History Main / HeliCritter

** Cream the Rabbit, as well. While she usually flies by [[EarWings flapping them]], in ''VideoGame/SonicChronicles'', she twirls her ears like a helicopter when preforming a certain POW move, much like the page image above.

* In Disney's ''WesternAnimation/RobinHood1973'', Sir Hiss floats by using [[AllBalloonsHaveHelium a bag of air around his head]] and his tail as a propeller.

* Creator/AlanDeanFoster likes this trope, having flying reptilians with organic helicopter blades instead of wings show up in both the ''Literature/{{Spellsinger}}'' novels (where it could be plausible because AWizardDidIt) and as alien creatures on several planets in the Literature/HumanxCommowealth (where it is decidedly less plausible).

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* [[UndergroundMonkey Light-blue slimes]] in ''VideoGame/{{Purple}}'' have propellers that pop-out when they leap.
* One of the abilities VideoGame/{{Rayman}} gains in the first game and keeps (averting the BagOfSpilling) in the later ones.
* The Flying Fowl family of enemies in ''VideoGame/ShirenTheWanderer'' have these.

* The snipes (small, spherical bird-like creatures) in ''VideoGame/SpiralKnights'' move by twirling their wings around their midsection.

** Peahats, a species of monstrous plants.
** ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker The Wind Waker]]'' introduces the marine Seahats.
** The Deku Scrubs in ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask Majora's Mask]]'' use flowers this way. Link himself gains this power when he transforms into one.
* Rocket Raccoon in ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3'' can use his tail to hover for a short time.
* ''VideoGame/MetalSlug 6'' has an Invader alien called the Smasher, it resembles a crab-like thing that spins its legs like a helicopter to fly before inflating itself to smash down on you.

* The Really Flying Mouse enemy from ''VideoGame/Mother3'', which is a {{Cyborg}} mouse that has had a propeller and a jetpack grafted onto it by the Pigmasks.

** Hoppip and Skiploom with leaves and a flower, respectively.

** An unlicensed game for the SNES lets you play as a Chikorita [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woE7zZj4nIk who can fly using the leaf on its head.]]

* ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter 3 Ultimate'' gives us Duramboros and its subspecies, who can launch themselves into the air simply though spinning using their heavy tails. If in [[TurnsRed rage mode]] they only need one swing to launch themselves into the air.

This is a creature that flies using an organic propeller instead of wings. Though [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flagellum some bacterial life forms]] in RealLife really do move this way, it is impossible in more complex organisms, because such a structure requires at least two separate parts and there'd be no way for their nerves, veins, ''et cetera'' to make it from one to the other. It does tend to show up in [[SpeculativeFiction fiction]], though, largely due to the RuleOfCool and because [[SpectacularSpinning spinning is spectacular.]]

** The short "Go Fly a Kit" is about a kitten who was raised by an eagle and learns to fly by spinning its tail.

* In Disney's ''WesternAnimation/RobinHood'', Sir Hiss floats by using [[AllBalloonsHaveHelium a bag of air around his head]] and his tail as a propeller.

* ''Animation/PleasantGoatAndBigBigWolf'': A variant occurs in the first episode of ''Ultimate Battle: The Next Generation'', in that Wolffy spins his tail to propel himself across a void that he and Weslie are brought to.

* An ''Webcomic/AwkwardZombie'' strip uses this as a theoretical explanation for the burning question of ''how the hell [[Franchise/{{Pokemon}} Doduo]] can learn fly''. Answer: by spinning its two heads (and necks).

* ''Animation/PleasantGoatAndBigBigWolf'': In ''Pleasant Goat Fun Class: Animals & Plants'' episode 1, Wolffy thinks elephants can spin their trunks to fly in the air. Weslie tells him that elephants can't do that.

->"Gasp! My theory was true! Spike ''can'' fly! FLY DOG! FLY!"

[[folder:Asian Animation]]
* ''Animation/PleasantGoatAndBigBigWolf'': In ''Pleasant Goat Fun Class: Animals & Plants'' episode 1, Wolffy thinks elephants can spin their trunks to fly in the air. Weslie tells him that elephants can't do that.
[[/folder]]

* In WebAnimation/SilverQuill's "After the Fact: Amending Fences", upon seeing Pinkie Pie using her tail to fly (see the example in Western Animation below), the hippogriff gets jealous -- part of a running gag about him taking a very long time to get a flying animation. So Silver Quill tries to copy Pinkie by spinning his own tail, but has no control over it and is sent flying backward.

* A story arc in Creator/{{Marvel|Comics}}' ''ComicBook/GodzillaKingOfTheMonsters1977'' features an alien monster called Rhiahn that could spin its three tails like a helicopter rotor and fly.

* A story arc in Creator/{{Marvel}} Comics' ''ComicBook/GodzillaKingOfTheMonsters'' features an alien monster called Rhiahn that could spin its three tails like a helicopter rotor and fly.

* In ''Anime/DigimonXrosWars'', Taiki turns [[CanisMajor Dorulumon]] into one of these by [[FusionDance DigiXrossing]] him with Starmon and the Pickmons, which turns the drill on Dorulumon's tail into a propeller. On one hand, it saves them from a fall of thousands of feet. On the other hand, it leaves Dorulumon hanging in the air by his rump, much to his embarrassment.

** He also has wound up Odie's ears like an airplane propelled on occasion. SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome when his flight ends as his ears unwind.
* Snoopy from ''ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}}'' is sometimes seen using his ears as a propeller. One particular strip has SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome when after utilizing this ability, Snoopy has an abrupt crash landing due to his ears becoming too tangled up from the spinning.

** He also has wound up Odie's ears like an airplane propelled on occasion. RealityEnsues when his flight ends as his ears unwind.
* Snoopy from ''ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}}'' is sometimes seen using his ears as a propeller. One particular strip has RealityEnsues when after utilizing this ability, Snoopy has an abrupt crash landing due to his ears becoming too tangled up from the spinning.

* In a few old [=MetLife=] ads, [[ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}} Snoopy]] flies using his ears as helicopter blades (as depicted in the page image).

->''"Gasp! My theory was true! Spike'' can ''fly! FLY DOG! FLY!"''