot form, but only the few Autobots with air or space transformations could do so (plus Sideswipe, who was equipped with a rocketpack, and Tracks, whose car altmode had wings). The Dinobots could fly in their robot modes (Swoop in either mode). [[RuleOfCool No reason given for why, but it was awesome.]]\\
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This leads to a brief LetsYouAndHimFight situation in ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated'' when the Earth Autobots meet Jetstorm and Jetfire, two Autobots on Sentinel's team who have been upgraded with flight capability based on Starscream's specs. The Earth Autobots briefly mistake the two for Decepticons and attack them because, to the best of their knowledge, only Decepticons can fly. In the GrandFinale, Rachet builds a jetpack for Optimus so he can fight Megatron on a more even footing.

* Of the ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'', Starfire is a FlyingBrick, Raven is [[MindOverMatter telekinetic]], and Beast Boy [[{{Animorphism}} transforms into birds]]. Robin and Cyborg have to make do with single-episode glider capes and rockets strapped to their backs, respectively. Usually Robin and Cyborg are in the care of their flight-capable companions during the stints when they have need.

* In ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice,'' out of the sixteen members of the Justice League, only Franchise/{{Batman}}, Franchise/TheFlash, ComicBook/GreenArrow, ComicBook/BlackCanary, and ComicBook/{{Aquaman}} have no flight capabilities whatsoever. Conversely, among the teenage focus characters, only Miss Martian can fly.

* In the ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' several kinds of humans and humanoid entities can fly. Witches have assisted flight via broomsticks (or else can Borrow the mind of a flying creature, and ride as a passenger); wizards can levitate, and "fly" this way, although physical laws limit their ability to do so. (for a Wizard to fly, say to the tops of the tower of Art, means an equivalent mass has to be moved in the opposite direction). Vampires have unassisted flight and can fly at will, either in human or bat form. Banshees, a predatory humanoid bird, can also fly. Other humans might have recourse either to a flying carpet (Klatchians) or a large monolith weighing several tons (Druids. ItMakesSenseInContext).

** ComicBook/JeanGrey and ComicBook/RachelSummers can fly by using [[MindOverMatter psychokinesis]].

[[folder:Films--Animation]]

[[folder:Films--Live-Action]]

** In the first few books, flight via broomstick, car, and motorbike are commonplace (and magic carpets exist too, just not in Britain). In the final book, it comes as a nasty shock to the good guys that [[BigBad Voldemort]] has developed a unique unaided flight spell. He apparently also taught it to Snape, who uses it for a quick getaway.

See also VideoGameFlight. Compare IBelieveICanFly, which is for settings where this ability is very common.

* The ''ComicBook/{{Legion of Super-Heroes}}'' has "flight rings" as standard pieces of equipment.

* . . . [[GravityMaster alter their own gravity]]...

* . . . render themselves weightless to defy gravity.

* In Alexander Belyaev's ''Ariel'' the eponymous youth is rendered able to somehow "order" the heat motion of atoms in his body in single direction. Later he learns how to emulate several other StockSuperpowers with this (WalkOnWater to mock religious peasants, SuperStrength by flying his arms under the weight, SuperSpeed by dashing just abowe ground while pretending to run, etc. )

* Flight is one of the [[StockSuperpowers Pool Powers]] in ''VideoGame/CityOfHeroes'' that can be taken in addition to the main powersets, one of four 'travel powers' (the others being SuperSpeed, [[InASingleBound Leaping]] and {{Teleportation}}). It's notable among the powers for being technically the slowest, but providing full 3D movement and being very easy to use. And oddly enough, the pool includes a melee attack specifically for use against flyers. The Peacebringer Epic [[AnAdventurerIsYou Archetype]] gets Flight for free. Several popular Temporary Powers are flight-capable jetpacks.

** Jack-Jack Jack-Jack can lift himself into the air, though whether it's due to innate flying powers or simply an extension of his [[MindOverMatter telekinesis]] is ambiguous.

* In the animated film ''WesternAnimation/TheFlightOfDragons'', dragons fly by buoyancy; they keep gemstones in their craws, use them to grind limestone, the limestone reacts with stomach acid to produce hydrogen, and bingo, flight and fire breathing as a two-for-one.