In this paper, flashover characteristics of air in the vertical arrangement of cylinder-shaped rod and plane gap in the case of combustion flame on the plane electrode were examined under the application of a.c. and d.c. high-voltages. In order to investigate the effect of propane flame on the flashover characteristics of air, flashover voltages in accordance with the variation of the gap length and the horizontal distance between the flame and the high-voltage rod electrode were measured. As the result of the experiment, flashover voltages in the presence of the flame were substantially lowered than those in the absence of flame, and the polarity effects with the d.c. voltages on appeared owing to the flame. Flashover voltages of air were increased in the proportion of the gap length and the horizontal distance in the case of both a.c. and d.c. voltages, but the flame was extinguished by such corona wind that was produced from the rod electrode when the gap length and the horizontal distance reached to a certain degree.