Soaring to New Heights: Learning to Fly at Level 30 in World of Warcraft
You’ve hit level 30 in World of Warcraft – congratulations! The skies are now yours to conquer. At level 30, you can learn the Expert Riding skill, which unlocks the ability to use flying mounts in the appropriate zones. To do so, you need to visit a Flying Trainer in a major city. For the Alliance, head to Bralla Cloudwing in Stormwind City. For the Horde, Maztha in Orgrimmar is your go-to trainer. They will teach you the Expert Riding skill for a gold fee, allowing you to finally take to the skies! Remember to purchase a flying mount if you don’t already have one!
Finding Your Wings: A Comprehensive Guide to Flying in WoW
Reaching level 30 and learning to fly is a significant milestone in your World of Warcraft journey. It opens up a whole new world of exploration and convenience. No longer will you be confined to the ground, navigating treacherous terrain and lengthy travel times. Flying allows you to quickly traverse vast landscapes, discover hidden areas, and enjoy a breathtaking perspective of the game world. But the world of flying in WoW has changed a lot over time. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about taking to the skies at level 30 and beyond.
Where to Find Flying Trainers
As mentioned earlier, Flying Trainers are located in the major cities of Stormwind (for Alliance) and Orgrimmar (for Horde).
- Stormwind: Bralla Cloudwing is located near the Flight Master in Stormwind City’s Trade District, on the outer wall.
- Orgrimmar: Maztha can be found on the flight master/zeppelin level of Orgrimmar, right opposite Doras, the Wind Rider Master.
These NPCs not only teach you the Expert Riding skill but also offer advice and further information about flying in the game.
Acquiring a Flying Mount
Once you’ve learned Expert Riding, you’ll need a flying mount. There are numerous ways to obtain them:
- Faction Vendors: Many faction vendors sell flying mounts for gold or other currencies. Check with your faction’s quartermaster in your capital city.
- Reputation Rewards: Certain factions offer flying mounts as rewards for reaching Exalted reputation with them.
- Quest Rewards: Some quests, especially those in older expansions, reward players with flying mounts.
- Drops: Many bosses and rare creatures throughout the game have a chance to drop flying mounts.
- Professions: Some professions, like Engineering, allow you to craft flying mounts.
- In-Game Store: Blizzard offers a selection of flying mounts for purchase in the in-game store.
Flying in Different Expansions
While learning Expert Riding at level 30 allows you to fly in many zones, flying in newer expansions often requires additional steps.
- Classic Zones (Kalimdor, Eastern Kingdoms): You can fly freely once you’ve learned Expert Riding.
- Outland (Burning Crusade): You need to purchase the “Cold Weather Flying” skill from trainers in Outland (Ilsa Blusterbrew for Alliance at Wildhammer Stronghold in Shadowmoon Valley, Olrokk for Horde at Shadowmoon Village).
- Northrend (Wrath of the Lich King): Purchase “Cold Weather Flying” from trainers in Northrend (similar to Outland).
- Pandaria (Mists of Pandaria): You can fly freely once you’ve learned Expert Riding.
- Draenor (Warlords of Draenor): Requires completing the “Draenor Pathfinder” achievement.
- Broken Isles (Legion): Requires completing the “Broken Isles Pathfinder, Part One” and “Broken Isles Pathfinder, Part Two” achievements.
- Kul Tiras and Zandalar (Battle for Azeroth): Requires completing the “Battle for Azeroth Pathfinder, Part One” and “Battle for Azeroth Pathfinder, Part Two” achievements.
- Shadowlands: Requires completing the “Memories of Sunless Skies” item, earned by completing specific parts of the Chains of Domination campaign.
- Dragon Isles (Dragonflight): Dragonriding is the primary method of flying, unlocked early in the Dragonflight questline. Normal flying can be unlocked by achieving specific storylines.
Dragonriding in Dragonflight
Dragonflight introduced Dragonriding, a dynamic and engaging form of aerial movement. Instead of simply hovering in the air, Dragonriding involves actively managing your dragon’s momentum, using abilities like Surge Forward, Skyward Ascent, and Whirling Surge to gain speed and altitude.
You’ll unlock Dragonriding early in the Dragonflight campaign, receiving your first Dragon Isles Drake and learning the basics of this new system. You can further customize your Dragonriding drake by collecting Dragonriding Glyphs scattered throughout the Dragon Isles, unlocking new abilities and visual options.
Flying in Legacy Content
While the base requirement to unlock flying in many zones might seem like a lot, the new “Chromie Time” system allows you to level up in any expansion. This means, you can spend all your time leveling from 1-60 in any expansion or continent, then continue to level in the Dragon Isles. This may be beneficial if you want to unlock a specific flying related achievement.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are some frequently asked questions about flying in World of Warcraft:
- At what level can I learn to fly in WoW? You can learn to fly at level 30 by purchasing the Expert Riding skill from a Flying Trainer.
- Where is the Flying Trainer for the Alliance? The Alliance Flying Trainer, Bralla Cloudwing, is located in Stormwind City’s Trade District, near the Flight Master.
- Where is the Flying Trainer for the Horde? The Horde Flying Trainer, Maztha, is located on the flight master/zeppelin level of Orgrimmar.
- Do I get a free flying mount when I learn to fly at level 30? The article mentions a potential “Time to Fly” quest that grants a free flying mount but in most cases, a free flying mount is not given automatically. This may depend on specific promotions or account conditions.
- What is Dragonriding, and how is it different from normal flying? Dragonriding is a dynamic form of aerial movement introduced in Dragonflight. It requires actively managing your dragon’s momentum and using abilities to gain speed and altitude, unlike the passive nature of old flying.
- How do I unlock flying in the Shadowlands? To unlock flying in the Shadowlands, you need to earn 44 Renown with your Covenant, complete all 9 chapters of the Covenant Campaign, and complete up through the 3rd chapter of the 9.1 “Chains of Domination” Campaign (ending with The Primus Returns).
- How do I unlock normal flying in the Dragon Isles (Dragonflight)? To unlock normal flying in Dragonflight, you need to earn the following achievements by completing the storylines in each zone: Waking Hope (Waking Shores), Ohn’a’roll (Ohn’ahran Plains), and Azure Spanner (Azure Span).
- Can I use flying mounts on the ground before level 30? Yes, you can use flying mounts on the ground before level 30, but they will function as ground mounts and will not be able to fly.
- Where can I learn Cold Weather Flying for Northrend and Outland? Alliance players can learn Cold Weather Flying from Ilsa Blusterbrew at Wildhammer Stronghold in Shadowmoon Valley (Outland). Horde players can learn it from Olrokk at Shadowmoon Village in Shadowmoon Valley (Outland). Trainers also exist in Northrend.
- What are the Pathfinder achievements, and why are they important? Pathfinder achievements are meta-achievements that require completing various tasks in a specific expansion’s zones, such as exploring, completing quests, and earning reputation. Completing these achievements unlocks flying in those zones.
- How do I start the Dragonflight questline? When you log in to World of Warcraft after purchasing and downloading the Dragonflight expansion, you should automatically receive the first quest, “The Dragon Isles Await.” If you don’t see it, check your Map & Quest Log and click on the “World” tab.
- Are there any areas in WoW where I can’t fly? Yes, some specific zones or instances may restrict flying. These restrictions are usually indicated by a debuff preventing you from mounting a flying mount.
- How do I get a Warlock flying mount? The Warlock class mount quest becomes available after completing the Legion major achievements, such as “A Glorious Campaign” and “Breaching the Tomb.” The additional artifact-related achievement “Power Ascended” unlocks additional color schemes.
- Is there a way to unlock all flight paths at once? Unlocking flight paths typically requires visiting each flight master in the game to learn them individually. There is no “unlock all” option.
- Do all mounts fly at the same speed? Flying speed is determined by your Riding skill level. The higher your Riding skill, the faster you can fly. Some mounts may also have unique visual effects or animations, but they do not inherently fly faster than others with the same Riding skill.
Conclusion
Learning to fly at level 30 in World of Warcraft is an exciting step that significantly enhances your gameplay experience. By visiting a Flying Trainer in a major city, purchasing a flying mount, and understanding the requirements for flying in different expansions, you’ll be soaring through the skies in no time. Remember to explore all the possibilities and discover new areas from a breathtaking aerial perspective. The journey is yours to write, or fly! Learn more about how games can be used for learning by visiting the Games Learning Society at GamesLearningSociety.org.