Back Aerial (Beam)

In gymnastics, a back aerial on the beam is a flight skill where the gymnast performs a backward salto (flip) with a completely straight body and without touching the beam with their hands. It is considered one of the most dangerous and difficult skills on the apparatus.

While a back handspring requires the gymnast's hands to make contact with the beam to block and rotate, a back aerial is a blind, hands-free flip through the air. The aerial requires far more vertical lift and relies entirely on tucking or arching the body to complete the rotation safely.

Under the current FIG Women's Artistic Gymnastics Code of Points, a back aerial on the beam is typically rated as a 'D' level difficulty element. Successfully connecting a back aerial to other higher-value skills can earn a gymnast bonus Connection Value points.

The back aerial was popularized in the 1970s as the sport rapidly evolved to include more acrobatic flight elements. Gymnasts from the dominant Soviet Union program were among the first to perform hands-free backward saltos on the four-inch wide beam.