Learning to fly is every young witch and wizard’s most anticipated moment. It symbolizes how much they’ve grown their craft, and more importantly independence. Something not talked about enough within the wizarding community, however, is that we are not alone in the sky. We share this freedom with our avian brethren, who in most cases are not used to seeing a humanoid invading their territory.
Nearly a dozen young witches and wizards are involved in avian related flight accidents every year. This is unacceptable, as mentors we need to do better at educating the youth on the dangers of flight so they are prepared for what’s out there. Yes, in some larger wizarding communities there are flight courses, and nearly every wizarding school includes a flight course in their curriculum, but what about the smaller communities? What about the young wizards who are self taught? Or the potion focused witches who don’t fly enough to know the dangers of the sky? Well, we’ve compiled a list of the most important things to consider, and watch out for, when preparing for a levitating journey.
1. Time of day
Time of day is incredibly important when planning your route. Most birds are highly active between dawn and 11am, as well as late afternoon, meaning these are high traffic hours. If you want to stay safe, it’s best to travel during low traffic hours, when most birds are perching, eating, or taking a water break.
2. Listen to your surroundings
Whenever you are in an environment you know you may want to fly in later, make note of the still sounds. You can determine quite a bit from the amount of chirping in the area. For instance, if it is louder than other areas you’ve flown in, then the bird population is quite large, so the sky may be busy even during low traffic hours.
3. What does the sky look like?
Weather is highly important to any witch or wizard’s flight route planning. Clear skies are optimal, however sometimes it may be necessary to travel when it is cloudy out. “What’s a little rain?” You may ask. Well, traveling weather conditions can mean life or death for a flying magic caster. A light trickle and quickly turn into a full on storm in an instant. With storms come harsh winds and hindered sight. Nearly 100 casters are injured yearly due to weather related flying accidents.
4. Your bond with your focus item
If you are using a scroll or enchanted item, this may not apply to you. However, if you are casting a spell and using a focus item, make sure you have a healthy relationship at the time of casting. If you are new to your focus item, or have recently had some harsh disagreements, they may not function optimally. Make sure your mind is clear and your heart is bound to your focus item before attempting to fly anywhere.
5. Time of year
As any frequent flying caster can tell you, time of year is highly important when planning your flight route. Most birds migrate south during the winter months, and north in the summer months. It’s optimal to fly with the migration direction, reducing the amount of birds you may accidentally hit. When flying agains the migration direction, make sure to cast the necessary shielding spells to avoid harmful bird-related damage to you or your focus item.
There are several conditions to consider when planning your flight path, and this only scratches the surface. If you are interested in making your next flight a little easier, or if you are looking for tips and tricks on how to better connect to your flight spell focus, contact your local wizard tower for information on flying schools in your area.
