Does not wanting to flag make you a bad marshal?

[White flag man]

Originally Posted by TrueBlueFlyer

I can see why flagging is so dreaded, I'd love to try it... but would hate to pull the wrong flag out in the heat of the moment. Someone in Singapore did just that during September F1.

Give it a go my friend. If you space your flags out, you'll have less chance of grabbing the wrong one, but we've all done it at some time. Put the red flag in a place where you physically have to move to get it, that way you wont get into serious trouble! Don't worry about "making mistakes" when blue flagging, as you have no idea what the driver behind is thinking, therefore, what he's going to do.
I like doing flags or incident. One thing about flagging, you always have something to do, as you got to concentrate on the whole race/practice, unlike incident.

[Guinness2702]

Originally Posted by TrueBlueFlyer

I can see why flagging is so dreaded, I'd love to try it... but would hate to pull the wrong flag out in the heat of the moment. Someone in Singapore did just that during September F1.

IMHO, you should not be allowed to pass a flag assessment, until you have blue flagged a race leader - until then, you're just not "experienced"

Seriously don't worry about mistakes, it happens to the best. There are those that say that the blue flag is an art form. That's crap, *all* of the flags, except the red are an art form, the red is the only one you can truly screw up with and the rules for that are simple. Learn from you own experience and from experienced flaggies, by joining them and having a go.

I've seen plenty of good flaggies get it wrong from time to time. I myself completely missed a yellow flag(light) I should have put out(on) during practise for this year's brit GP (I looked on the telly after, and I was *7* seconds late putting it out ), and I also put on a yellow, when somebody pulled off at the back of the grid, which automatically meant a green flashing light appeared right in front of the drivers as they were waiting for the race start in the GP 2 or 3 race. Learnt from it....moved on!

[Slipstick]

Originally Posted by Alan.F

I have been marshalling 4yrs now upgraded to green 2yrs ago and should be red by now really with the amount of experience i have but i dont really ant to because i just dont want to flag and dont see why i should have to ts not what i joined to do.

Think yourself lucky, at least you're able to do what you want.

I joined up hoping to be a flaggist but I find I have to put in a few years doing mainly incident before I have any chance. Not sure I'll last that long .

Steve

[Guinness2702]

Originally Posted by Slipstick

I joined up hoping to be a flaggist but I find I have to put in a few years doing mainly incident before I have any chance. Not sure I'll last that long .

Wow, really? I did some flagging in my first season, and most of my second season. Sounds to me like you need to tell people what you want to do. I'd suggest that the next few meetings you volunteer for, you send an email to the relevant chief marshal and explain that you want to get some experience flagging. I'm sure they'll do what they can to put you with an experienced flaggie who can show you the ropes

[White flag man]

Originally Posted by Slipstick

Think yourself lucky, at least you're able to do what you want.

I joined up hoping to be a flaggist but I find I have to put in a few years doing mainly incident before I have any chance. Not sure I'll last that long .

Steve

Steve,
suggest, next season, you take a few trips to Silverstone for club meetings, and there are lots of them, and say you want to flag. They have their own incident marshals and are usually crying out for flaggies.
You could be on your own, so you'll learn fast. Once chief marshals realise you can flag you'll have a job doing anything else!

[TrueBlueFlyer]

Originally Posted by White flag man

One thing about flagging, you always have something to do, as you got to concentrate on the whole race/practice, unlike incident.

I've already noticed that in Singapore... seemed quite exciting and tiring at the same time. Though its probably not as bad as trying to squeeze through the cage opening to run out on the track to do recovery and then smacking your knees on the concrete barrier squeezing back into the cage, heh.

Its interesting to read about the British system of making green or red standing... where can I read up on that?

Also, its a shame I left Singapore as they were considering folks for senior race official positions but in my situation I couldn't commit the time or ability to stay in one place for training to actually take advantage of this. Does anyone else volunteer in other countries/races and how do you go about volunteering there, what positions do you volunteer for?

[White flag man]

Originally Posted by TrueBlueFlyer

Its interesting to read about the British system of making green or red standing... where can I read up on that?

Not quite sure what you mean by this, could you elaborate?

Flagging GP's is easy, you should try endurance racing (big speed differentials, driver changes etc), that's much more fun!.

[Terrible-Tones]

Originally Posted by Alan.F

I have been marshalling 4yrs now upgraded to green 2yrs ago and should be red by now really with the amount of experience i have but i dont really ant to because i just dont want to flag and dont see why i should have to ts not what i joined to do.

It will be interesting what appears in the new grading scheme....and how it deals with this issue..

Apparently it will be published in January.

[275 GTB-4]

Originally Posted by Guinness2702

Wow, really? I did some flagging in my first season, and most of my second season. Sounds to me like you need to tell people what you want to do. I'd suggest that the next few meetings you volunteer for, you send an email to the relevant chief marshal and explain that you want to get some experience flagging. I'm sure they'll do what they can to put you with an experienced flaggie who can show you the ropes

In the UK you run your Flags up a mast using ropes???? well I never!

[Guinness2702]

Originally Posted by 275 GTB-4

In the UK you run your Flags up a mast using ropes???? well I never!

No, the ropes are used to deal with drivers who ignore the flags

[exflagman]

Originally Posted by Guinness2702

No, the ropes are used to deal with drivers who ignore the flags

Or in the case of the first Birmingham Superprix, to tie the flag marshals to the flag posts to stop them blowing away

[NewYankee01]

Originally Posted by Slipstick

Think yourself lucky, at least you're able to do what you want.

I joined up hoping to be a flaggist but I find I have to put in a few years doing mainly incident before I have any chance. Not sure I'll last that long .

Steve

i gather you may have already tried applying for flagging the place you go to? as someone has told you to do the 2 years, that was practised as part of the old system i have been told many a time, someone must be sticking to that system, it may be worth your while jacking that place in whereever it may be if they dont change their stance. if it was a premier circuit any chief marshal would try to facilitate a person flagging, its in their best interests, id be horrified if that happened to me knowing other people has got to flag a fraction of the experience, i started flagging unaccompanied at my first circuit weekend... like many people have at silverstone