Banner Towing
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Join Date: May 2001
Location: New Jersey Shore
Age: 92
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Banner Towing
The area in which I reside, the New Jersey Shore, has dozens of banner towing aircraft passing overhead all day long in the summertime. They are always looking for pilots with a commercial certificate. This is an opportunity for building up time.
Sometime in the 1990's I responded to an advert in a local newspaper seeking such applicants. It was a short drive to a local airport where they were based. I started ground school the next day.
It was a 2 day class, without pay, of course. Most of the aircraft were modified Piper type craft, with the necessary hardware such as a hook, etc..
The idea was to fly low and slow with the hook extended to catch a wire suspended between posts, and after engagement pull up to about a 35degree attitude and add full throttle, after which a banner which had been specially folded to follow and drag a large mesh banner airborne, and try to keep sufficient airspeed to get it off the ground, then proceed over a designated route to expose the viewing public to adverts for sun tan lotion, a local watering hole, etc..
The instructer casually told the class of about 20 "kids" that the cyl. head temp. guage would be in the high red zone, and the oil pressure would likewise be in the red for low pressure, but hey, not to worry.
Pilots would be responsible for servicing the aircraft for fuel, oil, tire pressure, and what-not.
I asked what the pay would be. "$12 an hour for the first 10 hours, then $15, paid on a block to block basis."
I laughed at him, uttere4d an obscenety
and departed.
Where do they get such men?
Sometime in the 1990's I responded to an advert in a local newspaper seeking such applicants. It was a short drive to a local airport where they were based. I started ground school the next day.
It was a 2 day class, without pay, of course. Most of the aircraft were modified Piper type craft, with the necessary hardware such as a hook, etc..
The idea was to fly low and slow with the hook extended to catch a wire suspended between posts, and after engagement pull up to about a 35degree attitude and add full throttle, after which a banner which had been specially folded to follow and drag a large mesh banner airborne, and try to keep sufficient airspeed to get it off the ground, then proceed over a designated route to expose the viewing public to adverts for sun tan lotion, a local watering hole, etc..
The instructer casually told the class of about 20 "kids" that the cyl. head temp. guage would be in the high red zone, and the oil pressure would likewise be in the red for low pressure, but hey, not to worry.
Pilots would be responsible for servicing the aircraft for fuel, oil, tire pressure, and what-not.
I asked what the pay would be. "$12 an hour for the first 10 hours, then $15, paid on a block to block basis."
I laughed at him, uttere4d an obscenety
and departed.Where do they get such men?
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Oooooh this is going to be a good one!
I do have a friend of a friend that may have built a few hours (lots) in a summer doing this type of thing for an operator in a similar place flying little yellow planes of questionable airworthiness.
So I heard.
Then (he) went to Alaska and found some slightly more hazardous wx conditions.
But I think it was sometime in the 20's.
I do have a friend of a friend that may have built a few hours (lots) in a summer doing this type of thing for an operator in a similar place flying little yellow planes of questionable airworthiness.
So I heard.
Then (he) went to Alaska and found some slightly more hazardous wx conditions.
But I think it was sometime in the 20's.
