History Main / AcrophobicBird

* ''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex'': [[JustifiedTrope Justified]]. According to extra-Biblical Christian lore, St. Peter defeated Simon Magus, a magician using demonic power to fly, by kneeling down and praying, causing God to nullify Simon's magic and send him falling to his death. Although magicians in the To Aru verse could theoretically fly using magic, access to the spell used by St. Peter is ubiquitous and would negate any flight spells, so magicians by and large do not bother with flight for their own safety.

* ''Comicbook/{{PS238}}'': The first issue focuses on Ron, the son of this world's SupermanSubstitute. Ron can fly, but has a recurring nightmare about being sucked into a jet engine--though, as [[BigBadWannabe Zodon]] points out, [[NighInvulnerability that would destroy the plane, not him]]. He seems to get over it by the end of the issue, due to [[spoiler:''actually'' getting sucked into a jet engine without him or its passengers being hurt]].
* ''Owly'': The third book deals with Owly, an owl, overcoming his fear of flying to rescue a friend stuck in a tree.

** Another literal example is found in ''WesternAnimation/TheTransformers'' (the TV series), ''Comicbook/TheTransformers'' (the comic), and ''VideoGame/TransformersWarForCybertron'' -- Silverbolt, leader of the Aerialbots, is terrified of heights. In the cartoon, the Aerialbots were built on Cybertron out of the remains of old craft, with Silverbolt being built from a low-altitude shuttle, whose limitations were apparently carried over by Vector Sigma into Silverbolt's personality. Optimus Prime named him leader of the group to help keep his mind off of his weakness (though it may also be due to Silverbolt having the most level-headed personality among the Aerialbots, and being the only one of them to inherently respect other, weaker lifeforms such as humans).

* In ''Webcomic/UnicornJelly'', Lupiko is a witch who can fly on a broomstick -- and is also afraid of heights.

* ''Webcomic/WapsiSquare''[='=]s Atsali is a [[EnthrallingSiren Siren]] with acrophobia.
* In ''Webcomic/TheBirdFeeder'' [[http://thebirdfeeder.com/comic/38 #38]], "Look out!", Josh isn't aerodynamic anymore due to his new cyborg cap, making it difficult for him to fly. Later, in [[http://thebirdfeeder.com/comic/44 #44]], "Sleeping...", he doesn't even consider flying when in danger.

* ''Series/{{Smallville}}'': Clark Kent remains unable to fly for the most part of the show's run, but he demonstrated the ability when he was brainwashed (by his father). Every special guest Kryptonian seen has shown the ability (except for the deliberately-depowered Kandorians), and there is much needling. His cousin, [[Comicbook/{{Supergirl}} Kara]], says that he's holding himself back. He even acquires a [[ComicBook/{{Legion of Super-Heroes}} Legionnaire]] ring, but the Legionnaires disabled its flight power so he'd have to learn it on his own. The creator's "no flights, no tights" rule is always getting pushed to more incredulous ends [[spoiler: until the GrandFinale, when he finally embraces his destiny as Franchise/{{Superman}}]].

* ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}''

* ''Series/{{Smallville}}'': Clark Kent remains unable to fly for the most part of the show's run, but he demonstrated the ability when he was brainwashed (by his father). Every special guest Kryptonian seen has shown the ability (except for the deliberately-depowered Kandorians), and there is much needling. His cousin, [[Comicbook/{{Supergirl}} Kara]], says that he's holding himself back. He even adquires a [[ComicBook/{{Legion of Super-Heroes}} Legionnaire]] ring, but the Legionnaires disabled its flight power so he'd have to learn it on his own. The creator's "no flights, no tights" rule is always getting pushed to more incredulous ends [[spoiler: until the GrandFinale, when he finally embraces his destiny as Franchise/{{Superman}}]].

%%* ''WesternAnimation/{{Planes}}'': Dusty. [[spoiler:Skipper, too.]]

** Colette from ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'' gains a pair of fully functional wings after the first dungeon [[spoiler:(Lloyd, Kratos and Zelos also are shown to have them by the late game)]], but never seems to think to use them to fly across gorges to hit switches, get to out of the way treasure chests, or climb over an InsurmountableWaistHighFence, except for a few random [[CutscenePowerToTheMax cutscenes]] where she suddenly remembers she can fly.

** In fact, some paleontologists theorize that this is how birds evolved flight in the first place, back when they were still dinosaurs. The theory is that feathers evolved as insulation, then got used by flapping to aid the dinosaurs in running up steep slopes. As feathers evolved to be better at this, they became possible to use for gliding. Then the dinos combined the two uses, and the rest is (pre)history.

* in''Series/{{Firefly}}'': Averted (and possibly [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]]). When Wash flies into a canyon to avoid chase... only for his pursuer to fly ''over'' the canyon. He then makes the best of the situation by ducking under a rock formation to give them some temporary cover while they figure out a solution.

* ''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex'': [[JustifiedTrope Justified]]. According to extra-Biblical Christian lore, St. Peter defeated Simon Magus, a magician using demonic power to fly, out of the sky by kneeling down and praying, causing God to nullify Simon's magic and send him falling to his death. Although magicians in the To Aru verse could theoretically fly using magic, access to the spell used by St. Peter is ubiquitous and would negate any flight spells, so magicians by and large do not bother with flight for their own safety.

* ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'': Averted. Nanase is shown to hover occasionally while talking (much to the annoyance of her physics teacher). When Grace is in her [[ShapeShifting Omega Form]], she often hovers. However, when she mopped herself into a corner, it [[GeniusDitz took her a moment]] to realize [[ForgotICouldFly to remember she could do this]] (in her defense, she had only recently learned about her Omega Form).

* Both ''VideoGame/BatenKaitos'' games are offenders, particularly the first game where every playable character in the game has wings. The number of enemies that could easily be killed by hovering just out of their reach, the number of dungeons that could be easily completed by flying through them, and the general number of plot-relevant situations that could have been solved by the player characters actually using their ability to fly is staggering.
** Origins seems to imply that they're only good for short distances, so that justifies it somewhat.

* In ''Anime/DoraemonNobitaAndTheWingedBrave'', Gusuke, a bird humanoid from Birdopia, is afraid of flying due to the trauma falling when he was a hatchling. [[spoiler:He gets over this to save Nobita from Phoenicia, with encouragement from Icarus.]]

* In ''Anime/DoraemonNobitaAndTheWingedBrave'', Gusuke is afraid of flying due to the trauma falling when he was a hatchling. [[spoiler:He gets over this to save Nobita from Phoenicia, with encouragement from Icarus.]]

* ''Anime/ACertainMagicalIndex'': [[JustifiedTrope Justified]]. According to extra-Biblical Christian lore, St. Peter defeated Simon Magus, a magician using demonic power to fly, out of the sky by kneeling down and praying, causing God to nullify Simon's magic and send him falling to his death. Although magicians in the To Aru verse could theoretically fly using magic, access to the spell used by St. Peter is ubiquitous and would negate any flight spells, so magicians by and large do not bother with flight for their own safety.

** ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyG3'' gives us a pegasus with a phobia of ''clouds''. [[WebAnimation/PonyPokey You are no Rainbow Dash]].
* Justified in ''WesternAnimation/{{Cyberchase}}'' with Digit who literally has acrophobia or gets injured in a way that prevents him from flying.

* Lampshaded in a Japanese ad for Tsubasa ("Wing") Finance: a man is watching a TV show in which a winged angel is being chased by (non-winged) swordsmen, only to give up when he gets cornered in a spot with open sky above him. The man watching the film shouts at the TV, "Why aren't you using your wings!?"

** One episode of ''WesternAnimation/HouseOfMouse'' was actually about Disney/PeterPan helping Donald learn to fly.

** In ''VideoGame/PokemonSunAndMoon'' the [[ComMons regional early-bird]], surprisingly, evolves into this despite their mid-stage flying. Toucannon remains on the ground almost entirely aside from some attack animations. This leads to a moment when Kahili, the Flying Elite Four member, has her Toucannon use the Flying Z-Move, Supersonic Skystrike. Toucannon does not budge an inch or even flap its wings as it flies up into the air, while staying completely still as a stone, before ramming beak-first into your Pokémon. Also a case of ShowingTheirWork, as toucans in real life can't fly very well due to their short wings.

* Starshine, a superheroine from the ''Roleplay/GlobalGuardiansPBEMUniverse'', often sniped at villains from a seemingly unassailable height (having both super-acute sight and a laser blast with no effective range limit). The one time she fought a villain who could match her for accuracy and range, however, she forgot she could ''gain'' altitude (going into orbit, if necessary... she could survive vacuum exposure, too), and instead dove and zig-zagged to avoid his fire.

* In ''Anime/PeterPanNoBouken'', the characters are unable to fly once they reach Neverland, making it that much easier for the writers to put them in danger. The exception is Peter Pan himself, who completely averts this trope by flying ''all the time.''

** Justified in the case of Ash's Noibat, who was a newborn and had to be taught how by Fletchinder and Hawlucha.