Post by acklington on Jun 23, 2020 19:11:22 GMT 1
Prompted by the current media storm regarding a certain banner over Burnley, I thought that my own recollections might be of interest. I haven't researched my 'facts', so this is just what I recall.
Between WWI and WW2 banner towing and sky writing (with smoke canisters) was legal and commonplace, but it was ended up being banned and was made illegal under CAA regulations.
And there it remained until circa 1983 at Blackpool Airport, when Brian Bateson's "Blackpool Air Centre" started experimenting with banners towed by their Cessna 195 G-AYNN. I think that there was at least one Police visit to the airport during my early time there. The Police wanted evidence from ATC logs, but it seems that no prosecutions resulted, or that they had not got very far through the legal system.
The Conservative Party Conference was held in Blackpool that year, and the dates also co-incided with PM Margaret Thatcher's Birthday. Brian Bateson took off in G-AYNN during the Conference lunch break, towing a banner saying "Happy Birthday Maggie", and flew it up and down the coast past the Conference Hotel. There was much Press coverage at the time, and Thatcher was so delighted that she promptly sent Brian a letter, thanking and congratulating him.
Apparently someone then tried to tell her that it was illegal, and got a good 'handbagging' in return. Very soon afterwards the CAA changed their rules, and banner towing quickly became legal and has continued ever since.
Brian then started experimenting with (I think) his PA-23 Apache G-ARCS, because he wanted the extra range and ability to fly over built up areas, which only a twin engined aircraft could do under airspace rules. There then followed an amusing couple of days at the Airport, when the Apache repeatedly tried to snatch the banner from the ground. It was always a 'snatch' pick-up, and G-AYNN never towed a banner on take-off. Anyway, Brian could just not get the Apache's tail low enough to achieve a pick-up, and the antics were probably verging on the dangerous, so he gave up.
G-AYNN, a Cessna 195, was not a quiet aircraft, and even less so towing a banner where a lot of power was need after the 'snatch' and climb. Everyone soon knew when a banner was about to appear! But I guess a bit of noise in the sky caused people to look up and read what it said?
Between WWI and WW2 banner towing and sky writing (with smoke canisters) was legal and commonplace, but it was ended up being banned and was made illegal under CAA regulations.
And there it remained until circa 1983 at Blackpool Airport, when Brian Bateson's "Blackpool Air Centre" started experimenting with banners towed by their Cessna 195 G-AYNN. I think that there was at least one Police visit to the airport during my early time there. The Police wanted evidence from ATC logs, but it seems that no prosecutions resulted, or that they had not got very far through the legal system.
The Conservative Party Conference was held in Blackpool that year, and the dates also co-incided with PM Margaret Thatcher's Birthday. Brian Bateson took off in G-AYNN during the Conference lunch break, towing a banner saying "Happy Birthday Maggie", and flew it up and down the coast past the Conference Hotel. There was much Press coverage at the time, and Thatcher was so delighted that she promptly sent Brian a letter, thanking and congratulating him.
Apparently someone then tried to tell her that it was illegal, and got a good 'handbagging' in return. Very soon afterwards the CAA changed their rules, and banner towing quickly became legal and has continued ever since.
Brian then started experimenting with (I think) his PA-23 Apache G-ARCS, because he wanted the extra range and ability to fly over built up areas, which only a twin engined aircraft could do under airspace rules. There then followed an amusing couple of days at the Airport, when the Apache repeatedly tried to snatch the banner from the ground. It was always a 'snatch' pick-up, and G-AYNN never towed a banner on take-off. Anyway, Brian could just not get the Apache's tail low enough to achieve a pick-up, and the antics were probably verging on the dangerous, so he gave up.
G-AYNN, a Cessna 195, was not a quiet aircraft, and even less so towing a banner where a lot of power was need after the 'snatch' and climb. Everyone soon knew when a banner was about to appear! But I guess a bit of noise in the sky caused people to look up and read what it said?