Most parrots don't like the whole "move your hand up and down to make them flap" thing. Some do, like Liz's amazons, but most bird owners I've talked to say their birds just freaked out when they tried to make them flap. (Liz's birds just seem so much more adventurous than my friends' birds!
) Nervous birds can come to distrust your hand and feel it doesn't make a sturdy perching spot anymore.
I like Michael's method. Because the bird understands targeting, it understands what you want him to do. Start small and gradually your bird will get more confident as his skills improve. Ascending builds muscles; descending fine-tunes control. Landings are one of the hardest things about flying, so make sure that your hand and whatever perch/chair back you use are very steady.
Remember that as your bird becomes a more skilled flier, he will have fewer accidents (like the one where he ended up behind your TV)!