Can you start the game in soaring?

Also, and I'm pretty sure it is but it doesn't hurt to ask, going into and out of soaring is just normal movement right? so I can use it with hypersonic speed to drop out of the sky, attack, then soar back up.

Yes, you can start in soaring.

Remember, when changing flight modes, it costs 1 movement point. For example, having Flash start in soaring, then go for an attack on someone 10 spaces away, he can move the 10 spaces, then you count 11 for him to go to hovering. This leaves you 4 "spaces" left. Putting him back into soaring would drop that to 3. When changing flight modes, the piece itself does not move, but the movement is counted.

thats what I thought, thanks.