Technically and legally, they shouldn't be showing the Union Flag at all but the Civil Air Ensign (a bit like the White Ensign but with dark blue and light blue instead of red and white on the main body of the flag, both with the Union Flag in one quadrant), on the tail of the aircraft (akin to the stern of a ship).
The Civil Air Ensign was introduced on 23 September 1931 for use, as I recall, by "air transport undertakings" ie civil airports, terminals and aircraft. I haven't been able to check recently but it could always be seen flying at MAN, outside the airport fire station. I hope it still is.
In the case of the Union Flag, you say it's apparently inverted on the starboard side of the aircraft. The painted flags should replicate the flying of the flag from a mast (in the old days, as poked out of the flight deck roof on the ground and still done today for Royal aircraft). A flag on a mast has names for the two side edges, the hoist (nearer the mast) and the fly (further from the mast). When the flag is streaming from the mast and it is viewed from the port side of the aircraft, the hoist side (on the left) will have the broader white stripes above the red stripes and this is the usual view one sees of a painted or printed Union Flag.
However, on the starboard side of the aircraft, the hoist will be on the right and this will have the broader white stripes above the red stripes. So on the left, fly, edge the broader white will be below the red and will thus appear to be inverted when compared with the traditional view of a painted or printed Union Flag.
So, if you're still with me, the broader white stripes are not always above the red stripes on the left side of the flag but are always above the red on the hoist side. The paint shop has got it right after all!
And in answer to the naval purists, while acknowledging that the Union Flag on the nose is the incorrect flag in the first place (should be the Civil Air Ensign on the tail), it could be termed the Union Jack because it's replicating being flown from the bow of the aircraft. It could be argued that flying a Union Jack on the nose/bow is in fact historically correct because originally, flying a Union Jack on the bow was not limited to Royal Navy vessels but was also done by the Merchant Navy (and hence followed by the Merchant Air Service). However, the Merchant Navy no longer does it so probably the Merchant Air Service shouldn't either.
End of lecture on Flags 101.
Last edited by Hew Jampton; 17th February 2003 at 15:10.