Quick answer: the flyer is the athlete lifted, held or thrown at the top of a stunt; the bases are the athletes who lift and support the flyer from below. They're the two ends of the same stunt, with very different physical demands - and a stunt only works when they're perfectly in sync.
| Flyer | Base | |
|---|---|---|
| Official term (USASF) | Top person | Base |
| Position in the stunt | Top | Bottom - must be in contact with the floor |
| Primary job | Hold tight, controlled body positions at height | Lift, hold and catch the flyer |
| Key physical demands | Core strength, flexibility, balance, confidence at height | Leg and shoulder strength, timing, reactions |
| Typical number per stunt | One | Usually two (main base and side base), or one in a single-based stunt |
The Core Difference
A flyer and a base sit at opposite ends of the same stunt: the flyer is held up, the base does the holding. The rulebook uses its own terms - the flyer is the "top person", and a base is anyone who holds, lifts or tosses the top person and is in direct contact with the floor. If only one person is under a flyer's foot, that person counts as a base, wherever their hands are.
What Each Role Focuses On
The flyer focuses on control and stillness at height: locking the body tight so it moves as one piece, keeping the weight centred over the bases' hands, hitting clean body positions such as a liberty or heel stretch, and staying calm when things wobble.
The bases focus on force and stability: lifting smoothly on the count, holding a level, steady platform, making constant small corrections to keep the flyer balanced, and - most importantly - catching the flyer safely in a cradle or on the way down.
Physical Demands
Flying generally needs core strength, flexibility, balance and body awareness, plus the confidence to stay tight at height. Basing generally needs leg, back and shoulder strength, plus the timing to move exactly with a partner base. Neither is "easier" - they're different jobs, and stunts fail as easily from a loose flyer as from a mistimed base.
How Roles Are Assigned
Coaches assign roles based on many factors: size, strength, flexibility, experience, fearlessness at height, and what each stunt group needs. Smaller athletes often fly, but not always - a strong, technically clean base is just as valuable, and some athletes switch roles as they grow.
Can an Athlete Do Both?
Yes. Many athletes base in some stunts and fly in others, especially when they're younger, and on coed teams an athlete may fly in a multi-based stunt and base elsewhere in the routine. Learning both roles helps athletes understand what their partners need.
Parent Questions
Is flying more dangerous than basing? Both roles carry risk - flyers can fall, and bases can be hurt catching or being landed on. That's why stunts are built with back spots and required spotters, and taught through careful progressions by qualified coaches. See our safety policy.
Related Roles
See Back Spot for the third core role in most stunts, and Stunt Group for how flyer, bases and back spot work together.