Australia has most of it's major cities located either on the sea or on major rivers and as a nation we like to make use of our beaches, waterways and harbors. This makes for a terrific arena for promotion and advertising. By utilizing our huge helicopter banners our clients can achieve unprecedented outdoor exposure. Most of our experience comes from flying within our country, but that does not limit our ability to fly anywhere in the world at any time.
For helicopter towing we build extremely large flags and banners that are clearly readable up to 15 kilometres away. Most measure about 1,000 square metres (the average outdoor sign site measures at less than 50 square metres). We use trained air crews and special helicopters to conduct the flights. We thoroughly plan the flight to take advantage of crowds, events and natural pathways around the target city or venue and maximize impact. The flag or banner is secured to the bottom of the aircraft and has at the base of its leading edge a large weight designed to keep it flying straight and easily readable in the air.
1. The path to be followed by the flag is carefully planned dependent on the clients needs and the available space. Timings are finalized at least a week in advance to give ourselves time to work with civil authorities and obtain required permissions.
2. When the planned time is at hand, our ground crew attaches the flag to the aircraft and assists with the take off.
3. Most flights travel at 20 knots around the planned flight path and spend anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours in the air dependent on the clients needs. In terms of 'reach', while in the air the flag is visible and readable to huge audiences than can exceed those of commercial television and it is very unlikely that the audience will find something else to which to pay attention. A flying flag beneath a helicopter is very novel event; a television commercial can't compete with this type of impact.
4. This process is repeated until the objectives are reached. A campaign may include a series of flights in several different cities or just one flight over a specific event.
5. On completion of a day's activities the flag is packed and stored in preparation for the next tow.
In the interest of safety, there are some limitations on where we can fly the huge banners and flags. These safety precautions basically ensure that the flag never flies over the top of a crowd. A planned flight path following natural waterways or ocean lines makes maintaining safety very easy. It turns out that many venues just happen to be located near a lake, river, or ocean. With careful planning, any advertising or display goal can be achieved without risk to ourselves or others.
