If you have ever been to a beach or sporting event, you might have seen a banner or billboard pulled behind a plane, advertising something. These signs tell of products or services, announce a special event, tell where to find further information (like a webpage), display political ads, and are used many other ways.
Most of the time a small single engine prop plane is used to pull the banner or billboard ads. Though the banner has extra weight and drag, such a plane can usually handle it. But some companies also offer helicopter service to pull the ads. There are good and bad aspects of this compared with the standard airplane.
First, helicopters are of course, much more versatile than planes. This makes them much more difficult to fly than airplanes. Therefore, special pilot training is required and this means greater expense. This maneuverability of the helicopter also demands much more from the engine. This means higher fuel costs and, again, more expense to the renter.
Normally you have 17 seconds to read banner ads pulled behind an airplane. Because helicopters can fly slower, this time can be greatly lengthened. Of course, if they are pulling a banner, they must go fast enough to keep it unfurled. But a billboard can be hung below a helicopter like a stationary billboard in the sky.
The banner and billboard ad is normally attached to a rigid pole so that it stays upright and readable. Weights are attached to the bottom of it so that it does not spiral or turn over.
Another called Sling Load banner pulling method does not need a rigid pole in the front of the banner. Instead the pull rope from the helicopter is attached only to the upper front corner of the banner. A heavy weight, like 500 pounds, keeps the bottom front down so that the message can be read. Since standard banners only require 10-15 pound weights to keep it upright, the extra weight makes this method less desirable and more risky for some. Also, if the helicopter goes too fast, it can easily distort the readability of the message.
The advantage of the helicopter in pulling the banners is in the power of the plane. Because helicopters pull upward, and because their engines are much larger, they are able to pull much larger banners. Instead of the standard 3000 square feet sign, some have pulled banners as large as 50,000 square feet! Single engine planes would not be able to do this.
Both an airplane and a helicopter make enough noise to attract the attention of the spectators. Both methods provide the advantage of having a message presented to a large audience without competition in a very short period of time. And because of the unique presentation, it is almost guaranteed that the people will read it when it is flown overhead.
Once you have followed these principles, it is time to get in touch with an aerial banner company and get it printed and into the air. It won’t take long before your well planned message will be read by thousands and the result in sales will follow.