Editing Missing man formation

{{Short description|Flight formation to honor certain figures}}
{{About||the musical group|Missing Man Formation (band)|the album|Missing Man Formation (album)}}
{{Infobox recurring event
|name              = Missing man formation
|native_name       = 
|native_name_lang  = 
|nickname          = 
|logo              = 
|logo_alt          = 
|logo_caption      = 
|logo_size         = 
|image             = Missing Man Flyover formation.jpg
|image_size        = 
|alt               = Photographed from the flight deck of an aircraft carrier: three airplanes are flying in formation while approaching, and a fourth plane is climbing up and away from the formation to signify the missing man.
|caption           = Pilots assigned to [[Carrier Air Wing Three]] (CVW-3) perform a Missing Man Flyover formation, above [[USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75)|USS ''Harry S. Truman'']] (CVN-75), during a wreath-laying ceremony held on the flight deck in memory of a service member killed during a training accident.
|status            = active
|genre             = Memorial service salute
|date              = <!-- {{start date|YYYY|mm|dd}} "dates=" also works, but do not use both -->
|begins            = <!-- {{start date|YYYY|mm|dd}} -->
|ends              = <!-- {{end date|YYYY|mm|dd}} -->
|frequency         = <!-- Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, Semi-annually, Annually, Bi-annually, 2nd Tuesday of November, etc. -->
|venue             = 
|location          = 
|coordinates       = <!-- {{coord|LAT|LON|type:event|display=inline,title}} --> 
|country           = 
|years_active      = <!-- {{age|YYYY|mm|dd}} Date of the first occurrence -->
|first             = <!-- {{start date|YYYY|mm|dd}} "founded=" and "established=" also work -->
|founder_name      = <!-- or | founders = -->
|last              = <!-- Date of most recent event; if the event will not be held again, use {{End date|YYYY|MM|DD|df=y}} -->
|prev              = 
|next              = 
|participants      = 
|attendance        = 
|capacity          = 
|area              = 
|budget            = 
|activity          = airshows, sporting events
|leader_name       = 
|patron            = 
|organised         = <!-- "organized=" also works -->
|filing            = 
|people            = 
|member            = 
|sponsor           = <!-- | or sponsors = -->
|website           = <!-- {{URL|example.com}} -->
|current           = 
|footnotes         = 
}}
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.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1123590 |title=Missing Man Formation |first=Bob |last= Edwards |author-link= Bob Edwards |date= May 28, 2001 |format= link to audio |publisher= [[NPR]] |access-date= 2011-09-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aiipowmia.com/histories/histformation.html |title=Histories: The Missing Man Formation |publisher=All POW-MIA |access-date=13 September 2013 |archive-date=21 November 2000 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20001121100500/http://www.aiipowmia.com/histories/histformation.html}}</ref><ref name="oldglorytraditions">{{cite web |url= http://www.oldglorytraditions.com/missingmanhistory.htm |title= The History of The Missing Man Formation |publisher= Old Glory Traditions |access-date= 2011-09-12 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130605074000/http://www.oldglorytraditions.com/missingmanhistory.htm |archive-date= 2013-06-05 }}</ref>  The planes [[Formation flying|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]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Ford |first=Daniel |date=May 2001 |title=High Honor |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/air-space-magazine/high-honor-2041010/ |access-date=2023-11-04 |website=Smithsonian Magazine |language=en}}</ref>

Missing man formations are also used in [[motorsport]] in memory of a recently deceased driver,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Riggs |first=D. Randy |date=2018-06-21 |title=F5000 Drivers Honor Racer Jeff Green With Missing Man Formation |url=https://vintagemotorsport.com/2018/06/21/f5000-drivers-honor-racer-jeff-green-missing-man-formation/ |access-date=2023-11-04 |website=Vintage Motorsport |language=en-US}}</ref> and in [[American football]] and [[ice hockey]] in memory of a recently deceased player.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Stubbs |first=Roman |date=September 1, 2018 |title=Maryland football started its season with a missing-man formation |url=https://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/ |access-date=November 4, 2023 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Newland |first=Jason |date=October 16, 2024 |title=The Way The Columbus Blue Jackets Honored Their Fallen Superstar Was Perfect |url=https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/columbus-blue-jackets/latest-news/the-way-the-columbus-blue-jackets-honored-their-fallen-superstar-was-perfect |access-date=October 16, 2024 |newspaper=[[The Hockey News]]}}</ref>

== Description ==
[[File:Missing man formation diagram.svg|thumb|left|upright=1.5|Missing man formation based on [[finger-four]]; Flight leader (#1), lead's wingman (#2), and second element lead's wingman (#4) are present, but second element lead (#3) has departed or is not present.]]
Several 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.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://fray.slate.com/id/2131916/ |title= What's the "Missing Man" Formation? |first= Daniel |last= Engber |date= December 14, 2005 |work= [[Slate (magazine)|Slate]] |access-date= 2011-09-12 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110927010924/http://fray.slate.com/id/2131916/ |archive-date= September 27, 2011 |url-status= dead }}</ref> 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.<ref name=":0" /> 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.<ref name=":0" />

In an older variant, the formation is flown with the second element leader position conspicuously empty.<ref name=":0" /> 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.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2021-06-10 |title=Missing Man Flyover honoring San Antonio WWII Veteran happens tonight |url=https://www.ktsa.com/missing-man-flyover-honoring-san-antonio-wwii-veteran-happens-tonight/ |access-date=2023-11-04 |website=KTSA |language=en-US}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Zielinski |first=Todd |date=2012-10-12 |title='Missing Man' symbol of loss |url=https://www.luke.af.mil/News/Commentaries/Display/Article/360108/missing-man-symbol-of-loss/https://www.luke.af.mil/News/Commentaries/Display/Article/360108/missing-man-symbol-of-loss/ |access-date=2023-11-04 |website=Luke Air Force Base |language=en-US}}{{dead link|date=March 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

==In memorials==
<gallery mode="packed" heights="120px" widths="180px" caption="Missing Man sculptures"> 
File:Randolph-air-force-base-taj-mahal.jpg |''Missing Man Monument'' (1977) at [[Randolph Air Force Base|Randolph AFB]]
File: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–Hickam]]
File:Metal Missing Man Formation raptors Memorial Park NMUSAF 25Sep09 (14596948851).jpg |''Missing Man Formation'' (2000) at Valor Park, [[National Museum of the United States Air Force|USAF Museum]]
File:Onthulling missing man memorial Air Crash Museum 40-45 op 13 september 2014 in Rijsenhout 04.JPG |''Missing Man Salute'' (2004) at [[Rijsenhout]]
</gallery>
Permanent memorial sculptures depicting the missing man aerial formation exist at [[Randolph Air Force Base]] (''Missing Man Monument'', 1977, Mark Pritchett) in San Antonio, Texas,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://catalog.archives.gov/id/72225 |title=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}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=31134 |title=Missing Man Monument |website=The Historical Marker Database |access-date=6 December 2022}}</ref> [[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.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=26352 |title=Valor Park |website=The Historical Marker Database |access-date=6 December 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://tecstonegranite.com/free/downloads/booklets/Civic_Memorials-PRINTER.pdf#page=8 |title=Civic Memorials Development Guide |publisher=Tecstone Granite USA |date=2013 |access-date=6 December 2022}}</ref>

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;<ref>{{ASN accident |id=50353 |type=Shot down |title=Consolidated B-24H-1-CF Liberator |wikibase=yes |accessdate=6 December 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tracesofwar.com/sights/116269/Missing-Man-Salute-Memorial.htm |title=Missing Man Salute Memorial |website=Traces of War |access-date=6 December 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.4en5mei.nl/herinneren/oorlogsmonumenten/monumenten_zoeken/oorlogsmonument/3530 |title=Soesterberg, 'Missing Man Salute' |publisher=Nationaal Comité 4 en 5 mei |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141023140521/https://www.4en5mei.nl/herinneren/oorlogsmonumenten/monumenten_zoeken/oorlogsmonument/3530 |archive-date=October 23, 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref> it was moved to the {{ill|CRASH Luchtoorlog- en Verzetsmuseum '40-'45|nl}} museum near [[Rijsenhout]] in 2014.<ref>{{cite press release |url=http://amsterdam.usconsulate.gov/missing_man.html |title=U.S. Consul Unveils Relocated Missing Man Salute Monument to U.S. Airmen |date=September 2014 |publisher=Consulate General of the United States, Amsterdam, the Netherlands |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141028131702/http://amsterdam.usconsulate.gov/missing_man.html |archive-date=October 28, 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.crash40-45.nl/missing-man-salute-monument/ |title=Missing Man Salute monument |lang=nl |publisher=CRASH Luchtoorlog- en Verzetsmuseum '40-'45 |access-date=6 December 2022}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Riderless horse]]
*[[Three-volley salute]]

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

{{DEFAULTSORT:Missing Man Formation}}
[[Category:Death customs]]
[[Category:Military aviation]]
[[Category:Military traditions]]
[[Category:Motorsport terminology]]