Why can't Scootaloo fly?

[Soaring Symphony 372]

I'm sure you're all familiar with the fact that Scootaloo has trouble flying.  The question is . . . why?  Is she crippled or is she just a late bloomer?  What are your thoughts  on the issue?

Edited July 10, 2017 by Soaring Symphony

[Will Guide 21,325]

 

Look. that was addressed all the way back in Season 4's Flight to the Finish.

It ended with Scootaloo being told that maybe she'll fly, maybe she won't. No matter what, she's all kinds of awesome, in the eyes of her idol, Rainbow Dash! Personally, I don't care either way. I agree with Dashie that the little filly is awesome in her own way!

Edited July 10, 2017 by WiiGuy2014

[Soaring Symphony 372]

Just now, WiiGuy2014 said:

 

Look. that was addressed all the way back in Season 4's Flight to the Finish.

It ended with Scootaloo being told that maybe she'll fly, maybe she won't. No matter what, she's all kinds of awesome, in the eyes of her idol, Rainbow Dash! Personally, I don't care either way. I agree with Dashie that the little filly is awesome in her own way!

That's all well and good and all but "it could go either way" isn't really an answer.

[ZethaPonderer 2,196]

I've heard that Lauren Faust originally wanted to portray a disabled character @Soaring Symphony so Scootaloo was the prime example, but after her leave from Season 2, Hasbro might've decided it would be a little too dark to portray something like this so it has to be changed. Derpy Hooves is another suspect as well for her lazy eye disability that many soccer-moms decided to make such a stink about. 

 

But don't get me wrong here. It's all just rumors and speculations on what was happening behind the production of MLP: FIM, but it is a possibility.

Edited July 10, 2017 by ZethaPonderer

[GrimGrimoire 4,970]

Late bloomer is my opinion... but I really don't care if she ever flies or not.. I like her just the way she is.

[CypherHoof 26,479]

Maybe scoots just needs a booster to get started

Spoiler

Like when she catapulted her way to cloudsdale in Parental Glidance?

I find it interesting that her cutie mark has a wing and a lightening bolt, and I am reminded that the experimental planes used for high mach level flight had really tiny wings, as they didn't need much lift and wanted to avoid drag, so had to be carried to altitude, brought up to speed where their ramjets could kick in, then literally dropped like missiles.

That said though, the relatively tiny wings of most pegasi couldn't support their weight without magic anyhow; Flutters seems to have issues in that regard (after all, she fell from cloudsdale in the first place, .and again during the Wonderbolts Academy episode) so possibly its more a confidence thing than an actual restriction?

[Ganondox 899]

She's disabled, let's not beat around the issue (though that's not necessarily mutually exclusive with late bloomer). My headcanon is that her wings are fine, it's magical part of flight she struggles with.

Edited July 10, 2017 by Ganondox

[CypherHoof 26,479]

6 minutes ago, Ganondox said:

She's disabled, let's not beat around the issue (though that's not necessarily mutually exclusive with late bloomer). My headcanon is that her wings are fine, it's magical part of flight she struggles with.

Pretty much my thinking too. Perhaps, growing up in an earth pony village rather than Cloudsdale, she hasn't been shown HOW to use magic to fly?

[Hierok 11,829]

You know, some chickens can't fly because they lose peticular feathers. Maybe Scootaloo never grew these feathers. 

[Ganondox 899]

46 minutes ago, CypherHoof said:

Pretty much my thinking too. Perhaps, growing up in an earth pony village rather than Cloudsdale, she hasn't been shown HOW to use magic to fly?

There is other pegasi in Ponyville though who can fly. Even if her parents are abusively negligent, in the very least Rainbow Dash should have been able to teach her if it's just a matter of learning. 

[Jeric 46,835]

2 hours ago, Soaring Symphony said:

That's all well and good and all but "it could go either way" isn't really an answer.

Sure it is. In fiction there is this stylistic option of allowing the reader (audience in this case) to interpret the answer. This falls in that category -- you get to choose for right now.   

Right now the only answer to this question is Scootaloo's wings are too small. Why her wings are two small has not been definitively answered. I personally like to see her as disabled, and push that idea around these parts

But ... should we ever see her take to the sky ... this will be me ... 

[碇 シンジン 27,427]

First answer that comes to mind is that her wings are too small though so are bulk biceps wings but he still somehow flies?  With physical strength? Maybe Scootaloo needs some lessons on how to fly with those wings from bulk himself.

[Soaring Symphony 372]

3 hours ago, Jeric said:

Right now the only answer to this question is Scootaloo's wings are too small.

Snowflake is massive and his wings are smaller than Scootaloo's. Yet, he's a bucking Wonderbolt.  Your argument is invalid.

[Jeric 46,835]

1 hour ago, Soaring Symphony said:

Snowflake is massive and his wings are smaller than Scootaloo's. Yet, he's a bucking Wonderbolt.  Your argument is invalid.

It isn't my argument, it's a characters argument.

S4E5 - Flight to the Finish - 19:05

Since we have no first hand knowledge that even hints at how the attribution of magic and wing size correlates, it's up to the audience to reconcile the two, or reject dialog. There are ways it is not inconsistent leaving both true, and what do you know, I'm just clever enough to reconcile the two myself. 

 

[RulesofRarity 489]

I believe Scootaloo was born premature as such when she was eventually born her wings weren't developed properly.

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 40,289]

From what I see, her wings are not developed properly for a pony of her age, and the disability comes from her wings possibly not developing enough to support her weight at any point, methinks. I really wish the show could possibly explore this further. If Sesame Street can straight up tell kids that Mr Hooper was dead, then I don't see why FiM can't get into a discussion of disabilities. Would be good acknowledgement and a great self acceptance moral. Give me more of those types of morals.

[Ganondox 899]

On 7/10/2017 at 11:32 PM, Jeric said:

It isn't my argument, it's a characters argument.

S4E5 - Flight to the Finish - 19:05

 

Since we have no first hand knowledge that even hints at how the attribution of magic and wing size correlates, it's up to the audience to reconcile the two, or reject dialog. There are ways it is not inconsistent leaving both true, and what do you know, I'm just clever enough to reconcile the two myself. 

 

I interpret that as Scootaloo is just trying to find an explanation for why she can't fly, and it's the not necessarily the actual reason for her problems. 

[Jeric 46,835]

11 minutes ago, Ganondox said:

I interpret that as Scootaloo is just trying to find an explanation for why she can't fly, and it's the not necessarily the actual reason for her problems. 

Right, and that is a valid interpretation. My reply was mostly framed that way due to the fun "your opinion is invalid" meme. 

 

[jorge123esp 912]

I think she can't fly because of her wings, which are too small, probably a lack of growing. But I'm not sure. I don't believe she is disabled 

[Fading Echo 74]

From what I have observed Scoots can fly a little. She can get off the ground and stay there for a short period. I mean she can buzz her little wings like a humming bird if she wants to and get up some serious speed! 

What she can't do is prolonged flight. She can walk on clouds like other pegasi but I simply think Scoots has another destiny. On the ground. 

She is brave, confident and will try anything. She is indomitable.

Maybe she's disabled, maybe she's a late bloomer, or maybe she is simply going to find a DIFFERENT way fly.

I can easily see her growing up to be a stunt pony.

[Hierok 11,829]

On 14-7-2017 at 9:34 PM, Fading Echo said:

From what I have observed Scoots can fly a little. She can get off the ground and stay there for a short period. I mean she can buzz her little wings like a humming bird if she wants to and get up some serious speed! 

What she can't do is prolonged flight. She can walk on clouds like other pegasi but I simply think Scoots has another destiny. On the ground. 

She is brave, confident and will try anything. She is indomitable.

Maybe she's disabled, maybe she's a late bloomer, or maybe she is simply going to find a DIFFERENT way fly.

I can easily see her growing up to be a stunt pony.

 I hope for her she is a late bloomer, but I believe she is disabled. Maybe she doesn't has the stamina for serious flying. 

[Ganondox 899]

On 7/13/2017 at 4:10 PM, jorge123esp said:

I think she can't fly because of her wings, which are too small, probably a lack of growing. But I'm not sure. I don't believe she is disabled 

If you're a pegasus and you can't fly by a certain age, you are by definition disabled. People have made disabled into a such a dirty word, but it's just a statement about one's one's abilities compared to what is expected from them. With all the late bloomer talk, the distinction between that and disability is not if it's permanent or not, but if the delay is significant enough to impair functioning in a typical situation, and given that pegasi normally live in the clouds I think it applies. 

Edited July 18, 2017 by Ganondox

[BlinkZ 1,151]

On 7/10/2017 at 3:29 PM, ZethaPonderer said:

I've heard that Lauren Faust originally wanted to portray a disabled character @Soaring Symphony so Scootaloo was the prime example, but after her leave from Season 2, Hasbro might've decided it would be a little too dark to portray something like this so it has to be changed. Derpy Hooves is another suspect as well for her lazy eye disability that many soccer-moms decided to make such a stink about. 

 

But don't get me wrong here. It's all just rumors and speculations on what was happening behind the production of MLP: FIM, but it is a possibility.

I know right, 'Oh my god you mean disalbities exist!" people.  i mean If scootaloo can't fly that arlight but she can still buzz around. I have a visuall disablity so i know how much of a struggle it is. It not something to push under the rug and act like it not a thing. 

on the other hand, she could just be late bloomer..although even Bulk can fly and his wings are tiny, Flurry can fly from day one! Scotaloo has some odd magic issue with her

[cmarston1 5,951]

I am pretty sure that she is disabled given the events of Flight to the Finish.

[Alyons857 0]

I found a video of Lauren frost saying exactly the answer about scootaloo flight issue. She said that she originally was going for latebloomer but decided it be more beautiful if she never did be able to fly because everyone has dreams and not all r reachable but doesnt stop u from dreaming..kind of idea..and I think it's not beautiful, I think it's stupid, I'd rather see dreams come true then know she wont ever get there, bulk biceps can fly, derpy hooves can fly, the trader in a wheel chair can walk, the old man with huge glasses can see, y let others hav something and others get objects to help their handicaps but not her its rude and injust, should hav an episode saying she was born with only half pegasus magic, enough to walk clouds but only enough to slightly Hoover short times only and that twilight and starswirl the bearded help her gain back half her powers thru some kind of quest or spell and then hav her try to fly and her lack of able to before makes her not believe she can which makes her not be able to cuz magic works by confidence or something like that and so it isnt until the crusaders go on adventure and one slips and falls and scootaloo has to take a leap of faith litterally qnd dives down to save her and flies as soon as she catches her and she is so excited about it and the friends r too and she celebrates by flying over ponyville so everyone can see and celebrate her accomplishment and then end it with her landing on top of something highish up with a look of happy tears. THAT IS WHAT I WANNA SEE.