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What is the purpose of Felling Strike? I know what the book says, you knock a Flying Creature out of the air/onto the ground. But how to you use it?
A Hippogriff is a "Creature 2", and has Flying Strafe. Which means it attacks as it flies past you, and doesn't end it's turn adjacent to you. So you can't use Felling Strike on it. And Felling Strike is a two-action feat... so you can't prepare an action to use it.
Is this exclusively a ranged attack option?
It feels like you cherry picked the exact right enemy that counters the ability.
For flying creatures that don't have Flying Strafe, they are often within 1 stride away of the party unless they themselves have a ranged attack. Quite regularly ending their turn adjacent to and within reach of the party member that they most recently attacked.
Such as a Vrock that wants to stay in reach so that it can use its own nasty reaction if the victim tries to run away from them.
Also, your ally spellcaster can cast Fly on your Fighter for those harder to reach flying enemies. Then you can swat them onto the ground for the barbarian to clean up.
And yes, it works with ranged weapons too.
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It feels like you cherry picked the exact right enemy that counters the ability...
No, I looked in Archives of Nethys and quite a few flying creatures have Flying Strafe or an equivalent ability. Not all of them, of course.
I suppose you could grapple it as it flies past. If your weight doesn't bring it down you can then Felling Strike it when your turn comes around.
Felling Strike counters one tactic used by flying creatures. Yes, there are ways for flying creatures to keep out of the range of Felling Strike. Some of these, like the Hippogriff's Flying Strife, will trigger a Reactive Strike. At minimum, such tactics require giving up some offense.
Others flyers, perhaps using ranged attacks, will require aid from one's party. As noted, Fly works wonders coupled with Felling Strike as the Fighter can bring enemies down for the other melee PCs. Personally I think dealing with enemies at range should be a fundamental question every PC should address and every party must. And in some campaigns, i.e. underground, Felling Strike addresses most every case (perhaps with the aid of Reactive Strike & a Reach weapon).
I've seen the feat used to good effect, with a Fighter running up and leaping off a pile of rubble to smash a cocky demon who was hovering and attacking with Reach. The party pinned the demon down (w/ another feat w/ that limited use) and destroyed it, something that would have been difficult w/o Felling Strike (given only one PC good at range). With a normal Strike, the demon could have flown up and spammed spells at them.
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Is this exclusively a ranged attack option?
Quite obviously. If you can Strike a flying creature in melee, chances are high you either don't care that they fly or don't have to bring them to the ground.