The British Civil Air Ensign is the

flag A flag is a piece of fabric (most often rectangular or quadrilateral) with a distinctive design and colours. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic design empl ...

that may be flown at civil aviation establishments in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

and be displayed on UK-registered civil aircraft. It should be flown at civilian air facilities as the national flag in place of the

Union Flag The Union Jack, or Union Flag, is the ''de facto'' national flag of the United Kingdom. Although no law has been passed making the Union Flag the official national flag of the United Kingdom, it has effectively become such through precedent. ...

. The ensign's field is light blue and has a dark blue Saint George's cross which is fimbriated white placed overall. The Union Flag is in the canton. The Civil Air Ensign was instituted by an

Order in Council An Order-in-Council is a type of legislation in many countries, especially the Commonwealth realms. In the United Kingdom this legislation is formally made in the name of the monarch by and with the advice and consent of the Privy Council ('' Ki ...

on 11 August 1931. The order stated that "An ensign called the Civil Air Ensign is the proper national colour to be flown by aircraft and air transport undertakings and at aerodromes." The first Civil Air Ensign to be flown in London was hoisted by

Mrs Victor Bruce Mildred Mary Petre (10 November 1895 – 21 May 1990) was a British record-breaking racing motorist, speedboat racer and aviator in the 1920s and 1930s, and later, successful businesswoman. Commonly referred to as Mrs Victor Bruce, she was also k ...

, the noted British woman aviator. The 1931 Order was revoked by the Civil Air Ensign Order made on 18 March 1937 additionally permitting the use of the flag on buildings used by the Ministry of Civil Aviation or air transport undertakings, on vehicles used personally by the Minister and by any person given special permission by the Minister.MCA File SG74/01, CAA Library TigerTail

The prototype flag had been made up in silk and was kept throughout

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

by the Civil Aviation Department in a series of locations in London. In October 1948 it was handed to the Ministry of Civil Aviation Library for retention and display. The visible stains on the light blue silk were said to have been caused by water from the fire brigade's hoses used in quelling a fire in the roof at

Parliament Square Parliament Square is a square at the northwest end of the Palace of Westminster in the City of Westminster in central London. Laid out in the 19th century, it features a large open green area in the centre with trees to its west, and it contai ...

House, caused by a German

incendiary bomb Incendiary weapons, incendiary devices, incendiary munitions, or incendiary bombs are weapons designed to start fires or destroy sensitive equipment using fire (and sometimes used as anti-personnel weaponry), that use materials such as napalm, th ...

, whilst the CAD was accommodated there. In 1957, a ministry working party reviewing the Air Navigation Order concluded that it was anomalous to regulate the use of the Civil Air Ensign when no special regulations were required to control the use of its maritime equivalent, the Red Ensign. All mention of the Civil Air Ensign was therefore omitted from the Air Navigation Order 1960. It was part of the livery, as the tail logo, of the Civil Aviation Flying Unit (CAFU) and its predecessors from 1944 to 1982. In 1982 the last two

HS 748 The Hawker Siddeley HS 748 is a medium-sized turboprop airliner originally designed and initially produced by the British aircraft manufacturer Avro. It was the last aircraft to be developed by Avro prior to its absorption by Hawker Siddeley ...

s were repainted in a CAA corporate blue and white scheme and the Civil Air Ensign was replaced by the Union Flag. The ensign next appeared on the fin of HS 125-700 registration G-UKCA operated by the Civil Aviation Authority from 1987 to 1992 and subsequently by HS 125-700 G-OCAA until 2002. The British civil air ensign is also the basis for several versions used by other countries.

References

External links

Flags of the World - United Kingdom: Civil Air Ensign
{{UKFlags Civil air ensigns Flags of the United Kingdom Flags with crosses Civil aviation in the United Kingdom Light blue ensigns