This comes off of just watching the movie “Kiki’s Delivery Service” by Studio Ghibli. 
It made me ponder just what the option of flying can do to the setting of a story. Hayao 
Miyazaki does an excellent job of using flight to change the perspective of his audience, 
making what to some would seem commonplace (a coastal town, or the view from an apartment 
window) seem magical. The audience can wonder what would the view from this higher perspective
be, or what do we normally not see or notice that is now in plain sight. Someone who feels 
isolated in the city can see everyone around them moving, living, interacting, and affecting 
those around them. This effect is potent but can be overused and take away narrative stakes. 
Hayao Miyazaki seems to be able to control this by maintaining the threat and serious nature 
of a fall. Perhaps this obvious solution is more overlooked than we think. In a lot of our 
superhero stories, falling does not always carry the same ‘gravity’, though flying may still 
be used to convey the same sense of wonder. But without the threat of the fall flying becomes 
an easy tool to use after it has served the purpose of giving the audience a sense of wonder 
or fantasy at the introduction of a new setting, or when the author wants to hit that 
narrative beat.

This also seems to be illustrated in many TTRPG games, where the GMs have to wonder about 
giving any flying spells, items, or other capabilities to their players too early (though 
it seems like it is usually one of the first options that players take as soon as they are 
able). Thematically and strategically, it is an obvious choice that many players gravitate 
to on instinct. And yet, most games have to be specially designed to accommodate these 
character abilities without ruining the difficulty curve of the game. With flying many 
problems and obstacles (like raging rivers, high walls, or wild beasts) are easily 
circumvented.

Does this mean that the threat of a fall or crash needs to be present to maintain the tension?
Is the impact of flying also tied to exclusivity? Does the idea of flying become less 
compelling in a setting where a majority of people can do it?

I don’t think the threat of falling needs to be there for the sake of wonder, but I do think 
that it is necessary for the sense of thrill that we often want to accompany depictions of 
flying. If you want to see a city from above then the flying on a broom is appropriate for 
the setting and appropriately thrilling. Likewise, swing from building to building by a 
grappling hook can also give a similar effect. But if you want to see the world, then you 
typically need to fly higher and faster. When we see the earth from the eyes of Superman 
hovering above the atmosphere, we can still get a sense of the grandness of the setting, 
but we don’t fear for Superman getting hurt from falling. And all this depends on the type 
of story you want to read or write.

It is a delicate balance. I would like to depict flying in my stories as this thrilling thing,
that could be practical, useful, and certainly thought-provoking. But at the same time, I 
would want a balance that would not require my characters or audience to worry about death 
every time flying was used but would keep them mindful of the possibility so as not to remove 
the thrill for the sake of wonder.