Flying

[SinisterDeath]

RJ's one power wasn't fully fleshed out in the early books.

[Luckers]

But yes, it does show their ignorence. RJ has made a point time and again of Aes Sedai assuming things and stating it as knowledge based on sometimes very little information.

[Kaznen]

I can see a way to use the OP to indirectly fly. Basiclly the Asha'man would strap a pair of wooden wings to his back. On top of that is focas point for a kind of Saidin jet pack that could provide the forward thrust and a little work with weather could blow wind towards the Asha'man to help generate the lift.

 

The problem is takeoff. The only way I can think of to generate enough speed fast enough would be to launch the brave Asha'man from a catapult.

 

You can see the problems.

[Luckers]

Mmm. It would be incredibly hard to control. At that stage it would be as easy to use non-power aerodynamics to cause flight, if not easier, as the Academy proves.

[Kaznen]

Mmm. It would be incredibly hard to control. At that stage it would be as easy to use non-power aerodynamics to cause flight' date=' if not easier, as the Academy proves.[/quote']

 

Maybe they can put tailfins on their boots.

[Kaznen]

Although, maybe if a channler could make a strong, fierce, and tightly contained and controlled worlwind around their body maybe they could fly that way, or be torn to pieces.

[Luckers]

I imagine it would be the later. That would be amusing. I wonder if you could use flows of air to claim like that absurd octopus dude from spiderman 2.

[Fel]

A simple balloon/parachute attached to your back and weave a strong wind and/or fire and you are good to go... We've seen elayne/seafolk weave winds to push her ship through the sea and pushing yourself through the air is not much different.

 

I would think it strange that that level of technology was not achieved in the AOL.

[Luckers]

It was... they had Sho-wings that worked useing the one power to power them. Jumpers too were able to hover/float. And the sharom used the magnetic field of the earth to stay in the air.

[Fel]

When I said that I would find it strange that this simple tech was not known in AOL, I was referring to the various comments earlier in the thread that kept saying how using the OP to fly was not possible and how you could make a platform and lift it only so high.... I, of course, know about Showings and hovercrafts, etc from AOL, but the comments earlier in the thread made it seem that only machines could do it - you couldn't make yourself fly.

 

Given the things that can be done with the OP, having a channeler soar into the sky should be a piece of cake.

[Luckers]

Well technically i suppose the balloon thing is a machine. And they likely did have it, it would have just not been as efficient as traveling or using a sho-wing...

[Jinjurluv]

I believe the nod toward flying in KoD was when Elayne and Avie were testing the ter'angreal and Avie touched a helmit type thing and said she thought it had something to do w/ flying (my assumption was that when touched by the power it would control a sho'wing, etc.)

 

Also, even though the windfinders regularly adjust the winds for their ships, RJ makes it very clear on several occasions but esp. around the time the Bowl of Winds is used that the weather has to be handled very carefully so as not to create adverse weather conditions. Also, I seem to remember that it takes a certain level of power in the OP to be able to manipulate the weather (I'm sure I will be corrected if wrong) as well as an expertise w/ those particular flows.

 

I'm gonna have to agree w/ the ones who say flying w/ the power is not possible except by using sho'wings, etc.

[eldar89]

I think Bela could fly with the OP.

[Luckers]

I think Bela should rot in the ground and not be joked about...

[Kaznen]

Avi said that the helmet controled a machine. She didn't say anything about flying. I personally think the machine linked to the ter'angreal is a mech. You don't need to be mentally linked to the machine to fly an airplane.