How High to Fly?
WouterFlies are not the only creatures capable of flying high in the sky. In fact, some species can even reach 6,000 feet. A recent study from Indiana University has found that house flies can fly as high as 500 meters in fifteen degrees of temperature. That’s almost as high as the extinct Twin Towers in New York City. This amazing feat of flight is possible despite the fact that flies have no goals or egos. In fact, they have incredibly sensitive senses that make their flight decisions based solely on instinct.
Scientists have found that flies’ wing muscles are made up of two sets of stretch activated power muscles that control their flight. When flies are flying, their downstroke muscles are stretched, while their upstroke muscles are shortened. They also have steering muscles that regulate wing deviation during their wing stroke.
Despite their unusual flight capabilities, most insects cannot fly above 50 degrees Fahrenheit. However, they can fly for up to 36 hundred feet in 70 degrees and up to six thousand feet in 90 degrees. The reason they can reach such heights is because their temperature range is higher than the one at which they can fly.
House flies also perform feats that defy gravity. In one video, a house fly approaches the ceiling using a half-roll maneuver, while extending its legs to touch the substrate below. Because their legs have sticky pads, they can grip nearly any surface.
