Don’t comment often, but figured I’d settle this dispute. I work on passenger jets, Airbus A320s. The stars always face forwards as if flying from a flag pole. Here’s two different placards we’re about to put on, one for the left side, one for the right.
It’s the standard. Stars forward. You’ll see it wrong on a lot of TV and DIY stuff. But merch from reputable sources almost always have it correct.
You’ll notice this with vehicles a lot. Like the Jeep Wagoneer has a flag emblem on both sides with the stars going forward on both. Any wraps or graphics by a business should do it that way. But people doing it themselves often won’t.
It’s not a big deal. But it’s something I always notice.
I’m not up on regs anywhere but always kinda considered it a rule of thumb that people like EMS serving at home have the stars back while armed forces are advancing with stripes billowing behind but I could be wrong. Cops just pick whatever looks cool on tv and go with that so fuck them
Any time it’s worn on someone’s left side, the stars line up with the traditional image of the flag. Additionally, when it’s on the front or back of something, there’s no edge of the flag that is advancing.
So it’s really only when a flag is in the right side of someone/something, and done properly, that you’ll see it with the stars on the right. Meaning, most of the time it’s the default stars on the left.
Any time I’ve seen real cops or EMS or anything with a flag on the right of their clothes or car, it’s stars on the right. It’s usually wrong on TV though.
When used as an insignia (e.g. military uniforms and vehicles), the stars are often on the right - especially if on the right side of the vehicle/person. The idea is that when moving forward, the air resistance will result in the flag pole leading, and the flag appearing reversed.
It’s sometimes called the “flying flag”
It’s also one reason a lot of flags are symmetrical - so that they appear the same from either side and regardless of direction of movement.
On the US Military combat uniforms, where the flag is put on the sleeve of the uniform, the flag patch is displayed with the stars facing forward, in the direction the wearer is facing. This is done to give the impression of the flag flowing in the wind while being carried forward across the battlefield. This is known as the “Reverse Field Flag.”
The same convention is true on liverys for aircraft
The flag is backwards. But I feel like that’s appropriate here.
Don’t comment often, but figured I’d settle this dispute. I work on passenger jets, Airbus A320s. The stars always face forwards as if flying from a flag pole. Here’s two different placards we’re about to put on, one for the left side, one for the right.
Same with service insignia on the arms/shoulders of soldiers. Stars to the front
I think that’s mostly a military uniform thing and doesn’t apply to all things.
It’s the standard. Stars forward. You’ll see it wrong on a lot of TV and DIY stuff. But merch from reputable sources almost always have it correct.
You’ll notice this with vehicles a lot. Like the Jeep Wagoneer has a flag emblem on both sides with the stars going forward on both. Any wraps or graphics by a business should do it that way. But people doing it themselves often won’t.
It’s not a big deal. But it’s something I always notice.
I’m not up on regs anywhere but always kinda considered it a rule of thumb that people like EMS serving at home have the stars back while armed forces are advancing with stripes billowing behind but I could be wrong. Cops just pick whatever looks cool on tv and go with that so fuck them
Any time it’s worn on someone’s left side, the stars line up with the traditional image of the flag. Additionally, when it’s on the front or back of something, there’s no edge of the flag that is advancing.
So it’s really only when a flag is in the right side of someone/something, and done properly, that you’ll see it with the stars on the right. Meaning, most of the time it’s the default stars on the left.
Any time I’ve seen real cops or EMS or anything with a flag on the right of their clothes or car, it’s stars on the right. It’s usually wrong on TV though.
I’m in like 3 hours sleep, but what’s backwards? Isn’t the blue canton thingy in the top left?
Yes and no.
When used as an insignia (e.g. military uniforms and vehicles), the stars are often on the right - especially if on the right side of the vehicle/person. The idea is that when moving forward, the air resistance will result in the flag pole leading, and the flag appearing reversed.
It’s sometimes called the “flying flag”
It’s also one reason a lot of flags are symmetrical - so that they appear the same from either side and regardless of direction of movement.
Did they change backwards? That’s not how I remember backwards.
The same convention is true on liverys for aircraft
Aha, interesting. I stand corrected. It’s backwards because it’s not backward, so backwards remains the same.