Is Gyarados a dragon?
Gyrados was dragon instead of flying in beta
It’s unlikely that Gyarados was “originally” intended to be a Dragon-type, since Dragon type seems to have been a late addition to the original Pokémon games. Heck, Gyarados might have even been programmed into the game (as a Water/Flying-type) before the Dragon type itself.
Can gyarados actually fly?
Gyarados is a Flying-type because it floats above the ground when it’s outside of water, and because it has the power to control wind in order to manipulate the weather.