Magnetic field profiles across the dayside magnetopause, obtained during the first five years (1977--1981) of the ISEE mission have been examined in boundary normal coordinates to determine the spatial distribution and controlling factors of flux transfer events (FTE's). Owing to the natural evolution of the orbital plane of the spacecraft, the dayside magnetopause region is eventually sampled both above and below the magnetic equator. Nevertheless, at the end of the period surveyed, the satellites still had not yet reached latitudes as far south of the equator as they were initially north of the equator. Two types of magnetic signature in the component normal to the magnetopause are regularly observed when an FTE passes the spacecraft. In the northern dawn quadrant the perturbation along the normal direction is usually first outward and then inward, whereas in the southern dusk quadrant the reverse behavior occurs. The dividing line between the two signatures is tilted somewhat with respect to the equator along a south dawn-north dusk direction. However deviations from this simple pattern are observed in both hemispheres. Examination of simultaneous IMP 8 and ISEE 3 interplanetary data reveals that FTE's occur almost exclusively during southward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) conditions. FTE's occur about 45% of the time when the IMF has a southward component, with the highest rates of occurrence for due southward IMF. The sign of the east-west component of the IMF does not exert control on the rate of FTE occurrence.