More Info for Performing Flying Systems
The following information should be provided to the personnel who will oversee the performer flying. We encourage the employer to contact their Equity Field Representative if there are any questions or concerns.
Employers can read a summary about the following information called Do You Have Flying Performers?
Last updated: August 2026
This document lays out the best industry practice for performer flying in a safe manner. It contains the details for a variety of scenarios, but the guiding principles are that safe use of performer flying requires:
Detailed disclosure to affected performers and stage managers;
Involvement of a qualified professional(s) to ensure proper, safe usage when flying performers;
Continual attention to performer and stage manager health; and
Pre-emptive and ongoing plans (such as risk assessment and contingency plans) to mitigate the possible adverse effects caused by performer flying.
Performer flying: transporting performers through the air (e.g., harness, passenger in a ride-on prop, etc.), suspension, rappelling, silk performance, swinging from a rope, acrobatic and circus performance, etc.
PRIOR to performer flying being conducted by the performers and stage managers, the following steps should be taken:
An advisory statement should be included in the casting notice for auditions if there is the possibility of performer flying in the upcoming production.
The performers and stage managers hired should be notified in writing that there will be performer flying in the production prior to their first day of employment.
This notification provides an opportunity for the performers and stage managers to begin a dialogue with the production and the Equity field representative on what to expect, ask any initial questions, and/or inform them of any concerns. To find your field representative, go to https://members.actorsequity.org/find-your-rep
The employer should engage at least the following appropriate individuals for the health and safety of the performers and stage managers:
The appropriate roles and responsibilities identified in ANSI E1.43 (e.g., flying safety supervisor, flying supervisor, flying team, etc.).
To evaluate the risk of injury, a licensed professional should be included and have the following qualifications:
Licensed in a field that includes formal training in human anatomy, physiology, kinesiology, biomechanics, and ergonomics.
Training or experience should include the skills and abilities necessary to assess risk factors associated with musculoskeletal injury/illness.
It is highly recommended that individual(s) should have previous work experience with performers and stage managers, which includes work performed in a clinic and at the worksite (theater) and a minimum of two (2) years of health care professional experience.
Examples of licensed professionals are physical therapist, occupational therapist, physician, or other licensed/certified health care professions who may be appropriate after demonstrating equivalent study/knowledge, etc.
Testing (e.g., factory acceptance, commissioning, site acceptance, etc.) of the performer flying system(s) should take place as defined in ANSI E1.43.
If applicable, an inspection by the local authority having jurisdiction (e.g., building department, fire marshal, parks department, emergency services, department of labor, health department, OSHA, etc.) should take place. If a performer(s) or a stage manager(s) would fly over the audience, the local department of labor should be contacted (e.g., a site-specific variance may need to be issued depending on your local department of labor, etc.).
A production assessment should be conducted for all areas and the work planned between the performers, stage managers and the performer flying system. Determining what hazards are present and their severity prioritizes which risks are most in need of elimination or mitigation.
The following are specifications, safety measures and hazard awareness to consider when conducting the production assessment for productions with performer flying. This list is not exhaustive, and additional precautions may be needed when performer flying systems are used.
Specifications:
Type of performer flying (e.g., transporting, suspension, rappelling, silk work, etc.)
Venue (Taking place indoors or outdoors)
Description of the performer flying system(s) (e.g., manual, mechanized, automated, established, etc.) as described in ANSI E1.43
Path of the flight(s) (e.g., onstage and/or over the audience, vertical, horizontal, etc.)
Launching and landing locations (e.g., offstage, catwalk, in the house, etc.)
Flight body position (e.g., upright, lying down, prone or side position, inverted, etc.)
Height(s) (e.g., above the stage, above audience members, if applicable, etc.)
Speed of flight(s)
Duration of the flight(s)
Number of performers in the flight(s) (e.g., attached to one performer flying system or separate performer flying systems, etc.)
Staging and/or choreography the performer(s) plan to execute when in flight(s) (e.g., acrobatics, etc.)
Harnesses (e.g., will or will not be used, connection to the performer, etc.)
Performers and/or stage managers being required to connect/disconnect another performer or stage manager
Safety measures:
Inspecting equipment prior to each use, maintenance, and upkeep
Contingency plans in case the flying performer systems cannot be used for any reason (e.g., technical issues, performer discomfort, etc.)
Communication and cue lighting systems
Redundancy plans, (e.g., at least two different appropriate backstage personnel inspect the harness, connection to the performer, and confirm that the flight is clear to take place and call clear(s) to the calling stage manager before the cue can be executed, etc.).
Signals (e.g., the performer gives a hand signal if they are experiencing a problem, etc.) understood between the performers, stage managers, fly operators, etc.
Emergency stop, if applicable (e.g., types and locations, etc.)
Rescue plans in case a performer or stage manager gets stuck in a performer flying system
Ease of access to rescue equipment (not behind a locked door or cabinet)
Inspection of rescue equipment before every rehearsal or performance involving performer flying
Rehearsal of the rescue plan by all personnel who may be called on to implement the rescue plan
At least one appropriate backstage personnel on headset should be positioned at the launching location of the performer(s) (e.g., offstage, catwalk, set piece, etc.) for the flying performer to communicate with directly
Flying operator(s) and their subs should receive specific training for the duties that they will have at the production and should not have any other duties during flying cues (e.g., not the stage manager, etc.)
Brush-up instruction, training, and rehearsal. Frequency of these as determined by the roles and responsibilities identified in ANSI E1.43 (e.g., flying safety supervisor, flying supervisor, flying team, etc.)
If outdoors, identifying weather-related hazards and implement risk mitigation actions per ANSI ES1.7
Hazard awareness:
Danger of suspension trauma (e.g., an effect which occurs when the human body is held upright without any movement for a period of time). More information can be found at ANSI E1.43 and a licensed professional such as a physical therapist should be consulted
Costumes, wigs, footwear, use of props or scenic pieces that restrict mobility, add weight, and/or require awkward positioning (e.g., armor masks, body suits, clown or mascot feet, swim flippers, etc.)
Flying more than one performer at the same time in a single performer flying system (e.g., adding weight, more than one performer connected together, etc.)
High speed flights
All motorized/automated performer flying is considered high speed
Elements of non-motorized flight may cause them to be considered hazardous and require greater safety consideration
All performers, stage managers, and technicians working around the performer flying must be supplied with the planned acceleration, deceleration, and velocity of the performer and have a clear plan of action if the actual acceleration, deceleration, and velocity vary from the planned
Harness and/or staging and/or choreography in the performer flying system(s) can create discomfort and pain for the performer
Activity below and/or around the performer flying taking place:
Other performers onstage performing staging and choreography and entering and exiting the stage
Set and prop pieces moving
Stage floor moving (e.g., elevators and lifts raising or lowering, trap doors opening or closing, inclined playing surfaces raising or lowering, etc.)
Lighting changes, lack of stage lighting, strobes, etc.
Sound cues, including timing and amplitude
Projection/Video cues, including location and type
Use of special effects, atmospherics, etc.
Avoiding any contact between performers and stage managers onstage and offstage with the performer flying above (e.g., performer flying low enough where their feet could come in contact with a performer's head onstage, etc.)
If outdoors, weather-related hazards (e.g., wind, precipitation, etc.)
A written plan(s), including contingencies, should be developed based on the above risk and production assessments to eliminate and/or reduce the health and safety risks for the performers and stage managers. The plan(s) should be created by the appropriate individual(s) and sent to the employer. The employer should share the plan(s) with the performers, stage managers, and Equity and make them available for all members of the company.
An orientation should be given to the performers and stage managers explaining the specific details in the written plan(s) and the production assessment.
The orientation should include but is not limited to:
Demonstrations and/or instructions
Including instructions on best practices for those personnel who are not part of the rescue plans
Distributing copies of the report and plan(s), including contingencies that will be in place to each performer and stage manager
Introduction of the personnel in charge of the performer flying system as described in ANSI E1.43 (e.g., flying supervisor, flying operators, spotters, observers, rescue riggers, etc.)
A walk-through of each performer flying system (e.g., launching and landing areas, operator's location(s), stage manager's location(s), etc.)
An individual(s) (e.g., first aid attendant per ANSI E1.43) with appropriate first-aid training, including CPR and how to treat suspension trauma and injuries to the body, such as sprains, fractures, injuries to the head, etc., should be on-site during scenes involving performer flying. The individual(s) that will be onsite in case a health emergency arises should be identified to the performers and stage managers prior to each rehearsal and performance.
WHILE performer flying is being conducted by the performers and stage managers, the following steps should be taken:
A qualified individual(s) (e.g., training, and prior work experience with performer flying, etc.) should provide appropriate and adequate training and rehearsal for the performer flying to ensure the safety of the performers and stage managers. If, for any reason, it is not possible to hold such training and rehearsals, the Equity field representative should be notified immediately.
Training and rehearsal should include, but is not limited to:
Discussing what the performer flying is simulating (e.g., character(s) flying through the air, rappelling, silk work, being hung, entrance/exit on a set piece (e.g., Glinda's bubble, Aladdin's magic carpet, Peter Pan, etc.)
Sequence of events around the performer flying.
How the performer flying will happen
When in the production they will take place
Entrances/exits for performers, stage managers, set and prop pieces
The activity of each performer and stage manager onstage and backstage
When rehearsing performer flying onstage, the rehearsal should have exclusive use of the stage. Rehearsing more than one performer flying system at one time that will not be used together in the production should be avoided.
Contingency plans should be rehearsed in case the performer flying systems cannot be used for any reason (e.g., technical issues, performer discomfort, etc.). This includes rehearsing rescues of performers.
If any conditions change the established practices and/or use of the performer flying system(s) in the production, stage managers, performers, and appropriate individuals should be notified immediately. At that time, the written plan for the performer flying system(s) should be updated and the new version provided to the performers and stage managers.
The above orientation, training, rehearsal, and documentation should be provided to all swings, understudies, replacement stage managers, and performers prior to their first use of the performer flying system. Should any of the personnel in charge of the flying performer systems change, the introduction of the new personnel should be made to the performer(s) and stage manager(s) prior to their first use of the performer flying system.
Performers and stage managers experiencing any adverse effects from rehearsing, performing, or working on the performer flying system(s) during the run of the production should notify the Equity field representative immediately. Possible adverse effects include injuries to the body (e.g., sprains, fractures, etc.), injuries to the head (e.g., should be rigorously evaluated by a medical professional for a concussion immediately), fainting, etc. Also, performers and stage managers should also report discomfort, pain, or injury to the employer immediately. Depending on the agreement, the employer or stage manager should document these in the weekly injury report that is sent to Equity.
Performer Flying Maintenance:
All costumes, props, and set pieces, and other goods worn, handled, or in proximity to performers or stage managers working with performer flying systems should be inspected more frequently for wear and tear. Cracks, dents, holes, loose pieces and/or fabric, malfunctioning equipment, etc. should be repaired before the next call of the performers or stage managers. Harnesses should be inspected for issues prior to each use as defined in ANSI 1.43.
When performer flying is being conducted by the performers and stage managers:
An adequate number of physical therapy sessions as determined by the physical therapist should be offered to the performers and stage managers during the run of the engagement.
An appropriate room in the production's venue should be made for the exclusive use of the performers and stage managers who will use the performer flying systems to warm up, cool down, body condition, etc. The room should be equipped with the necessary equipment. The employer should consult with both a licensed professional (such as a physical therapist, occupational therapist, etc.) and the performers and stage managers using the performer flying system(s).
Appropriate cameras and monitors should be used to provide a complete view of the flight path(s) for backstage personnel.
When cuing a performer flying system, there should be a separate cue for each flight that will take place and a specific identification (e.g., "aerial", "flying", etc.) for the name of the cue. Redundancies should be in place when calling a cue for a performer flying system (e.g., at least two different appropriate backstage personnel inspect the harness, connection to the performer, and confirm that the flight is clear to take place and call clear(s) to the calling stage manager before the cue can be executed, etc.). The fly operator should be empowered to not take a cue and/or abort if they should see something that they deem dangerous during rehearsal and performance.
If applicable, emergency stops should be in place for all performer flying systems and located where they can be easily accessed (e.g., automation board, stagehands can easily access them onstage and next to the performer flying system(s), etc.).
At least one first aid kit, AED and Bleeding Control Kit should be easily accessible backstage and always fully stocked.
The above are recommended guidelines. Consult all applicable rules and regulations.
Additional recommended guidelines can be found at the following organization:
Entertainment Services and Technology Association (ESTA) Technical Standards Program (these standards can be downloaded for free):
https://tsp.esta.org/tsp/documents/published_docs.php
ANSI E1.43, Entertainment Technology – Performer Flying Systems
ANSI E1.47, Entertainment Technology - Recommended Guidelines for Entertainment Rigging System Inspections
ANSI E1.53, Overhead mounting of luminaires, lighting accessories, and other portable devices: specification and practice
ANSI ES1.7, Event Safety – Weather Preparedness