Flying

Flying

Flying is the process of hanging lighting gear or set from a pulley system in the roof of the theatre, so that they can be raised or lowered easily.

Scenery is hung from Fly Bars, which are in turn hung on a counterbalanced pulley system. This means that one person can move very heavy pieces of scenery onto and off stage easily and quickly. Scenery can only be flown in theatres that have a fly tower.

Lights, hung on lighting bars, are also often flown. The bars can be lowered onto the stage during the get in to make it easier to set them up for the show. Normally these bars are attached to winches, or simply tied off to the walls of the theatre using metal cleats. This is because the bars are not moved during the show, and hence speed is not essential. Lights are flown in most theatres, and a fly tower is not required.