Flight School is a class built specifically for flyers. Athletes work through Level 1 to Level 3 progressions: one and two legged stunts at half and extended heights, balance in the air, holding body positions while up, and the technique of dismounts and cradles. It is open to new and experienced flyers, and it exists because flying is a trainable skill set rather than a body type.
That last point surprises parents most. The most common myth in youth cheer is that flyers are simply the smallest athletes on the team. Size is one factor in how a stunt group is built, but it is nowhere near the whole story, and it is the part an athlete cannot control. Nearly everything else is coachable.
What flying actually requires
A flyer is not so much being lifted as holding a position while being lifted. Four qualities make that possible.
Body tension. The single most important one. A flyer who is tight is stable and feels light to their bases. A flyer who relaxes feels heavy and unpredictable, and the stunt falls. Tension is built through conditioning, not talent.
Balance and air awareness. Knowing where your body is when the floor is not under you, and correcting a wobble with a small adjustment instead of a panic.
Flexibility, in specific places. Body positions such as a heel stretch or scorpion require hip and shoulder range. General stretching helps, but targeted flexibility helps more.
Trust and communication. A flyer has to commit to a skill knowing their bases will be there. That is built through reps with the same people, which is why stunt groups train together.
The progression flyers actually follow
Flight School follows a ladder. Skipping steps is how athletes get hurt and how confidence gets broken, so coaches hold athletes at a stage until it is genuinely solid.
| Stage | What the flyer is learning |
|---|---|
| Foundations | Body tension, tight shapes, how to load into a stunt, how to be caught safely |
| Two-legged stunts, half height | Standing on two feet in the bases' hands, staying tight and stacked over the bases |
| Two-legged stunts, extended | The same shape with arms fully extended, where small errors become large ones |
| One-legged stunts, half height | Weight on a single leg, hips square, the other leg held in a controlled position |
| One-legged stunts, extended | Liberty and similar skills at full height |
| Body positions | Heel stretch, scorpion, bow and arrow and similar, held with control |
| Dismounts and cradles | Coming down safely and on count, every time |
Dismounts matter more than parents realize
Families watch the top of the stunt. Coaches watch the way down.
A cradle is a controlled dismount where the flyer pops off, holds a tight hollow shape, and is caught across the bases' arms. It is the most repeated skill in stunting and the one where technique failures cause the most problems. A flyer who breaks position mid-air, or who comes down early or late, is hard to catch cleanly.
This is why Flight School spends real time on dismounts and cradles rather than treating them as the boring end of a skill. Consistent, on-count dismounts are what let a stunt group progress, because bases will commit to a harder skill when they trust the way it ends.
Flight School is not only for flyers who already fly
Our schedule includes Flight School groups for beginners, for Level 1 and 2, for Level 2 to 5, and for coed, plus an Intro to Flying class for athletes who have never been in the air. If your athlete is curious about flying but has never tried it, that is the entry point, and no experience is expected.
An athlete does not have to be on a team to attend, either. Weekly classes are open to athletes who are not on a Wellington Allstars team, with a one-time yearly registration fee of $50 for the first athlete and $25 per sibling.
Bases and backspots need training too
A stunt is a group skill, and half of the coaching problem lives on the ground. That is what Stunt Lab is for: a class for bases and backspots covering grips and stunting body positions.
The distinction matters when families are choosing classes. If your athlete is the one going up, Flight School is the class. If your athlete is basing or backspotting, Stunt Lab is the class. Both appear on our weekly class schedule, along with an Advanced Flyer and Stunt class for Levels 2 to 4.
The classes that quietly make flyers better
Some of the biggest gains in flying do not happen in a stunting class at all.
Stretch. A heel stretch that will not reach is usually a flexibility ceiling, not a technique problem. Stretch classes address the actual limit.
Kids CrossFit. Conditioning builds the core and hip strength that body tension depends on. A flyer who cannot hold a hollow body on the floor cannot hold one in the air.
Jump. Jump technique trains explosive hip drive and tight shapes on a count, which transfers directly to loading and dismounting.
Stage Presence. Flyers are the most-watched athletes on the floor. Facial expression and performance energy are part of the job, and they are coachable.
Safety, honestly
Stunting carries real risk, which is why progressions exist and why they are not negotiable. A few things we hold to: athletes are not moved up until the current stage is consistent; stunts are trained with appropriate spotting; and athletes do not throw stunting or advanced tumbling skills unsupervised, including during open gym, which is why open gym is always coach-supervised.
Parents can help by not pushing for a skill on a timeline. The fastest route to a confident flyer is a solid one, and rushing a stage is the most reliable way to produce a fall, which then costs months of confidence. Our guide to mental blocks covers what happens when that trust breaks.
Parent FAQ
Does my athlete have to be small to be a flyer?
No. Size is one consideration in building a stunt group, but body tension, flexibility, air awareness and fearlessness matter more, and all of those are trainable.
My athlete has never flown. Which class should they take?
Intro to Flying, or a beginner Flight School group. Both assume no experience.
What is the difference between Flight School and Stunt Lab?
Flight School trains the athlete going up. Stunt Lab trains bases and backspots on grips and stunting positions.
Is flying dangerous?
There is real risk in any stunting, which is why we teach in strict progressions with appropriate spotting and do not allow unsupervised stunting.
Can my athlete fly if they are afraid of heights?
Often yes, because half-height stunts come long before extended ones. Comfort is built gradually, and an athlete who never gets comfortable is not a failed athlete; they may simply be a strong base.
Does my athlete need to be on a team to take Flight School?
No. Weekly classes are open to non-team athletes.
How long until my athlete can do a heel stretch?
It depends on flexibility, strength and attendance. The honest answer is that flexibility work outside of class is usually the deciding factor.
What should my athlete wear?
Fitted athletic clothing so coaches can see body lines, hair tied back, no jewelry. See what to wear and bring.
Keep reading
- What is a Flyer Focus class? Body positions, balance and air awareness
- Intro vs. Tech Work classes: which does my athlete need?
- Tumbling mental blocks: why athletes lose skills they had
- Beginner tumbling: the first month
Ready to get your athlete in the air?
Wellington Allstars is a competitive all-star cheer gym at 17035 Persimmon Blvd West, Unit 800 in Westlake, Florida, serving Wellington, Royal Palm Beach, Loxahatchee and The Acreage. We run Flight School, Intro to Flying, Stunt Lab and Advanced Flyer and Stunt classes alongside our tumbling ladder and all-star teams.
Find the Flight School group that matches your athlete's level on our class schedule, or ask our coaching staff which one to start with.