Should High Schools Fly Students in Theatre Productions? What Administrators Need to Know
When a school musical calls for Peter Pan, Mary Poppins, or another flying effect, the first question is usually not “Can we do it?” It is “Can we do it safely?” That is the right question. Flying a student is not the same as adding fog, a projection, or a moving light cue. It is a high-consequence activity involving suspension of a person, specialized equipment, trained operators, structural support, emergency planning, and clear lines of authority. The good news is that it can be done. The hard truth is that it should never be treated like a do-it-yourself effect. The safest path is a qualified vendor, a documented plan, and a school administration that understands what questions to ask. ANSI E1.43 is the primary entertainment-industry standard for performer flying systems, and the current edition was revised in 2025. It addresses design, manufacture, use, and maintenance of performer flying systems, while specifically excluding fall protection, which means schools must separately address worker-at-height hazards for staff and contractors.
Why student flying is different from other stage effects
A flying effect may last only a few seconds onstage, but the safety work behind it starts long before the audience arrives. A performer flying system includes the equipment, procedures, support structure, and people needed to suspend or move a performer through the air. The current standard covers manually driven, mechanized, automated, and statically hung performer flying systems, and it applies whether the path is over the stage, offstage, or over the audience. That matters for schools because the risk is not limited to the person in the harness. It also includes operators, nearby performers, overhead structures, and audience exposure.
In a professional production, those responsibilities are usually handled by experienced flying directors, riggers, and system designers. In a high school, the temptation is to assume a theatre teacher, facilities team, or local stagehand can “make something work.” That is where schools get into trouble. Even if the venue has a good house rigging system, performer flying requires a separate level of design review, equipment control, and training. If the school is in Colorado, there is another layer to consider. Colorado’s Division of Fire Prevention and Control has a formal role in school building oversight, and delegated building inspectors working for school boards must inspect work for conformance with the adopted building code. Any permanent structural change or new support point should be assumed to trigger code and inspection questions.
What qualifications and certifications matter
Schools often ask for “all certifications,” but that phrase needs some sorting. There is no single magic credential that makes a flying vendor safe. Instead, you want a stack of indicators that show the company understands entertainment rigging, human suspension, training, and documentation.
The first thing to look for is alignment with ANSI E1.43, the entertainment standard specific to performer flying systems. For powered equipment, ANSI E1.6-1 for powered hoist systems can also become relevant, especially when the vendor uses motorized flying hoists. Chicago Flyhouse publicly states that its Ziplift x600 hoist complies with ANSI E1.6-1 and ANSI E1.43, and lists features such as dual brakes, load cells, limit systems, and a stated working load limit.
The second major indicator is ETCP. ETCP certifies technicians in categories such as Theatre Rigger, Arena Rigger, Entertainment Electrician, and Portable Power Distribution Technician, and it also maintains a Recognized Employer/Labor Provider/Contractor directory. ETCP certification is not the same as vendor approval for student flying, but it is one of the strongest industry-recognized signs that personnel and employers participate in an established entertainment safety credentialing system.
The third category is training and documented procedures. A vendor should be able to explain who designs the system, who supervises flying, who trains performers and operators, how harnesses are inspected, what the daily preflight check looks like, and what the rescue plan is if something stops midair. That operational discipline matters at least as much as brand recognition. OSHA fall protection rules and the ANSI/ASSP Z359 family may also apply to staff and contractors working at height during installation or operation, because performer flying standards do not replace fall protection requirements for workers.
Companies schools commonly consider
ZFX Flying Effects is one of the best-known names in school theatre flying. Its school productions page specifically markets services for student productions, states that it works with students of different ages and abilities, and describes support from Flying Directors. ZFX also presents itself as a turnkey provider rather than simply an equipment rental source. That distinction matters because most schools do not need just hardware. They need a system, a supervisor, and a training process.
Flying By Foy is another major name and has a long-standing reputation in theatrical flying. Its official about page says it serves high school and university theatre programs in addition to Broadway, opera, ballet, film, and television. That gives administrators a useful point: this is not a niche novelty company. It is a long-established provider serving both educational and professional markets.
The Chicago Flyhouse is often thought of first as a rigging company, but it also provides performer flying and has public examples of supporting local high school productions. One 2024 post describes providing a two-axis Ziplift rental system for Carl Sandburg High School’s Spamalot, along with operator training and a safety and flight instruction class for staff and students. Its broader public materials also highlight rigging design, fabrication, implementation, and training resources.
Other relevant companies worth knowing about include Vertigo, which provides flying effects and safety education; PointWright’s D2 Flying Effects division, which focuses on performer flying and entertainment rigging; and On the Fly Productions, which markets flying effects, training, and related services. These may not always be the first three names theatre teachers mention on Facebook, but they are part of the broader landscape schools may encounter when gathering bids or references.
What administrators should ask before saying yes
The question is not just whether a vendor is good. It is whether the school is ready. A school should ask five practical questions before approving student flying.
First, who is designing and supervising the system? The school needs named responsible parties, not vague reassurances. Someone must have authority to stop the effect if conditions change.
Second, what is the training plan? Students and operators need structured instruction, not a quick walkthrough on tech day.
Third, what is the equipment inspection process? Harnesses, connectors, hoists, attachment points, and control systems all need a documented inspection routine.
Fourth, what is the rescue plan? “We’ll call 911” is not a rescue plan. If a performer gets stuck in the air, the school needs to know exactly how the situation will be resolved and who is responsible for doing it.
Fifth, what code, facilities, and insurance reviews are required? If the effect relies on permanent structural changes or new support points, facilities and code officials need to be involved early. If the vendor cannot provide clear insurance documentation and explain coverage, that is a warning sign. Colorado schools in particular should involve facilities and code stakeholders early because DFPC and delegated inspection pathways can become relevant.
A practical recommendation for schools
For most high schools, the right answer is not “never fly students.” It is “only fly students under a professionally managed system with documentation, training, and administrative review.” A reputable flying company can make a spectacular effect possible. A school team acting outside its expertise can create a serious hazard very quickly.
That means the most defensible approach is to require a qualified vendor, confirm standards alignment, ask for ETCP-related credentials or recognized-employer status where applicable, review insurance and rescue planning, and make sure the venue itself is suitable. If a school cannot meet those conditions, the better choice is to stage the moment another way. A creative illusion that stays on the ground is always better than a flying effect built on assumptions.
Conclusion
Flying students onstage can be done, but it should never be treated as a simple production add-on. It is a specialized safety system that involves engineering, operations, training, and supervision. Theatre teachers may start the conversation by asking which company people liked best, but administrators need to ask a different question: which vendor can provide the clearest evidence of competence, documentation, and control? When schools ask that question first, they are far more likely to make a smart decision for both the production and the students.
Recommended companies
| Company | Website |
|---|---|
| ZFX Flying Effects | https://www.zfxflying.com |
| Flying By Foy | https://www.flyingbyfoy.com |
| Chicago Flyhouse | https://www.chicagoflyhouse.com |
| Vertigo (Hall Associates Flying Effects) | https://www.vertigoflying.com |
| D2 Flying Effects (PointWright) | https://www.pointwright.com |
| On The Fly Productions | https://www.ontheflyproductions.com |
| Fisher Technical Services | https://www.fishertechnical.com |
References
Entertainment Services and Technology Association. (2025). ANSI E1.43-2025 Entertainment Technology – Performer Flying Systems. ANSI Webstore.
Entertainment Services and Technology Association. (2016/2025 repost). ANSI E1.43 – 2016 Entertainment Technology – Performer Flying Systems. ESTA Technical Standards Program.
Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control. (2025). Delegated building inspectors.
ZFX Flying Effects. (n.d.). Flying effects for school theater productions.
Flying By Foy. (n.d.). About Flying By Foy.
The Chicago Flyhouse, Inc. (2024). Learning to fly.
The Chicago Flyhouse, Inc. (n.d.). About Us.
The Chicago Flyhouse, Inc. (n.d.). Ziplift x600.