Why is the Union Flag seen back to front on RAF aircraft?
Have you ever wondered why the Union Flag appears back to front on the right-hand side of Royal Air Force aircraft?
Well, the RAF says lots of people have been asking why and have explained the reasons behind it.
It is in fact intentional and an international standard.
"It's all a matter of perspective!" said the RAF.
According to the Royal Air Force, you should imagine a flag flying from a pole directly in front of the nose of the aircraft – it should blow towards the nose.
When looking at an RAF aircraft from the port side (the left), the Union Flag will appear the correct way.
But when looking from the starboard side (the right) it will be back to front.
As the Union Flag is not perfectly (but almost) symmetrical, it is not immediately obvious.
The RAF says the difference is starker when looking at the US flag on the starboard side of a US Air Force VC-25 - known as Air Force One when the American President is on board.
The correct way up
Many people unknowingly hang the Union Flag upside down.
A YouGov poll in 2017 showed that fewer than half of the UK population knows the history or even how to correctly fly the Union Flag.
When flown correctly, the fat white bar in the top corner of the flag, closest to the flagpole, should be along the top edge of the flag, not the flagpole edge.
It is often said that when the Union Flag is flown upside down, it is a form of distress signal – a coded signal and should only be used as such.
In the UK, flying the flag upside down can be considered an insult, even if it was an honest mistake.
Join Our Newsletter
