When people think of flying heroes, they usually don’t think of The Flash. Despite being DC’s Fastest Man Alive, the Scarlet Speedster is typically thought of as an earthbound hero and not a flyer like Superman or Green Lantern. Yet multiple stories have shown that the Flash actually does have many ways of taking to the skies… although his methods of getting airborne can be pretty strange.
Keep in mind that the Flash has access to almost limitless reserves of speed – and his writers have enjoyed creating many speed-based power stunts for him over the years. Granted, some of these feats may strain the boundaries of science and common sense… but then again, so does the Flash himself.
During the Silver Age, Barry Allen once jumped out of a plane and began racing across the surfaces of many clouds. Reasoning that the water vapor in the clouds was capable of supporting his weight – but only for an instant – Barry somehow managed to skip across the clouds thanks to his powers and Silver Age logic. To be sure, some might argue that the Flash wasn’t really flying in this case, but using the surfaces of clouds to only simulate flight. Barry also had to ride in a plane to get up to cloud level in the first place. This indicates that he can’t really fly by taking off vertically…
Except he can! In the Justice League Unlimited episode “I Am Legion,” The Flash (Wally West this time), finds himself falling out of a jet with no way to break his fall. Thinking fast, Wally decides to spin his arms incredibly fast. He ends up generating such incredibly strong winds that they not only slow his fall but allow him to hover in mid-air, not unlike a helicopter. Unfortunately, Wally doesn’t have any real experience being a flying hero and he quickly loses control, careening everywhere until he falls on a beach. As unconventional as these examples might be, it’s pretty clear that the Flash can fly – if he uses his powers properly. Both Barry and Wally (and any other speedster who can access sufficient levels of the Speed Force) could potentially lift off the ground by generating sufficient helicopter-level force with their arms (or even their legs). Once airborne, they could continue using this method to direct their flight or run on clouds and other materials in the air like Barry showed he could do.
While this method sounds tiring, it should be noted that thanks to his connection to the Speed Force, the Flash could potentially use his flying ability to cross great distances. Where other DC superheroes may be weaker compared to their god-like Silver Age counterparts, The Flash is actually one of the few characters who may have gotten stronger thanks to the introduction of the Speed Force. Having an entire dimension of speed-fueling energy can help you perform many remarkable feats – including, apparently, flying.
