American flag M-816 wrecker

I’m looking to see if anyone has any advice on what size flag I can order to fly from the boom/ hook of my 816. I’m not looking to fly it while traveling, just thinking I can raise the boom and fly the flag during car shows/ truck shows.
id like to buy the largest flag I can respectfully fly without having it get wrapped up or touch the ground.
ive seen pics of others military wrecker owners using there trucks to display our flag, I’m looking for input from these guys that have done it before.
thank you

It's also against the "Flag Code" to let it touch anything else other than the pole - so the boom needs to be avoided too.

zebedee said:

It's also against the "Flag Code" to let it touch anything else other than the pole - so the boom needs to be avoided too.

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If he's using the boom as the "pole", would that not be excluded as bad etiquette?

Just want to satisfy some curiosity, I've seen fire trucks hang them from the ladders, and they get wrapped up occasionally.

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I fly about 3x4 flags off the m819, most of the time I fly a POW/MIA rigged from the boom tip to the pintle going down the road if I am not pulling something or on the hook, the flags I fly when the boom is all the way up/out is the AMERICAN flag, then POW/MIA, then DO NOT TREAD ON ME.

BELIEVE me it would NOT be the SMARTEST thing for someone to do, to get in my face about flying these flags, they WILL get to know the NON-KGR up close and personal in less then a heart beat.

Ron, don't you have a pic with those flags streaming?

Part of what you fly will depend on how you rig. If you run it down to your pintle hitch, you probably want some lighter/smaller flags that will stay on the cable. If you just put a weight on the bottom of your line, you can probably run something bigger. Honestly, I wouldn't go larger than a 9' or something. but you will want to measure your max or ideal boom height to ground. Then, take the long corner to corner (opposing, not the same ones, like you're making a diagonal cut through the flag). Whatever the boom height is (let's say 15') you don't want your flag longer, and ideally shorter (so, like 12' for example). That way, if there is no wind, the flag is not touching the ground.

Also, consider material (Nylon vs. cotton vs. Canvas). A large heavy flag will be a lot more of a PITA to recover after an event than a smaller flag. Fire Departments usually have the entire truck crew working on it, so 3 guys to hand the flag and one to handle the boom/winch/truck. a smaller heavy friend or a larger lighter weight flag would be good.

Not saying where i know of a town they hang a huge flag on the fire trucks then when they remove it they place a bin under it and lower the flag in to the bin unfolded

One of my fears is that that isn’t being pasted on to the next generation properly and as those that love our flag that is our fault. I see this as an opportunity to display a glad at car shows that otherwise won’t have a flag present and I plan to do it with all the due honor and respect and to use this as an opportunity to teach the next generation to honor our flag.

“This flag, which we honor and under which we serve, is the emblem of our unity, our power, our thought and purpose as a nation. It has no other character than that which we give it from generation to generation. The choices are ours. It floats in majestic silence above the hosts that execute those choices, whether in peace or in war. And yet, though silent, it speaks to us — speaks to us of the past, or the men and women who went before us, and of the records they wrote upon it.”

president Wilson

my blood flows OD said:

I was raised in a time when we honored our flag daily in school or at sporting events.
One of my fears is that that isn’t being pasted on to the next generation properly and as those that love our flag that is our fault. I see this as an opportunity to display a glad at car shows that otherwise won’t have a flag present and I plan to do it with all the due honor and respect and to use this as an opportunity to teach the next generation to honor our flag.

“This flag, which we honor and under which we serve, is the emblem of our unity, our power, our thought and purpose as a nation. It has no other character than that which we give it from generation to generation. The choices are ours. It floats in majestic silence above the hosts that execute those choices, whether in peace or in war. And yet, though silent, it speaks to us — speaks to us of the past, or the men and women who went before us, and of the records they wrote upon it.”
president Wilson

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Thanks for the post but Black on gray is harder to read than the white on gray background. I almost stopped reading your post because of it. Please switch back to white.

Sir I believe that happened when I cut and pasted President Wilson’s quote.
i just tried to edit it but was unable to.
sorry, I’m not a tech guy

Robo McDuff said:

Ron, don't you have a pic with those flags streaming?

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YES somewhere, guess a hunt and pounce mission is needed.

my blood flows OD said:

​I was raised in a time when we honored our flag daily in school or at sporting events.
​

One of my fears is that that isn’t being pasted on to the next generation properly and as those that love our flag that is our fault. I see this as an opportunity to display a glad at car shows that otherwise won’t have a flag present and I plan to do it with all the due honor and respect and to use this as an opportunity to teach the next generation to honor our flag.

“This flag, which we honor and under which we serve, is the emblem of our unity, our power, our thought and purpose as a nation. It has no other character than that which we give it from generation to generation. The choices are ours. It floats in majestic silence above the hosts that execute those choices, whether in peace or in war. And yet, though silent, it speaks to us — speaks to us of the past, or the men and women who went before us, and of the records they wrote upon it.”

president Wilson

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Color change.

bikeman said:

Part of what you fly will depend on how you rig. If you run it down to your pintle hitch, you probably want some lighter/smaller flags that will stay on the cable. If you just put a weight on the bottom of your line, you can probably run something bigger. Honestly, I wouldn't go larger than a 9' or something. but you will want to measure your max or ideal boom height to ground. Then, take the long corner to corner (opposing, not the same ones, like you're making a diagonal cut through the flag). Whatever the boom height is (let's say 15') you don't want your flag longer, and ideally shorter (so, like 12' for example). That way, if there is no wind, the flag is not touching the ground.

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The POW/MIA flag is rigged on a rope that has a hook at one end, this hook kooks on the outer edge at the end of the boom, the pentle gets the live end which is secured by a truckers knot, the flag and rigging stays together, just release the knot, pop the hook off, the 819 is ready for work.

When the boom maxed up/out, the flags support rigging is same for the dead end (non-moving end of line which in this case has a hook for you NON crane ops.), the live end gets about a 10 lb. shackle, this way again, the truck can be cleared for work in about 30 sec. NOTHING is a attached to the 819s working cable. The rope that is used is 1/2 marine, anti-sunlight nylon rope, I have worn out 2 POW/MIA flags and still am using the same rigging.

I would say raise and extend your boom to it's max. Payout the hook enough to attach a 4X6, 5X8 or even a 6X10 Flag to the wire rope. I believe that would be a tasteful display with a high regard to Flag etiquette and protocol.

davidhdale said:

Not saying where i know of a town they hang a huge flag on the fire trucks then when they remove it they place a bin under it and lower the flag in to the bin unfolded

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Those large flags are near impossible to fold and store as are smaller flags. The large field size flags, one of which my son's Scout Troop presented at the Breeder's Cup, come in multiple sections and are stored in large crates which are quite heavy requiring several people to move. They are assembled and laid out rolled in a fashion that they may be unrolled quickly during the ceremony.

Or, something like this using a length of rope/wire rope with a suspended weight. This would be field expedient with a loop for the hook at one end and snap rings pre-attached to the rope.

IF you ATTACH anything to the working cable of a crane/wrecker, the rig down to get into WORKING MODE is greatly SLOWED down, when time is important, this slow down is VERY important. Needed NOW can not happen if things are attached to the working cable, where NOW can happen if a auxiliary rigging is used, if need be the auxiliary rigging/load becomes a throw-a-way.

Robo McDuff said:

Ron, don't you have a pic with those flags streaming?

Click to expand...

73m819 said:

YES somewhere, guess a hunt and pounce mission is needed.

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So far I found the picture was in a apple based email by way of a link, the F en link is no longer good thanks to POS apple, still looking for places I could have saved to.

I actually took my 816 to another car show today and I had the rigging and a 3x5 American and pow Mia flag but did not use it due to a severe lack of wind and I was late for the show

I have a pole I put in the end of the crane on my HEMTT and fly a 5'8"X8' flag from it. I have a larger flag to but need a longer pole if I am going to fly it.

73m819 said:

So far I found the picture was in a apple based email by way of a link, the F en link is no longer good thanks to POS apple, still looking for places I could have saved to.

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No hurry