Why Are Some Flags on American Planes Painted Backwards?

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As years go on, airlines change their logos, liveries and, occasionally, their names. Case in point, American Airlines is currently on their fifth logo since 1934:

American’s liveries have also changed over the years. Norebbo has written a nice history of the airline’s more recent history in terms of what their planes have looked like.

You’re undoubtedly aware that the current livery of American Airlines includes a stylized version of the U.S. flag on the tail.

And you may or may not have noticed that if you look at that same plane in a certain direction, the flag is backwards.

What’s up with that? Is that even legal?

Yes, it’s legal. In fact, having the flag be backwards is even advised by the U.S. government.

Title 4 of the United States Code, also known as the U.S. Flag Code, has established advisory guidelines for how the American flag should be handled and displayed for just about every situation out there. The code is advisory in nature, not mandatory. However, it does include specific recommendations for flags on vehicles. They include that when the U.S. flag is displayed on a moving vehicle, like an airplane but also any ground vehicle, etc., it should appear as though it’s flying in the wind as the vehicle moves forward.

That would mean as you look on the right side of a plane, the U.S. flag appears backwards or reversed, with the stars on the right and the stripes “blowing” to the left, mimicking the forward motion the vehicle sometimes takes. Meanwhile, the left side of the vehicle displays the flag as we typically see it, because it would also appear to stream in the wind as the plane moved forward.

And yep, the same goes for vehicles on the ground.

These are correct:

This is incorrect:

And now you know. 🙂

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