Santa has been kind and birthday time is coming up soon so I hope in the near future to buy my first flute. I've been reading threads with people's opinions about student flutes and some are described as free-blowing.What exactly does that mean? So far I've had 3 different flutes on hire from my music school, but the main differences I've noticed have been in the ease of playing the keys and quality of build rather than anything to do with blowing ... please enlighten!

As i understand it, most student level flutes have headjoints that are cut to be freeblowing - ie direct the air anywhere near the right place & you're likely to get a sound (though depending on exactly where the air goes determines how good a sound it might be). The disadvantage is that as you get better at controlling embouchure, support, air speed & direction you might reach a point on a student headjoint where you can't do much more with creating the sound you would like to make.
So then you move into the region of intermediate flutes - possibly silver headjoints/ or silver lipplates rather than plated, and those headjoints most likely won't be as freeblowing as the student headjoint. In other words you'll have to work harder to get the air in the right place with the right speed to create the sound but hopefully you'll then also have more possibilities of what sort of sound you can create.
Some headjoint makers are known for producing relatively freeblowing headjoints - I think Lafin would be one. I think andante's Powell headjoint is more freeblowing than my Simmons headjoint. It is down to personal preference and what sort of flute player you are.

Have to disagree about the Lafin being free blowing. Ive tried around 3 and they are all pretty resistant hence their huge capabilities in tone variation. I play on a lafin, and when compared to my powell headjoint there is a vast difference. Sometimes I like to play on the powell due to the ease with which the sound will come out in tricky passages, but the sound isnt quite what Im looking for.
The Powell headjoints vary considerably with the cut of headjoint. I was trying several headjoints and flutes with the vice president a few weeks back, and the soloist cut seems to be very free blowing.

Again it is true that its down to what kind of flute player you are, so freeblowing for one person may not be for another.

I've only played 1 Lafin headjoint (it was the one that was won at JG's Swiss summerclasses) and it was very freeblowing compared with my Simmons headjoint. But I guess it's all relative to what you've played/trying it against at the time. I expect that what 1 person might call relatively freeblowing another player might define as being more resistant -it's all subjective rather than objective.

Thanks very much for your clear explanations and comments.

I'll probably be looking at Pearl Quantz 505 and 665, Yamaha 211 and 311, Azumi 1000 and 2000 and Powell Sonare as these are the ones the shop stocks at student and step up level.

(If I produce a ghastly sound, quite likely, I'll just say airliy 'Mmm, not very free-blowing....!')

I recently bought a Pearl Quantz 505 and am really pleased with it (but then, I'm a real beginner, so know very little). I found the best price on netmusicalinstruments.co.uk, in case that's any use to you.

Thank you, SallyAnna. I read somewhere that the Pearl flutes have a sweet sound and that the pinless mechanism should require little maintenance.
I've read lots of views in other posts about the Yamahas, but not much about the Azumis so any other opinions would be welcome.
(PS I'm pretty beginnerish too and am feeling a bit shy of actually going to the shop! But my teacher says as long as I make an appointment they'll make sure there's a flute specialist I can listen to. I'll ask him/her to leave the room when I try out!!)

It might actually be worth having the flute specialist in the room for a bit when you play, because although you need to get the flute which feels best, they might be able to advise you on what suits you best sound wise.

Oh, the embarassment!
(They probably wouldn't trust me alone with their precious instruments anyway!)