Landing
Try to land correctly, on items such as the truck with the mattresses, the cannon. Do not land too soon. Anticipate the obstacles for a better chance of a good landing.
Launching
You can get a perfect launch when the arrow reaches the dark green area. If you tap when the arrow hits the red, the hipster will fall and you can immediately restart. Once in the air, get the hipster as high as possible with balloons and other ways. If there are multiple routes in a level, the easiest and fastest is usually the higher one. Flap only when really necessary, and your power meter will be enough to last though the ride. Tap and hold instead of tapping quickly to keep the hipster flapping.
Various Tips and Tricks
First thing you need to learn is to hold, don't tap the flap button.
But also don't keep your finger pressed too long.
Always try to approach cannons low, as overshooting means Game Over.
Try to get the hipster as high as possible in the air, using balloons and all other means, as it will make things a lot easier for you.
Some items that would give you different boosts (like traffic lights, manholes and so on) can be easily spotted if you look at the sidewalk across the street.