Why Scootaloo can't fly

[~Sassy Dashie~ 712]

I'm pretty sure Lauren Faust said she was handicapped.

[Pastel 7,627]

Because she's too young.

I don't see other reasons.

Edited July 22, 2014 by Blobulle

[Shadowdragon6060 39]

Her wings are too tiny. They are small wings.

[Vulcan 3,254]

The design on her cutie mark seems like a foreshadowing to a future mastery of flight. Personally, I would prefer scootaloo not master flight. Much like Lauren's original intention for scootaloo, I much rather have her flightlessness be a lifelong disability that one overcomes rather than a trait that has yet been mastered.

[silvadel 1,393]

If it works like cutie marks, all she has to say is that she doesn't care about flying and that she will help others fly, and bam -- flight.

[Hero 63]

Maybe she does fly, just not on-camera?

[cider float 2,535]

Because her name is Scootaloo she rides a scooter. If she flew what would she do with her scooter and name?

[Raena_666 2]

In Flight to the Finish, it's confirmed Scootaloo can't fly. Why she can't is still a mystery, but I take Faust's word on it that she's just crippled.

[Megas 27,064]

I'd say it's a birth defect that keeps her from flying and/or her having non-pegasus parents and thus never got any proper training

[Castle Bleck 19,167]

IMO, she probably still had those "bursts" when she was Pound's age, but then somehow developed abnormally as she got older.

Edited April 11, 2016 by A.V.

[Luminance 2,181]

If I'm not mistaken, flight for the pegasi requires magic right? As seen when Tirek took the pegasi's magic, it also removed their ability to fly too.

 

If not, it's either that Scootaloo is too young, lacking training, accident or as others stated as a birth defect.

[Sketchy Tail 206]

I've always heard she's handicapped. I hope she does fly one of these days though.

[FlareGun45 2,221]

She can't fly because her friends keep pulling off her feathers.

[gamecubeguy214 2,511]

I've seen Scootaloo in flight, but very briefly. Remember when DT and SS claimed the CMC's hideout (Or whatever they called it) and then Scootaloo aggressively flaps her wings in anger at them claiming it? Considering it only happened once as far as I remember, it must require a lot of adrenaline in order to happen, but I'm not sure why she didn't choose to start flapping her wings when she fell off the cliff in Sleepless in Ponyville. Maybe she just didn't believe in herself. However, she may be able to train for a couple months to get the hang of flying, then it'll become second nature.

Her wings are too tiny. They are small wings.

There's a pony with that small of wings and he got accepted into the Wonderbolt Academy. He's even on steroids.

[ManaMinori 4,143]

I've seen Scootaloo in flight, but very briefly. Remember when DT and SS claimed the CMC's hideout (Or whatever they called it) and then Scootaloo aggressively flaps her wings in anger at them claiming it? Considering it only happened once as far as I remember, it must require a lot of adrenaline in order to happen, but I'm not sure why she didn't choose to start flapping her wings when she fell off the cliff in Sleepless in Ponyville. Maybe she just didn't believe in herself. However, she may be able to train for a couple months to get the hang of flying, then it'll become second nature.There's a pony with that small of wings and he got accepted into the Wonderbolt Academy. He's even on steroids.

Bulk Biceps isn't on steroid. He's a body builder

[Castle Bleck 19,167]

I've seen Scootaloo in flight, but very briefly. Remember when DT and SS claimed the CMC's hideout (Or whatever they called it) and then Scootaloo aggressively flaps her wings in anger at them claiming it? Considering it only happened once as far as I remember, it must require a lot of adrenaline in order to happen, but I'm not sure why she didn't choose to start flapping her wings when she fell off the cliff in Sleepless in Ponyville. Maybe she just didn't believe in herself. However, she may be able to train for a couple months to get the hang of flying, then it'll become second nature.

There's a pony with that small of wings and he got accepted into the Wonderbolt Academy. He's even on steroids.

 

And in For Whom The Sweetie Belle Toils, Scootaloo actually managed to hover in front of a non-ground-level window for a few seconds.

[gamecubeguy214 2,511]

Bulk Biceps isn't on steroid. He's a body builder

I still like to think he's on steroids because before my brother left the fandom, we would have a joke about "The pony on steroids." Man I miss when he didn't hate the show.

[Foxy Socks 2,596]

I don't think she will be able to fly, but I could be wrong. In the season 4 finale, it shows pegasi need magic to fly. That might be the issue with Scoots. She can hover only a little with effort, so she might have little to no magic. She does use her wings on her scooter though, and I don't think they are large enough to propel her.

 

It does seem hard on her, since she is a pegasus that cannot fly. I hope there will be more scootaloo episodes explaining this.

[Lambda Lumis 23]

I think its just because shes young. Even though other ponies her age can fly it doesn't mean there's anything wrong with her. Its like how people get taller at different speeds at different times.

[ManyANewDay_36 178]

I really think her not being able to fly is a subtle way for the creators to tell kids with disabilities that it's ok to be different.

[cider float 2,535]

I really think her not being able to fly is a subtle way for the creators to tell kids with disabilities that it's ok to be different.

I feel it's important to keep Scootaloo that way to show even disabled people can be happy and succeed.

 

It's just like how Trixie is an unicorn but sucks on magic.

Edited May 12, 2016 by cider float

[Phanact 333]

I originally thought that maybe she was too young to fly, but Pound Cake can fly. So I was thinking, why can't she fly? Here are some theories : Her wings are to small Her bones are not hallow She does not possess the magic that Pegasi have Stunted growth I'm just not 100% sure. Why do you think she can't fly?

 

Because she's weaker I suppose

[Rainbowdash_82 404]

Its a birth defect, no matter how hard she tries to fly, she simply can't. 

[Luminance 2,181]

It's not that she can but it's when she'll will. We've seen that this particular issue has been addressed in previous episodes and it's a great way to build Scootaloo as a character. Her gaining the moment of flight as her goals are reached makes a truly touching moment in MLP as she shows that it doesn't matter about who other ponies think about you and that if you believe, you'll succeed.

[Megas 27,064]

It's simply because she has unicorn/earth pony parents and she's lived in Ponyville her whole life, so she hasn't gotten a chance to properly practice like a normal pegasus