Any banner tow experts out there?

[Flydaplane]

Has anyone ever started a banner tow operation?

I'm curious as to where would you buy the letters and towing stuff and how do you price...per letter, per message, per hour?

What type of a/c would one need for an average banner? (I know the bigger the banner the bigger the a/c engine) What is the smallest or cheapest a/c that could be used at an altitude of 4800'?

 

[Steve]

I think Avbug was in this business at one time. I noticed a banner towing operation for sale over in NJ that was listed in Trade a Plane. Good luck with whatever you choose to do.

Steve

 

[jsoceanlord]

gasser banner in tennessee ws the main supplier 15 years ago.

aerial ads in ft lauderdale is the industry leader

ce 182's/180's do surprsingly well.

billboards are better than letters.

 

[corky]

Most operations make their own epuipment. You can purchase big rolls of nylon cloth in different colors and have someone handy with a sewing maching sew the letters and shapes on the nylon billboard then cut the material from the back so it shows on both sides. The lead poles are just aluminum tubing with line attached and weighted correctly for the proper fly angle. It's all trial and error but you'll figure it out. Some of the new billboards are computer generated. They cost a lot of money.

 

[Pilotadjuster]

banner tow

The flight school I started with used to do banners with a C-172, 160hp! My 1st instructor almost killed himself picking up his first and only one when it almost dragged him to the ground after hookup. Told me they spent a couple hours retrieving the banner from the weeds. Takeoff altitude was about 4,300 msl, not sure about density altitude that day...

I saw a recent article about banner guys on the East Coast, and I think they used mainly Super Cubs for towing (150hp?). Sounds as if a 180/185 would be safer with a little more power available, expecially at 4,800' + density altitude.

 

[Steve]

I haven't seen any Cessna 180/185's used for banner towing. Have you looks at the prices they go for? You'd be hard pressed to find a good one for anything less than $65k. I have seen many Pawnee's and Ex-AG aircraft used, probably because of there good slow flight characteristics and low prices. Super Cub's, Pacers and even Citabria's appear to be the airframe of choice, at least on the east coast.

 

[FlyForFood_NOT]

I worked setting up/putting together banners first summer, next one flying them in the east coast. My company used modified PA18 and J-5 cubs, with 160hp on them, excellent climb and tow performance. Piper pawnees are also good (they can even tow gliders). The lowest in line I think is a Citabria. The thing can only tow 50 letter banners, no billboards, and you only do about 50 to 100 fpm max climbout. Use a cessna and you're lucky to come out alive after a whole banner season.


Hey Corky, sorry to bust on you, but I don't know of ANYONE in the east coast that makes their own letters. You buy it from a company that makes, and yeah, when they rip, you fix them yourself.
With such business, there is no such thing as trial and error, you'd lose all your customers after one weekend of towing. I mean, they pay anywhere from $200 to $600 an hour for those things to be towed in perfect reading position over the beaches.

The only thing we made was billboards (I don't know if that's what you ment) with 80 x 50 cloth sheets and spray cans, those always look perfect when looking further away.

Take a look at TradeAPlane. I've seen often banner planes and equip. for sale. Good luck