كلما سمع هيعة طار إليها
Whenever he heard a call to arms, he flew toward it.
The image does not mean the person acquired wings. It portrays a swift response to an alarm. Flying is the borrowed model and rushing or running rapidly is the intended action.
The common feature is swiftly traversing distance. Traversal is integral to the meaning of each form of movement. The source therefore uses this image to explain a common feature located within the concepts of both terms, rather than a quality merely observed from outside.