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{{Short description|Flight formation to honor certain figures}}{{About||the musical group|Missing Man Formation (band)|the album|Missing Man Formation (album)}}

factoids

The missing man formation is an aerial salute performed as part of a flypast of aircraft at a funeral or memorial event, typically in memory of a fallen pilot, a well-known military service member or veteran, or a well-known political figure.WEB,www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1123590, Missing Man Formation, Bob, Edwards, Bob Edwards, May 28, 2001, link to audio, NPR, 2011-09-12, WEB,www.aiipowmia.com/histories/histformation.html, Histories: The Missing Man Formation, All POW-MIA, 13 September 2013, 21 November 2000,www.aiipowmia.com/histories/histformation.html," title="web.archive.org/web/20001121100500www.aiipowmia.com/histories/histformation.html,">web.archive.org/web/20001121100500www.aiipowmia.com/histories/histformation.html, WEB,www.oldglorytraditions.com/missingmanhistory.htm, The History of The Missing Man Formation, Old Glory Traditions, 2011-09-12, dead,www.oldglorytraditions.com/missingmanhistory.htm," title="web.archive.org/web/20130605074000www.oldglorytraditions.com/missingmanhistory.htm,">web.archive.org/web/20130605074000www.oldglorytraditions.com/missingmanhistory.htm, 2013-06-05, The planes fly in a formation with a space where one plane should be, symbolizing the person’s absence. Though similar formations have occurred as early as World War I, the first flypast in the modern formation of four planes is believed to have occurred in 1931 at the funeral for Charles W. “Speed” Holman.WEB, Ford, Daniel, May 2001, High Honor,www.smithsonianmag.com/air-space-magazine/high-honor-2041010/, 2023-11-04, Smithsonian Magazine, en, Missing man formations are also used in motorsport in memory of a recently deceased driver and in American football in memory of a recently deceased player.WEB, Riggs, D. Randy, 2018-06-21, F5000 Drivers Honor Racer Jeff Green With Missing Man Formation,vintagemotorsport.com/2018/06/21/f5000-drivers-honor-racer-jeff-green-missing-man-formation/, 2023-11-04, Vintage Motorsport, en-US, NEWS, Stubbs, Roman, September 1, 2018, Maryland football started its season with a missing-man formation,www.washingtonpost.com/news/terrapins-insider/wp/2018/09/01/maryland-football-took-a-penalty-on-seasons-first-play-in-tribute-to-jordan-mcnair-texas-declined-it/, November 4, 2023, The Washington Post,

Description

File:Missing man formation diagram.svg|thumb|left|upright=1.5|Missing man formation based on finger-fourfinger-fourSeveral variants of the formation are seen. The formation most commonly used in the United States is based on the “finger-four” aircraft combat formation composed of two pairs of aircraft.WEB,fray.slate.com/id/2131916/, What’s the “Missing Man” Formation?, Daniel, Engber, December 14, 2005, Slate (magazine), Slate, 2011-09-12,fray.slate.com/id/2131916/," title="web.archive.org/web/20110927010924fray.slate.com/id/2131916/,">web.archive.org/web/20110927010924fray.slate.com/id/2131916/, September 27, 2011, dead, The aircraft fly in a V-shape with the flight leader at the point and their wingman on their left. The second element leader and his wingman fly on the right. The formation flies over the ceremony low enough to be clearly seen and the second element leader abruptly pulls up out of the formation while the rest of the formation continues in level flight until all aircraft are out of sight.In an older variant, the formation is flown with the second element leader position conspicuously empty. In another variation, the flight approaches from the south, preferably near sundown, and one of the aircraft will suddenly split off to the west, flying into the sunset.WEB, 2021-06-10, Missing Man Flyover honoring San Antonio WWII Veteran happens tonight,www.ktsa.com/missing-man-flyover-honoring-san-antonio-wwii-veteran-happens-tonight/, 2023-11-04, KTSA, en-US, In all cases, the aircraft performing the pull-up, split off, or missing from the formation is honoring the person (or persons) who has died, and is representing their departure.WEB, Zielinski, Todd, 2012-10-12, ‘Missing Man’ symbol of loss,www.luke.af.mil/News/Commentaries/Display/Article/360108/missing-man-symbol-of-loss/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.luke.af.mil%2FNews%2FCommentaries%2FDisplay%2FArticle%2F360108%2Fmissing-man-symbol-of-loss%2F, 2023-11-04, Luke Air Force Base, en-US,

In memorials

File:Randolph-air-force-base-taj-mahal.jpg |Missing Man Monument (1977) at Randolph AFBFile:US Navy 111010-N-RI844-027 The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Hatsuyuki-class destroyer JS Mineyuki (DD 124) passes near the Missing Man Formati.jpg |Missing Man Memorial (1995) at Joint Base Pearl Harbor–HickamFile:Metal Missing Man Formation raptors Memorial Park NMUSAF 25Sep09 (14596948851).jpg |Missing Man Formation (2000) at Valor Park, USAF MuseumFile:Onthulling missing man memorial Air Crash Museum 40-45 op 13 september 2014 in Rijsenhout 04.JPG |Missing Man Salute (2004) at RijsenhoutPermanent memorial sculptures depicting the missing man aerial formation exist at Randolph Air Force Base (Missing Man Monument, 1977, Mark Pritchett) in San Antonio, Texas,WEB,catalog.archives.gov/id/72225, Missing Man Monument, Randolph AFB, Texas {{!, Local ID: 342-USAF-50384 |date=March 4, 1977 |publisher=National Archives, Record Group 342: Records of U.S. Air Force Commands, Activities, and Organizations |access-date=6 December 2022}}WEB,www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=31134, Missing Man Monument, The Historical Marker Database, 6 December 2022, Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam (Missing Man Memorial, 1995) in Honolulu, Hawaii, and Valor Park (Missing Man Formation, 2000) near the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio.WEB,www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=26352, Valor Park, The Historical Marker Database, 6 December 2022, WEB,tecstonegranite.com/free/downloads/booklets/Civic_Memorials-PRINTER.pdf#page=8, Civic Memorials Development Guide, Tecstone Granite USA, 2013, 6 December 2022, Outside the United States, a missing man memorial was dedicated at the Militaire Luchtvaart Museum ({{ill|Missing man salute|nl}}, 2004, Leendert Verboom) near Soesterberg Air Base to commemorate the 21 June 1944 crash of the Consolidated B-24 Liberator “Connie” following a bombing raid in Germany;{{ASN accident |id=50353 |type=Shot down |title=Consolidated B-24H-1-CF Liberator |wikibase=yes |accessdate=6 December 2022}}WEB,www.tracesofwar.com/sights/116269/Missing-Man-Salute-Memorial.htm, Missing Man Salute Memorial, Traces of War, 6 December 2022, WEB,www.4en5mei.nl/herinneren/oorlogsmonumenten/monumenten_zoeken/oorlogsmonument/3530, Soesterberg, ‘Missing Man Salute’, Nationaal Comité 4 en 5 mei,web.archive.org/web/20141023140521/https://www.4en5mei.nl/herinneren/oorlogsmonumenten/monumenten_zoeken/oorlogsmonument/3530, October 23, 2014, dead, it was moved to the {{ill|CRASH Luchtoorlog- en Verzetsmuseum ‘40-’45|nl}} museum near Rijsenhout in 2014.PRESS RELEASE,amsterdam.usconsulate.gov/missing_man.html, U.S. Consul Unveils Relocated Missing Man Salute Monument to U.S. Airmen, September 2014, Consulate General of the United States, Amsterdam, the Netherlands,amsterdam.usconsulate.gov/missing_man.html," title="web.archive.org/web/20141028131702amsterdam.usconsulate.gov/missing_man.html,">web.archive.org/web/20141028131702amsterdam.usconsulate.gov/missing_man.html, October 28, 2014, dead, WEB,www.crash40-45.nl/missing-man-salute-monument/, Missing Man Salute monument, nl, CRASH Luchtoorlog- en Verzetsmuseum ‘40-’45, 6 December 2022,

See also

• Riderless horse
• Three-volley salute

References

{{Commons category-inline|Missing man formations}}{{Reflist}}