CPAPortal.com

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 banner or billboard ads are pulled behind a small single engine prop plane. This type of plane has enough power to pull the extra weight and drag of the banner. However, some firms offer banner ads that are pulled behind a helicopter. This has several advantages and some disadvantages over the standard airplane.

First, because helicopters are much more versatile, they require more training to learn to fly them. This means the pilots are paid more and the banners are more expensive. Also, the power of the helicopter demands  a larger engine and thus more fuel cost. Again, the one using this service will pay more.

Helicopters can fly more slowly and even hover to provide a longer viewing time. Normally when banner ads pulled behind an airplane allow the audience an average of 17 seconds to read the message. Of course, there is a minimum speed needed to keep the banner out straight so it can be read. A billboard hung below a helicopter can be a stationary ad for a short period of time. At least the read time will be greatly lengthened.

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.

The other method developed by skydivers is called Sling Load banner pulling. Here the helicopter basically pulls the upper corner of the banner and a weight is attached to the bottom of the leading edge so that it stays vertical. In spite of this weight, however, the ad often distorts as the wind hits it for the lower edge can’t keep up with the top. The weight could be as much as 500 pounds so a safety factor is also involved. Standard banners only require 10-15 pounds of weight to keep them vertical.

One chief advantage of the helicopter is in the power of their engines and in the upward lift, not directly opposed to the drag of the banner. This results in the ability to pull much larger banners, some as large as 50,000 square feet. Compare that to the normal perhaps 3000 square feet banner pulled behind a plane.

Both a helicopter and an airplane make enough noise to draw the attention of the spectators. And both methods provide the unique ability of having a message presented to a large audience in a very short period of time without any competition for attention. Because of this, 99% of the audience will read the ad and get the message fixed in their minds.

When you have your advertising message perfected, it is time to call a company that flies aerial banners who can guide you through the process of getting it printed and into the sky. The effort you put into making it just what you want will soon begin to turn into great results.