Flying squid caught on camera. Photo: Hokkaido University While swimming, the squid open up their mantle and draw in water. Then these squid launch themselves into the air with a high-powered blast of the water from their bodies. Once launched by this jet propulsion, these squid spread out both their fins and their tentacles to form wings. The squid have a membrane between their tentacles similar to the webbed toes of a frog. This helps them use their tentacles as a wing and create aerodynamic lift so they can glide – similar to a well-made paper airplane Scientists Unravel Mystery of Flying Squid http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2013/02/20/scientists-unravel-mystery-of-flying-squid/