When they first come out of there larva they will rapitly pump there wings up and down. They can also go 6 directions. upwards, downwards, forwards, back, and side to side.
A dragonfly flies by flapping its 4 large (but thin and transparent) wings. Dragonflies can beat their wings up to 40 times per second, and fly at up to 30 km/hour (18.6 mph).
Flying is part of the feeding and mating activities of adult dragonflies. Many male dragonflies will fly attached to the female after mating, as she lays her eggs.