As progress goes, so do vestiges of what used to be.  And with multi-story developments changing our skyline it is heartwarming to glimpse the enduring quaint remnants of our coastal culture – the banner tow aircraft.

Floating nimbly through the skies – often battered by wind and rain – this means of advertising has turned millions of eyes skyward for nothing more than a mere pithy statement, in stark contrast to a society addicted to the fusillade of high-powered techno-blitzing advertising.  It is probably the only type of message that can reach those sun-soaked visitors who for a brief moment of time enjoy the respite from the heady sophisticated messages.  But as beautiful and simple it may appear the business of towing banners is one requiring exacting flying skills and an attention to details.

Sandy Williams’s Boomer Aviation is the largest operation of its kind between Jacksonville and Texas according to Williams.   Credits go to an inspiration, business sense, perseverance but also some luck and the attrition of the only competition.

The company operates a fleet of 10 aircraft with 10 pilots during the tourist season.  Operations begin at a 22-acre grass strip south of Hwy 98 in Navarre where the Williams family sets up the banners via 250-foot towline with a 20-30-foot loop suspended between two poles.  In a manner very similar to carrier landing by a Navy aircraft the pilot flies through the poles and snags the towline simultaneously adding power and climbing - a feat requiring the utmost in concentration and skill.  Sadly, the only accident the company has had was during this maneuver when in 1983 an experienced pilot stalled the airplane and crashed - killing himself.

Boomer Aviation mandates that the pilots have at least 500 hours of flying experience, a commercial rating and a certification from the FAA for banner tow and his own check flight before approving a new pilot for operations.  Williams has strict standards for flying and can spot an infraction of those standards easily from his car or anywhere he happens to spot one of his aircraft.  According to FAA regulations the aircraft must fly no lower than 500 feet over water and 1,000 feet overland.

But this strict adherence to high standards has benefited pilots who have moved on to other flying careers.  Seven pilots who started with Boomer with less than 300 hours are now flying for the airlines.  A few of the current pilots have airline career aspirations but those plans haven’t taken off due to the drop-off in hiring after the 9/11 disaster. 

Mike Tully is a former deputy sheriff of Memphis who got “tired of being shot at,” according to Williams.  Tully had a scheduled start date with Northwest Airlines, which was canceled after the disaster. He is close to being checked out on banner tow flying and hopes to build up his flying time until the airlines start hiring again.

Andrea Willis is the only female pilot at Boomer and had her start date with Continental Airlines canceled as well.

Bill Mckinnon, a retired Navy Captain and F-14 pilot, has already experienced a full flying career and is simply enjoying keeping his hands on the yoke.  Regarding retired military pilots that have flown for Boomer Aviation, Williams notes that many of them ask him, “You mean you are going to pay me to do this?  But I don’t need to be paid.”

Indeed the sights to behold from above and along the shimmering emerald green coastline at no more than 60 miles per hours are something few of us witness.    At this relatively slow flying speed a strong headwind will impede the aircraft’s speed along course.  “We joke about bicycles passing us,” notes Williams.  Fish spotting is easy and the pilots often note the “shark convention” at the jetties in Destin in the June and July timeframe.   And if the pilots note anybody in distress such as a capsized boat they can readily pass long sightings to air traffic control who in turn alert the Coast Guard.

Most of the banners towed advertise for local recreation, dining or nightlife establishments but sometimes they get a more personal request such as a wedding proposal.  In one instance actress Kim Basinger hired Boomer Aviation to tow a banner to New Orleans as a gift for her husband Alec Baldwin according to Williams.  Fifteen years ago his company even towed a billboard replicating a helicopter that was used for target practice for a defense contractor in New Mexico.

The grounding of flying activities after the 9/11 disaster posed a serious financial setback for Boomer Aviation whose off-season business relies on flying at football games at Auburn, Alabama and Florida State universities   Williams agrees with the initial decision to ground all aviation but was dumbfounded as to the logic that kept banner tow aircraft grounded when seemingly more likely aircraft could pose a threat.  "A student pilot with practically no experience could fly up and down the beach. I had 30,000 hours (of experience) and wasn’t’ allowed to fly," Williams said.

It was frustrating experience for a man who began the business in 1979 after seeing his first banner tow aircraft while hitchhiking in Daytona Beach.  He and his wife left a 17-year career in the insurance business and came to the Emerald Coast to set up the area’s first aerial advertising business.  He began his quest with his 4,000 hours of flying experience and a sales pitch to 3 nightclub owners in Fort Walton Beach, which netted a $1,000 from each of them.  He had a week to get the banners airborne for them. The problem was that he didn’t have an airplane or a banner to work with.  The clock was ticking.

His lucked turned skyward when he was able to buy a Cessna 172 for $1,000 down with the balance to be paid over the tourist season.  He frantically obtained the lettering and devices to tow behind the aircraft.   Things seemed to be moving along briskly until the realization that he had to have a certification from the FAA office in Birmingham before flying and the FAA was not making another trip to the area until July.  So with his 11-year-old son Mike in tow, Williams flew to a compromise location at Shelby County airport in Alabama whereupon the FAA gave him approval.  This string of miracles allowed him to get airborne just in time to fulfill his obligation – an obligation that he has adhered to ever since.

“In 23 years we have never missed a flight due to maintenance,” notes Williams, a tribute to his company’s customer focus and attention to detail.

However, those years were not without its close calls for Williams.  In 1992 his aircraft’s engine quit and he had to make an emergency landing in the Beal Cemetery in Fort Walton Beach.

With over 31,000 flying hours now Williams is not flying as much anymore.  “I am flying less than 500 hours a year, says Williams. And he has delegated more responsibility on his chief pilot, Jim Jones, whom Williams admires for his astonishing knowledge of aircraft.

Williams’s sons Mike, Mark, and Matt have all been actively involved in the business.  Mike worked the business while getting through medical school and has just completed his residency.  Mark is running the operations of the business while the youngest, Matt, is working sales.

Together this family has kept a visible timeless presence in our skies that has endured progress, disaster and the changing face of our coastline.  Anytime you want to recapture our coastal culture you only need to look skyward over the gulf.

© 2002 Scott Jackson