Flag flights honor veterans

While these ceremonies are currently tied to airshows at five locations on the East Coast, the organization is looking to expand its reach to more events across the United States. The ceremonies, which include traditional military funeral rites, were created to honor the service of veterans for the benefit of their loved ones—and members of the public who may otherwise never see the military funeral honors that signify the nation's gratitude.

Friends and family members are invited to take the funeral flags of their late veterans to the events, where the flags are placed in a World War II aircraft and flown over the event or a related memorial or monument. On the ground, an honor guard demonstrates the formal folding of the flags, plays taps, and delivers a three-round rifle volley as the aircraft flies overhead. After landing, the flags are returned to their respective friends and families. The organization’s mission is “to honor those who have served our country with a last ceremony,” according to its website.

Brian Safran, a retired corporate pilot, volunteers at the Liberty Aviation Museum in Port Clinton, Ohio. Among other aircraft, the museum owns an airworthy North American B–25J Mitchell bomber, Georgie’s Gal, and hosts a General Motors TBM Avenger. They are expensive to operate, but need to be flown regularly to help prevent corrosion and decay. Several years ago, Safran attended a military funeral that included an aircraft flyover, a rifle salute, taps, and the folding of the funeral flag by an honor guard. He thought that “everyone should see this, not just the families burying a veteran.” His father, also a veteran, had never received a military funeral as he wanted his ashes dispersed in a river and without the flag-folding ritual. Safran asked if he could sponsor the museum’s B–25 for what turned out to be the first flight of the flags, combining flying the airplane with a worthy cause. On September 21, 2019, friends and families of departed veterans and first responders brought their flags and, with Safran on the controls, the B–25 took off from Erie-Ottawa International Airport in Port Clinton, circled around the Lake Erie islands, Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial, and back to the airport while the honor guard played taps and folded Safran’s father’s flag with military precision. “I was pretty happy that all went well and he was finally honored,” Safran said. He wasn’t prepared for the tears, though. “The families were glad for the opportunity to honor their loved ones in one final way and it got emotional,” he said. Flight of the Flags was born.

Safran’s friend Charlie Cartledge owns and operates the museum’s TBM through the Lake Erie Warbirds and gets invited to a lot of veteran-themed airshows all over the United States throughout the year. He introduced Flight of the Flags to the organizers of the TBM Avenger Reunion in Peru, Illinois. After an initial demonstration they decided that Flight of the Flags would be a permanent part of the reunion and provided funding. The same happened at the Props and Pistons Festival in Akron, Ohio, and at events in Lancaster, Indiana, and two more locations, where Flight of the Flags is now part of the event and attracts a big audience. “All I had to do was pay for the first flight and run the program for them and they took it over from there,” Safran said.

But while the program was flourishing, it also outgrew Safran’s ability to fund the increasing number of initial flights. He turned to the local post of The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. for help, which was more than willing to support the program, but told him that it was not allowed to give funds to an individual. So a few months ago, Safran started the Flight of the Flags nonprofit.

He mainly uses the TBM, as its operating costs are half of what it costs to fly the B–25, and he only works with Cartledge. The B–25 requires four volunteer crew and scheduling can be complicated. Unfortunately, the TBM had an engine problem while supporting the Kent State University aviation program in Ohio recently and had to be disassembled and trucked back to Port Clinton. There’s a chance it can be rebuilt before the next Flight of the Flags season next year, but funding might come up short.

Safran’s not about to give up. Even though he’s nervous about the fundraising part, he hopes people will come through and help. “When you have a flight of flags, it [the aviation event] tends to be reported in the newspapers a little bit more. So you get more scope. So that’s what I’m planning on doing for the rest of my life. It really dovetails into our VFW. You know, they thought why not spread the word and see where it goes.”