The other species hop up and forward, then dive in. With their relatively small, pointed wings and heavy bones, you might think loons would be clumsy in the air. In fact, they can fly at speeds of 60 miles per hour or more, with feet dangling backward beyond the tail and neck thrust forward and down, giving them a humpbacked appearance. Loons often fly at higher altitudes than other waterfowl and flap their wings more rapidly than most birds. Other loons have shallower wingbeats than the red-throated loon.
Loons have a hard time taking off.
They have to run from 20 yards to a quarter of a mile before they can become airborne. For this reason, loons aren't generally found on small lakes, which generally harbor less food as well. In winter, loons can be trapped if the lake or pond they're living on suddenly freezes. Only the red-throated loon can fly from land. Like other birds that molt, or shed, their flight feathers all at once, loons are flightless for a time.