Why Do Flies Take Off Forward Or Backwards?
WouterFlies are amazing aerialists, able to hover vertically and even move backwards. It is thought that their wings beat at a rate of more than 200 cycles per second. Interestingly, flies can turn around in as little as six wing beats, at speeds up to 10,000 deg per second. A recent study from the CNRS found that flies reorient themselves in just 0.05 seconds, turning their head about 0.016 seconds later than their bodies.
Flies have amazing vision, with 360-degree field of view. This allows them to see behind them and to detect fast changes in air currents. This means that flies can avoid being squashed or hurt by flying in one direction or another. As they fly forward, they are able to avoid danger by turning their wings.
The brain of a fly can detect and track an impending threat by scanning the surroundings. It can even calculate which direction to go in a millisecond! The flies also have amazing visual acuity and can perceive threats. They also use the information they receive to change their postures and pinpoint the direction of safety.
Until the 1950s, scientists assumed that flies took off and landed in the same direction. However, this was later found to be incorrect. A team of researchers from the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Colorado State University, and Pennsylvania State University used bluebottle flies to solve the puzzle. The team also used high-speed video to observe how the insects changed their body motions. This resulted in a more accurate interpretation of the flies’ flight.
