more expense to the renter.

Billboard or banner ads are huge messages that are pulled behind an airplane over a crowd so that many will read it in a short time. The signs announce a special event, tell of a product or service, promote political candidates, tell where to find further information (like a webpage), and are used in many other ways.

Probably these banner or billboard ads you saw were pulled behind a small single engine prop plane. Such a plane has sufficient power to pull the extra weight as well as the drag of the banner. But some companies offer banner ads that are pulled behind helicopters. This idea has pros and cons over 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.

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.

Conventional banner and billboard ad pulling involves attaching a rigid pole or support to the front of the banner so that it stays perpendicular to the ground. With weights attached to the bottom of the banner, it remains readable throughout the flying time.

Some use another method when pulling the ad behind a helicopter. It is called a Sling Load. Instead of using a rigid pole, the tow rope is attached just to the upper corner of the banner. A heavy weight of as much as 500 pounds is attached to the bottom front corner so that it stays upright. When the plane goes too fast, the message easily distorts with this method. Also, carrying that much weight poses a safety risk. The standard method requires only ten pound weights to keep it upright so the load is a lot less.

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 have the audio factor. They make enough noise to get people to look. The uniqueness of the banner demands to be read. In no time at all, perhaps thousands of people have read an ad that would normally be ignored in a newspaper or on TV. With either method, the success of this form of advertisement is reached.