Backward flying

In nature, there are very few organisms who can fly in such manner, making the phenomenon very rare.{{citation needed|date=May 2022}} In the class Aves (birds), there is only one family, Trochilidae (hummingbirds){{cite web|last=|first=|title=Can Any Animals Fly Backward?|website=|publisher=AllThingsNature|date=|url=https://www.allthingsnature.org/can-any-animals-fly-backwards.htm|access-date=9 May 2022}} where the backward flying phenomenon can be found. In the class Insecta (insects), in the infraorder Anisoptera (dragonflies), genus Hemaris (bee hawk-moths){{efn|They are better known as hummingbird moths, but since this article already covers hummingbirds (an actual bird), to avoid confusion, we are using instead the less frequently used term, bee hawk-moths.}}{{cite web|last=|first=|title=Hummingbird Moth Facts|website=|publisher=ActiveWild|date=|url=https://www.activewild.com/hummingbird-moth-facts/|access-date=9 May 2022}} and order Diptera (true flies), species with this ability can be also found.{{cite web|last=Meyer|first=John|title=Diptera|website=|publisher=NC State University|date=|url=https://projects.ncsu.edu/cals/course/ent425/library/compendium/diptera.html|access-date=9 May 2022}}

There are also some species that don't use the traditional wing flapping mechanism to fly backwards. One such example is the Japanese flying squid, which uses a jet propulsion mechanism for backward flying.{{cite web|last=Reshanov

|first=Alex|title=Lifeform of the week: The amazing Japanese flying squid|website=|publisher=EarthSky|date=27 June 2012|url=https://earthsky.org/earth/lifeform-of-the-week-the-amazing-japanese-flying-squid/|access-date=9 May 2022}}{{cite web|last=Hendricks|first=Jim|title=Move Over Superman — Here Comes the Flying Squid|website=|publisher=Sport Fishing Magazine|date=9 February 2013|url=https://www.sportfishingmag.com/blogs/pacific-currents/move-over-superman-here-s-comes-flying-squid/|access-date=9 May 2022}}

In technology, there are some aircraft that can fly backwards.{{citation needed|date=May 2022}} One example is helicopters.{{cite web|last=Hitt|first=David|title=What Is a Helicopter?|website=|publisher=NASA|date=21 May 2014|url=https://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/5-8/features/nasa-knows/what-is-a-helicopter-58.html|access-date=9 May 2022}}

There is no difference in the efficiency between forward flying and backward flying. Although, it was originally thought that backward flying would be much less efficient.

Similar to backward flying, backward gliding{{efn|Not well established term.}} phenomenon also exists in nature.{{citation needed|date=May 2022}} An example of organism that can backward glide is Cephalotes atratus (kaka-sikikoko).{{cite web|last=|first=|title=Lofty experiments with gliding ants reveals secrets of their unusual flight|website=Insider.si.edu|publisher=|date=13 June 2011|url=https://insider.si.edu/2011/06/lofty-experiments-with-gliding-ants-reveals-secrets-of-their-unusual-flight/|access-date=9 May 2022}}

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Category:Flight