Do you think flying requires a lot of effort/energy?

[Azureth 687]

I don't mean doing fancy tricks and flying really fast like RD, but just casually flying around, or staying in one spot and keeping yourself off the ground.

[The Recherche 29,968]

I mean, a creature flapping its wings exerts energy with its muscles, so I don't know why it would be any different for pegasi. 

[CypherHoof 26,483]

1 minute ago, Recherche said:

I mean, a creature flapping its wings exerts energy with its muscles, so I don't know why it would be any different for pegasi. 

It would seem that pegasi wings are the source of their wingpower magic, rather than a direct source of aerodynamic lift - I mean, take Bulk Biceps for example; he has rediculously tiny wings, but more wingpower than Fluttershy.

[King of Canterlot 9,603]

Nope, I think for something like a Pegasus which is something that can fly for most it's life, I think flying comes just as easy for them as it does to ride a bike for us. Once they've got it down, it ceases to be hard to do anymore, it just kinda becomes a sixth sense in a way for them  

[The Recherche 29,968]

2 hours ago, CypherHoof said:

It would seem that pegasi wings are the source of their wingpower magic, rather than a direct source of aerodynamic lift - I mean, take Bulk Biceps for example; he has rediculously tiny wings, but more wingpower than Fluttershy.

True, but I don't think it's possible to flap your wings without any sort of physical exertion whatsoever, as insignificant as it may be. 

Then again, these are cartoons we're talking about here. 

[CypherHoof 26,483]

Just now, Recherche said:

True, but I don't think it's possible to flap your wings without any sort of physical exertion whatsoever, as insignificant as it may be. 

Then again, these are cartoons we're talking about here. 

Sure, but I think the flapping is more shaping how the wingpower is applied, rather than directly converting muscle action into lift the way a bird would; pegasi can also extend their wingpower to external objects - such as when they are lifting a carrage behind them - without that seeming to create undue strain.

[CinnamonPop 3,351]

A casual float above the ground shouldn't take that much energy. In my opinion, it would be like walking. The faster you walk/run, the more effort it takes.

[CypherHoof 26,483]

7 minutes ago, CinnamonPop said:

A casual float above the ground shouldn't take that much energy. In my opinion, it would be like walking. The faster you walk/run, the more effort it takes.

Which would be odd of course; in normal flight, a hover actually takes more energy than a glide, because motion over the wing surfaces generates lift.

[CinnamonPop 3,351]

3 minutes ago, CypherHoof said:

Which would be odd of course; in normal flight, a hover actually takes more energy than a glide, because motion over the wing surfaces generates lift.

Yes, but not as much as full flight. It would go pretty much by sitting, standing, gliding, hovering, slow flying, fast flying for a scale of energy in that order. 

[CypherHoof 26,483]

Just now, CinnamonPop said:

Yes, but not as much as full flight. It would go pretty much by sitting, standing, gliding, hovering, slow flying, fast flying for a scale of energy in that order. 

I think that is true of classic mechanical (so, bird) flight, but not necessarily true of pegasi - I suspect that wingpower largely negates the effects of gravity, so there is little difference between a hover and a glide for a pegasus pony - but acceleration requires more effort, and of course in Dashie's case, when she goes fast enough, she actually catches up with the bow wave of her own wingpower as it is extended in front of herself, leading first to heating at her extended hooves, then a rainboom... sort of like having a magically-powered warp drive.

[Princess_Bellalatanya 1,053]

Flight:some energy

hovering:little to no energy

soaring:big muscle flapps

strolling:mediate energy

Rainboom:maximum energy

 

[CypherHoof 26,483]

5 minutes ago, flueryheartlove said:

Flight:some energy

hovering:little to no energy

soaring:big muscle flapps

strolling:mediate energy

Rainboom:maximum energy

 

Not sure it would be possible for any but an Element Bearer to perform a rainboom - even Dashie couldn't until she was trying to save Rarity instead of her previous selfish reasons.

[SharpWit 2,699]

A few things to consider. (I feel like I star out by saying that way too often ) It would take us more energy to fly than to say jog, but if you train for it you can go around jogging all day no problem. Birds fly all day not just because it's the only way for them to really get around but because they're used to it. They've acquired the muscle and stamina over time. If you spent a month just sitting on the couch, not getting up for anything other than food and restroom, you'd find jogging a lot more difficult by the end of it than you did before. Same would apply to a bird. If you caught one, somehow bound its wings to it's body, then released it after a month, I'd bet if could barely get off the ground. A huge factor is also weight. Most birds are small in comparison to us. They also have hollow bones and airsacs to further lighten their bodies. I wouldn't go so far as to suggest this in pegasi, however they can walk on clouds. This is only possible because of their magic, but my guess would be that there's a point where pegasi can initiate this magic and flying becomes much easier afterwards, requiring far less energy. So in the end, flying in place or at a steady pace doesn't require any more energy than walking.

[Goat-kun 2,527]

They are full of magic horse gas that lets them float in the air, so not really.

[DonMaguz 1,023]

Just now, Goat-kun said:

They are full of magic horse gas that lets them float in the air, so not really.

 

You beat me to it, there's a reason pegasi who got their magic stolen by Tirek couldn't fly.

[FizzyGreen 909]

1 hour ago, Goat-kun said:

They are full of magic horse gas that lets them float in the air, so not really.

I thought about this

Spoiler

I feel it would be something like super ionized gases that are so strongly charged with the same charge that two atoms are like 2 feet apart. I guess you could take Krypton and magically remove all it's electrons that it's like Kr36+ (that's 36x positively charged. In reality you'll usually not get more than 4+ because it's just unstable af). And if they are all the same, very strong charge, the gas will have such a low density, that the pegasi basically have around 100 atoms of that gas inside of them which would make it super light.

 

1 hour ago, DonMaguz said:

You beat me to it, there's a reason pegasi who got their magic stolen by Tirek couldn't fly.

But i rather stand with this, cause i feel like they some pegasi magic, that makes it easier for them to be light or to withstand gravity of some sort. Maybe repell air with their wings very well? I mean, there must be some form of a boost, otherwise it couldn't have been taken away from them.

 

When it comes to the question of the thread, i would therefore say, no, it doesn't require alot of energy, as they are built to fly. In nature nothing forms unless it is energy efficient and/or helps to survive. So i guess, BECAUSE it IS there, it must be energy efficient. Like i said, nature always strives to keep the energy level as low as possible. Itwouldn't go all wings if they would waste a ton of energy.

[EpicEnergy 23,223]

I'm certain that any creature which flies exerts energy in the process.

[Tom Gallagher 33,593]

I'm sure they'd learn as a filly and then when they're grown, it's second nature to them.