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National
Flag
A flag of a country.
Outrigger
Pole
A flag pole coming off the side of a building at an angle.
John Niggley, 21 November 2000
Paying
Off Pennant
Since before the Napoleonic wars it has been the custom for H.M.ships
to fly a paying-off pennant at the main truck when they leave their
fleet to return to their home port to pay-off. Custom ordains that
the length of the pennant should equal the length of the ship if she
leaves her station at the end of a normal period of foreign service.
If however
a commission has been extended, the length of the pennant is increased
in proportion to the extra length of service (e.g.a ship 480 feet
in length that had it's 2 year commission extended to 2 years and
2 months would have a pennant 520 feet long).
It is
similar to, and flown in place of, the masthead pennant, and is displayed
by a ship from a foreign station when entering or leaving harbors
during her passage home, and by a ship of the Home Fleet on leaving
for and arriving at her home port." Admiralty Seamanship Manual
1951.
A hydrogen
balloon was sometimes attached to the end of the pennant to keep it
flying. David Prothero, 25 June 1997
Pennant
(pennon)
A small triangular or tapering flag. It is not always easy to distinguish
a pennant from a flag. W.Smith stated that "the common denominator
distinguishing a pennant from a flag seems to be that the former is
always secondary to the latter in importance and differs in shape,
proportions, size, and/or manner of display".
In naval
terms certain pennants have a significance out of all proportion to
their size. For example, for the Russian-American Company flag a ship
flying the flag was a merchant ship but a ship flying the same flag
and a pennant was a warship. David Prothero, 25 June 1997
Pilot
Flag (German:
Lotsensignal)
Flown from a ship that wants the aid of a pilot when entering port.
Before the International Code of Signals was established many maritime
countries adopted the practice of using their national (not merchant)
flag with a white border as a signal meaning "I require a pilot".
I don't
know where the practice originated, but Britain adopted a white-bordered
Union Jack, called the "Pilot Jack", for this purpose in
1822 (Carr, 1961 p51). Today the International Code of Signals "G"
flag (six vertical stripes of three yellow and three blue alternating).
Ships under pilotage fly "H" (white and red vertically).
Polyester
This is an indoor/outdoor budget flag fabric. This looser weave fabric
is very strong and withstands windy environments well. Most polyester
flags are machine printed (as opposed to hand printed) which reduces
the manufacturing costs.
However,
because of the loose weave, polyester looks "ghost-like"
on sunny days and attracts dirt easily. It is not recommended in highly
populated areas.
Port-epee,
or Dress Knot
A knot of rope attached to the sword. National colors may be displayed
from the Port-epee.
Post
Flag
in U.S. Army, flies regularly over every Army base. It is 10 feet
(3 m) wide by 19 feet (5.8 m) long.
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