C-17s and the Union Flag

[Jim Doyle]

Has anyone noticed the Union Flags on the RAF's C-17's? Is it me, or are
those on the starboard forward fuselage upside-down?!

May be they're in distress?

Jim D

[Thomas Schoene]

Jim Doyle wrote:
> Has anyone noticed the Union Flags on the RAF's C-17's? Is it me, or
> are those on the starboard forward fuselage upside-down?!

Surely not upside-down but rather front-to-back?

If British practice is the same as US, the rule for aircraft is to paint the
flag as though it were on flying a staff, with the flag streaming aft from
the nose. That would make it appear backwards when displayed on the
starboard side of the aircraft.

> May be they're in distress?

Heh. :-)

Every now andd then someone trolls the military newsgroups claiming that the
fact that Us soldiers wear the flag "backwards" on their right shoulder is a
sign of eveil cforces at work. (Not your intent, I know.)
--
Tom Schoene Replace "invalid" with "net" to e-mail
"If brave men and women never died, there would be nothing
special about bravery." -- Andy Rooney (attributed)

[Thomas Schoene]

Moose wrote:
> Hi Jim
>
> Just a quick note to say that it is a Union Jack 'not' a Union Flag.
>

The Royal Navy will tell you that it is only a Union Jack when flown from
the jackstay or jackstaff of a ship. Otherwise, the RN says "Union Flag" is
correct. Other sources are more lenient and allow "Union Jack" in other
circumstances, but I know of none that say "Union Flag" is incorrect.

Some discussion of the use of the two terms can be found here:

http://www.jdawiseman.com/papers/union-jack/union-jack.html

But for the final word, see the Royals' own web site. It initially says
"Union Flag, or Union Jack" but thereafter uses "Union Flag" almost
exclusively. They should know, shoudn't they?

http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/page398.asp
--
Tom Schoene Replace "invalid" with "net" to e-mail
"If brave men and women never died, there would be nothing
special about bravery." -- Andy Rooney (attributed)

[Moose]

Hi Jim

Just a quick note to say that it is a Union Jack 'not' a Union Flag.

"Rue Britannia!"

Cheers...Chris

[Keith Willshaw]

"Moose" > wrote in message
...
> Hi Jim
>
> Just a quick note to say that it is a Union Jack 'not' a Union Flag.
>

Only when flown off a jackstaff

> "Rue Britannia!"
>

Is that a freudian slip I spy ?

Keith

[frank may]

"Moose" > wrote in message >...
> G;day
>
> Having grown up in one Great Britains colonies in the early 1950's, we were
> taught in school that the flag was called the Union Jack.
> I never heard it referred to as the Union Flag until now.
>
> Cheers...Chris

Yeah, a Union Flag is what them damn yankees flew during The War
of Northern Aggresion! :)

[Peter Stickney]

"Moose" > wrote in message >...
> Hi Jim
>
> Just a quick note to say that it is a Union Jack 'not' a Union Flag.
>
> "Rue Britannia!"

Hokey Smoke!
Bullwinkle, you've got to stop buying those cheap bath mats.

--
Rocket J, Squirrel
Mascot to the 319th Garbage Disposal Squadron

[Ken Duffey]

Thomas Schoene wrote:

> Jim Doyle wrote:
> > Has anyone noticed the Union Flags on the RAF's C-17's? Is it me, or
> > are those on the starboard forward fuselage upside-down?!
>
> Surely not upside-down but rather front-to-back?
>
> If British practice is the same as US, the rule for aircraft is to paint the
> flag as though it were on flying a staff, with the flag streaming aft from
> the nose. That would make it appear backwards when displayed on the
> starboard side of the aircraft.
>
> > May be they're in distress?
>
> Heh. :-)
>
> Every now andd then someone trolls the military newsgroups claiming that the
> fact that Us soldiers wear the flag "backwards" on their right shoulder is a
> sign of eveil cforces at work. (Not your intent, I know.)
> --
> Tom Schoene Replace "invalid" with "net" to e-mail
> "If brave men and women never died, there would be nothing
> special about bravery." -- Andy Rooney (attributed)

Tom,

Unlike the Stars & Stripes - which has a definite 'back-to-front' - the Union
Flag is more subtle.

Take a look at :- http://www.fotw.net/flags/gb.html and you will see that the
red diagonal is not central within the white diagonal - the top left (next to
the flagpole or jackstaff) has the white band wider at the top.

Flying it upside down - or back to front - would result in the narrow diagonal
being uppermost.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++
Ken Duffey - Flanker Freak & Russian Aviation Enthusiast
Flankers Website - http://www.flankers.co.uk/
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++

[Thomas Schoene]

Ken Duffey wrote:

> Tom,
>
> Unlike the Stars & Stripes - which has a definite 'back-to-front' -
> the Union Flag is more subtle.
>
> Take a look at :- http://www.fotw.net/flags/gb.html and you will see
> that the red diagonal is not central within the white diagonal - the
> top left (next to the flagpole or jackstaff) has the white band wider
> at the top.
>
> Flying it upside down - or back to front - would result in the narrow
> diagonal being uppermost.

Ken:

That's exactly my point. I believe the flag on this aircraft is not
upside-down, as originally suggested, but back-to-front. Because of the
unique design of the Union Jack, it's impossible to tell which. But having
it back-to-front actually makes sense, espeically if the UK follows the same
rule as the US about how to paint flags on vehicles, with the hoist end of
the flag always to the front of the vehicle.

--
Tom Schoene Replace "invalid" with "net" to e-mail
"If brave men and women never died, there would be nothing
special about bravery." -- Andy Rooney (attributed)

[Tarver Engineering]

"Thomas Schoene" > wrote in message
link.net...
> Ken Duffey wrote:
>
> > Tom,
> >
> > Unlike the Stars & Stripes - which has a definite 'back-to-front' -
> > the Union Flag is more subtle.
> >
> > Take a look at :- http://www.fotw.net/flags/gb.html and you will see
> > that the red diagonal is not central within the white diagonal - the
> > top left (next to the flagpole or jackstaff) has the white band wider
> > at the top.
> >
> > Flying it upside down - or back to front - would result in the narrow
> > diagonal being uppermost.
>
> Ken:
>
> That's exactly my point. I believe the flag on this aircraft is not
> upside-down, as originally suggested, but back-to-front. Because of the
> unique design of the Union Jack, it's impossible to tell which. But
having
> it back-to-front actually makes sense, espeically if the UK follows the
same
> rule as the US about how to paint flags on vehicles, with the hoist end of
> the flag always to the front of the vehicle.

Same as an airliner then.