Can Sonic fly a plane?

[Flyboy Fox]

I don't believe that Sonic is a better pilot than Tails. Tails' numerous crash-landings might indicate that he's not brilliant at landing, but then again, there's usually a reason for the Tornado ending up in trouble that isn't to do with his ability to fly her. Of course Tails has had more incidents with the plane than Sonic - he's flown her far more.

However, yes, Sonic can fly her and quite ably too. He was clearly her pilot prior to Tails taking over. But he doesn't seem to have the passion for it that Tails does. Tails is a flying ace, a natural, and with the technical ability to maintain and upgrade any plane he pilots.

I think Tails' problem is more that he's both over-ambitious (the whole chaos emerald powered plane mess) and scatterbrained (forgetting to install landing gear), neither of which have a bearing on his ability as a pilot.

I wonder how he learned to fly the Tornado originally though... I like to assume that Sonic taught him, given that Sonic must have known how to fly her prior.

[DarkOverord]

I wonder how he learned to fly the Tornado originally though... I like to assume that Sonic taught him, given that Sonic must have known how to fly her prior.

But who taught Sonic! It's like the Chicken and egg, The bullet and the graze (lol Touhou reference), all over again :V

[JezMM]

Ha, I never realised til now how often Tails crashed! I think he's a better pilot than Sonic, but his reaction time in battle isn't quite as hot as Sonic's naturally is. Tails is fancier, Sonic is safer with piloting planes.

[Octarine]

I wonder how he learned to fly the Tornado originally though... I like to assume that Sonic taught him, given that Sonic must have known how to fly her prior.

If Tails' Adventure is anything to go by, he was definitely piloting other types of vehicles before he met Sonic... maybe he just grew so accustomed to the Sea Fox over the years that he still can't quite wrap his head around the Tornado's controls. You don't really need to land a submarine, after all.

There's something very cute and nostalgic about the idea of a younger Sonic flying around in a little red crop duster to fight small-time criminals. As much as I'm not keen to hear a lot about Sonic's past, I'd definitely be interested to know how he first came across the Tornado. Probably stole the thing before he knew any better, the little scamp.

[Agent York]

...I just thought of this... Whatever happened to the Tornado at the end of the Sonic 3 opening? Sonic goes off speeding as super and Knuckles steals the emeralds, but then Tails comes flying above and the Tornado is nowhere in site... Tails... What are we going to do with you?

Wait a minute... Who the hell was driving the space ship in Sonic Adventure 2. It was either Sonic or Tails before Knuckles crashed it. I mean... Can Sonic really drive a space shuttle. o.o And even if it wasn't him but Tails, it would go to further go to prove Tails crashes too much, he crashes the shuttle into the meteorite that lets all the Master emerald shards fall out.

So lets see if I got this right...

-Tails crashing the Tornado at the beginning of Wing Fortress in Sonic 2

-Tails getting shot down at the beginning of Sonic Spinball

-Tails crashing the Tornado at the beginning of Sonic Adventure

-Tails getting shot down and crashing at the end of Sky Chase act 1 in Sonic Adventure

-Tails crash landing into the Egg Carrier in Sonic Adventure's Sky Chase act 2

-Tails crashing a space shuttle into a meteorite letting the Master Emerald pieces out

-Tails letting the Tornado II go free riding at the beginning of Sonic Heroes, inevitably crashing

-Tails crashing in Circus Park in Shadow the Hedgehog

-Tails crashing a car in Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity

-Tails crashing his plane being shot down in Sonic Unleashed

-Tails being hit by lightning and crashing in Sonic Rush Adventure

...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVGX7YNjT70

Edited December 11, 2009 by Dusk the Christmas Keeper

[-Mark-]

Come to think of it, do they ever even explain why Tails' plane randomly crashed in Shadow the Hedgehog and Unleashed? It just seems to randomly... explode? It's like they writers can't think of any other way to end Tails cutscenes other than have his plane screw up on him.

[DarkOverord]

Come to think of it, do they ever even explain why Tails' plane randomly crashed in Shadow the Hedgehog and Unleashed? It just seems to randomly... explode? It's like they writers can't think of any other way to end Tails cutscenes other than have his plane screw up on him.

"Sir! Tails is just too good at things!"

"Crash the plane again"

"But sir, we've done that so many times"

"Then make it EXPLODE this time then"

[Flyboy Fox]

I think it's definitely a running gag by this point ^^; I think it's kind of cute.

[-Mark-]

Yeah, but they could at least try and explain why/ how it happens. D=

Hell, in Unleashed you never even see how he gets out of it (same goes for Shadow the Hedgehog), the next time you even see Tails is during the end credits.

[Flyboy Fox]

I dunno, running gags tend to work better when they're rather random and unexplained. At least, to me, it's funnier if Tails crashes in a blaze of smoke and flames, then shows up totally unfazed and unharmed an hour or so later XD; He's just... like... so used to it now that he doesn't even care ^^;

[JezMM]

Trouble is, Sonic pokes fun at itself as a series so little, if they don't outright spell out the joke, it seems like sloppy writing. Definately in the case of Unleashed's completely unexplained and uncontinued cliff-hanger at Eggmanland.

Shadow I put down to the fireworks of Circus Park shooting him down.

[Flyboy Fox]

Trouble is, Sonic pokes fun at itself as a series so little[...]

Amy's lovestruck obsession, Knuckles' gullibility, etc etc. Running gags abound in the Sonic series as far as I can see, and they're usually pretty character-specific. I never felt that the Sonic games took themselves too seriously at all (until the disaster that was Shadow's game, and even then, with him,... "MARIAAAA" XD; I can't take that seriously at all).

[Candescence]

I never felt that the Sonic games took themselves too seriously at all (until the disaster that was Shadow's game, and even then, with him,... "MARIAAAA" XD; I can't take that seriously at all).

Shall I file that under the Narm cabinet?

[Dr. Mechano]

I still think Sonic instantly knowing how to fly the Eggmobile warrants questioning.

I can imagine it's a complicated piece of machinery, and Sonic's ability to pilot it in Launch Base speaks for his ability as a pilot. (The Sonic of the Sonic X comic, however, never seemed to get the hang of the Eggmobile's controls. Hm.)

[DarkOverord]

I still think Sonic instantly knowing how to fly the Eggmobile warrants questioning.

I can imagine it's a complicated piece of machinery, and Sonic's ability to pilot it in Launch Base speaks for his ability as a pilot. (The Sonic of the Sonic X comic, however, never seemed to get the hang of the Eggmobile's controls. Hm.)

It's never really shown how it's controlled back then too. I mean, you have post Sonic Adventure 2 where it seems to be joysticks. But in Sonic Adventure, the Eggmobile had a rather complex system from the looks by it with read outs and buttons everywhere. Perhaps Sonic just pressed a button that said "Forward" :V

[Dr. Mechano]

It's never really shown how it's controlled back then too. I mean, you have post Sonic Adventure 2 where it seems to be joysticks. But in Sonic Adventure, the Eggmobile had a rather complex system from the looks by it with read outs and buttons everywhere. Perhaps Sonic just pressed a button that said "Forward" :V

I can see that.

...And given Eggman's childish personality, it wouldn't surprise me if the Eggmobile controlled like an arcade game cabinet, joysticks and all. Certainly would be user-friendly enough for anyone to pick up on.

[Marcello]

Well, he did only go forwards and was extremly slow. Eggman could go as fast as Sonic or even faster. Oh, and I also see it as just being a button to go fowards or a joystick :-/

[Flyboy Fox]

Well, Sonic is intelligent and does have at least some prior knowledge of controlling a vehicle, even if a very different one. I can imagine he simply took a logical guess and the controls happened to be rightly intuitive. I think it speaks more of Sonic's intelligence overall than of his particular skill as a pilot.

[Octarine]

Remember that he flew directly into Knuckles' punching range... I wouldn't be surprised if he just pressed the biggest button he could find and hoped for the best.

Even if the Eggpod itself controlled simply, I wouldn't be surprised if it still contained an absurd number of controls: it has to be able to control whatever robot it's attached to as well. A single joystick might work for just the flying chair, but something as complex as the Egg Dragoon would probably need quite a few more input options.

[Flyboy Fox]

Either way, his knowledge of flying the Tornado would have little bearing on such a (presumably) vastly different type of vehicle. Base knowledge of vehicles, helpful, yes. Being an ace pilot of the Tornado or simply an adequate one, not really relevant.

[gato]

We are forgetting Sonic can also pilot a waterbike in Rush Adventure.

And we don't know if it's Sonic or Tails the one who pilot the other vehicles in that game.

Also in the tutorial level of the waterbike Tails states that you (as Sonic) are a "quick learner" (or something like that), maybe that's the reason why Sonic could pilot the eggmobile (or at least drive it without crashing) so fast...

Maybe Sonic is smarter than we (or at least I) thought.

Does anyone knows what is the Sonic's IQ?

(The Sonic of the Sonic X comic, however, never seemed to get the hang of the Eggmobile's controls. Hm.)

Maybe it was the state of anxiety that could produce being the person you most hate, also, you see that other person inside your body, doing who knows what, I think I would get pretty nervous with that D: .

I don't believe that Sonic is a better pilot than Tails. Tails' numerous crash-landings might indicate that he's not brilliant at landing, but then again, there's usually a reason for the Tornado ending up in trouble that isn't to do with his ability to fly her. Of course Tails has had more incidents with the plane than Sonic - he's flown her far more.

However, yes, Sonic can fly her and quite ably too. He was clearly her pilot prior to Tails taking over. But he doesn't seem to have the passion for it that Tails does. Tails is a flying ace, a natural, and with the technical ability to maintain and upgrade any plane he pilots.

I think Tails' problem is more that he's both over-ambitious (the whole chaos emerald powered plane mess) and scatterbrained (forgetting to install landing gear), neither of which have a bearing on his ability as a pilot.

I wonder how he learned to fly the Tornado originally though... I like to assume that Sonic taught him, given that Sonic must have known how to fly her prior.

1) I think Tails is more EXTREEEEME (Couldn't find a better word) with the Tornado (and other vehicles) than Sonic:

- We have seen tails doing things like manouvering a the plane at insane speeds avoinding other planes and all the firepower of the Egg Carrier .

- Sonic, on the other hand. just flies in straight line .

Since he is always putting the tornado (and other vehicles) in such tight situations, it's no surprise he ofthen gets hit and crashes.

2) I also think Tails has an interesting approach to vehicles and gadgets, he is always ready to experiment and take the necessary risks to make, improve and/or modify something wich could really help Sonic, or whoever it is in need...

- Sonic would see a vehicle and would think "how do I drive this thing?".

- Tails would look at the same vehicle and think "how many miles per hour (PUN) could I do with that engine?", "I wonder if this is could resist a laser blast?", "How do we install armor and some weapons to ensure the vehicles safety?", "What if I istall *insert component here*? I would sure be able to do some crazy stuff with this", "If I manage to implement that mechanism I was working on even Sonic would be impressed".

Anyways, since he is so focused in the most awesome stuff, he often forgets about the basics like breaks or landing gears. D:

tl;dr: I agree with you

Yeah, but they could at least try and explain why/ how it happens. D=

Thats why this fandom is so awesome, we do what nintendont SEGA don't.

Edited December 11, 2009 by christmasrafan

[Dr. Mechano]

Maybe it was the state of anxiety that could produce being the person you most hate, also, you see that other person inside your body, doing who knows what, I think I would get pretty nervous with that D: .

X Sonic didn't really hate Eggman so much as sort of pity his nemesis. The two had a rather friendly relationship compared to other continuities.

Still, I suppose the trauma of body-swapping would be enough to throw off your concentration to do much of anything, much less fly a small aircraft.

[HunterTSF]

I can see that.

...And given Eggman's childish personality, it wouldn't surprise me if the Eggmobile controlled like an arcade game cabinet, joysticks and all. Certainly would be user-friendly enough for anyone to pick up on.

I would have to agree with this. Sonic Adventure 2 displayed the Eggmobile having an almost arcade-game like setup (complete with a rather simple-looking joystick), so it appears to be easy enough for the average person to just "pick up and play". Let's keep in mind that Big the Cat was also able to maneuver the Eggmobile in that very game.

...but then again, Big was also able to pilot the Tornado II in Sonic Adventure. Hmm....

[Indigo Rush]

I would have to agree with this. Sonic Adventure 2 displayed the Eggmobile having an almost arcade-game like setup (complete with a rather simple-looking joystick), so it appears to be easy enough for the average person to just "pick up and play". Let's keep in mind that Big the Cat was also able to maneuver the Eggmobile in that very game.

...but then again, Big was also able to pilot the Tornado II in Sonic Adventure. Hmm....

Big the Cat is the single greatest character in the entire Sonic universe, and this is just one of the countless reasons as to why.

[Rave92]

Tons of times we saw Sonic flying, the first one I can remember is Sonic the Hedgehog 2. A better question, is he a better pilot than Tails ?