In a theatre, flying is the name given to the act of moving anything in or out in a vertical direction. If a lighting bar has to be lowered, it is said to be being 'flown in'. If the theatre has full fly height, then it can be possible to fly large pieces of scenery aswell.

Normally fly ropes are attatched to the item to be flown, which are run through pulleys in the roof, and then tie off on the fly gallery.


If you're after any other theatre tech information, then do take a look at 'Everything you ever wanted to know about theatre tech, but were afraid to ask'
An instrumental recording by The Beatles featured in the film and issued on the EP set and album of Magical Mystery Tour.

The Beatles considered they needed some instrumental background music to their film and began recording their first instrumental numver since 'Cry For A Shadow', which they'd recorded in Hamburg for Polydor in 1961.

When they first began recording the number at Abbey Road Studios it went under the title 'Aerial Tour Instrumental'. All four members of the group contributed to the composition, which was credited to Harrison/Lennon/McCartney/Starkey.

The original recording was a lengthy nine minutes and thirty-one second long; it was edited down to a more reasonable length of two minutes and fourteen seconds.

Fly"ing (?), a. [From Fly, v. i.]

Moving in the air with, or as with, wings; moving lightly or rapidly; intended for rapid movement.

Flying army Mil. a body of cavalry and infantry, kept in motion, to cover its own garrisons and to keep the enemy in continual alarm. Farrow.

Flying artillery Mil., artillery trained to rapid evolutions, the men being either mounted or trained to spring upon the guns and caissons when they change position.

Flying bridge, Flying camp. See under Bridge, and Camp.

Flying buttress Arch., a contrivance for taking up the thrust of a roof or vault which can not be supported by ordinary buttresses. It consists of a straight bar of masonry, usually sloping, carried on an arch, and a solid pier or buttress sufficient to receive the thrust. The word is generally applied only to the straight bar with supporting arch.

Flying colors, flags unfurled and waving in the air; hence: To come off with flying colors, to be victorious; to succeed thoroughly in an undertaking.

Flying doe Zool., a young female kangaroo.

Flying dragon. (a) Zool. See Dragon, 6. (b) A meteor. See under Dragon.

Flying Dutchman. (a) A fabled Dutch mariner condemned for his crimes to sail the seas till the day of judgment. (b) A spectral ship.

Flying fish. Zool. See Flying fish, in the Vocabulary.

Flying fox Zool., the colugo.

Flying frog Zool., an East Indian tree frog of the genus Rhacophorus, having very large and broadly webbed feet, which serve as parachutes, and enable it to make very long leaps.

Flying gurnard Zool., a species of gurnard of the genus Cephalacanthus or Dactylopterus, with very large pectoral fins, said to be able to fly like the flying fish, but not for so great a distance. Three species are known; that of the Atlantic is Cephalacanthus volitans.

Flying jib Naut., a sail extended outside of the standing jib, on the flying-jib boom.

Flying-jib boom Naut., an extension of the jib boom.

Flying kites Naut., light sails carried only in fine weather.

Flying lemur. Zool. See Colugo.

Flying level Civil Engin., a reconnoissance level over the course of a projected road, canal, etc.

Flying lizard. Zool. See Dragon, n, 6.

Flying machine, an apparatus for navigating the air; a form of balloon.

Flying mouse Zool., the opossum mouse (Acrobates pygmaeus), of Australia. It has lateral folds of skin, like the flying squirrels.

Flying party Mil., a body of soldiers detailed to hover about an enemy.

Flying phalanger Zool., one of several species of small marsuupials of the genera Petaurus and Belideus, of Australia and New Guinea, having lateral folds like those of the flying squirrels. The sugar squirrel (B. sciureus), and the ariel (B. ariel), are the best known; called also squirrel petaurus and flying squirrel. See Sugar squirrel.

Flying pinion, the fly of a clock.

Flying sap Mil., the rapid construction of trenches (when the enemy's fire of case shot precludes the method of simple trenching), by means of gabions placed in juxtaposition and filled with earth.

Flying shot, a shot fired at a moving object, as a bird on the wing.

Flying spider. Zool. See Ballooning spider.

Flying squid Zool., an oceanic squid (Ommastrephes, ∨ Sthenoteuthis, Bartramii), abundant in the Gulf Stream, which is able to leap out of the water with such force that it often falls on the deck of a vessel.

Flying squirrel Zool. See Flying squirrel, in the Vocabulary.

Flying start, a start in a sailing race in which the signal is given while the vessels are under way.

Flying torch Mil., a torch attached to a long staff and used for signaling at night.

© Webster 1913.

Log in or register to write something here or to contact authors.