# What do planes towing banners do with the banner to land? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 20, 2018, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-planes-towing-banners-do-with-the-banner-to-land/821628 "2018-09-20T12:55:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![wevets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9a140/32.png) [@wevets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wevets)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2018, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-planes-towing-banners-do-with-the-banner-to-land/821628/1 "2018-09-20T12:55:45Z")
Do they detach it before landing so it doesn’t scrape all over the runway? Reel it in somehow and fold it? What do they do that works? ---
**Author:** ![MikeF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MikeF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeF)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2018, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-planes-towing-banners-do-with-the-banner-to-land/821628/2 "2018-09-20T13:19:33Z")
The just drop it on the field before circling to land or, if the field is long enough, drop and land straight ahead. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/hHEDFdP3Djk/maxresdefault.jpg "Banner Drop") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHEDFdP3Djk) ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2018, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-planes-towing-banners-do-with-the-banner-to-land/821628/3 "2018-09-20T13:32:26Z")
In case it’s not obvious, I’ll note that they neither land nor take off with the banner attached. Here’s video of a [banner pick-up](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omYUD4WYo2g). ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2018, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-planes-towing-banners-do-with-the-banner-to-land/821628/4 "2018-09-20T14:34:58Z")
How do they make sure the banner displays the right way up? I assume it’s weighted but I didn’t spot any in the videos. ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2018, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-planes-towing-banners-do-with-the-banner-to-land/821628/5 "2018-09-20T14:44:07Z")
> [@](#): > > First, the tail end of heavy billboards or banners has tiny parachutes that catch the wind and keep it straight. Then the bottom has weights that keep that edge closest to the ground. > **[How We Fly An Airplane Banner](https://www.airsign.com/how-we-fly-an-airplane-banner/)** > > Have you ever been at a large gathering somewhere, like a sporting event or a beach, and seen an airplane fly by pulling an... ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2018, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-planes-towing-banners-do-with-the-banner-to-land/821628/6 "2018-09-21T03:18:39Z")
Also, when it was just a pilot and no ground crew, the banner was laid out with the start on the down wind direction. the rope or pull line was also fully laid out. The aircraft hooks up to the line and starts a take off run alongside the banner and is usually air born before the lead edge of the banner is starting to move. The banner just curls back over itself and the aircraft is gaining speed & altitude all the while. They did it that way at Harvey Young Airport in Tulsa Oklahoma a lot in the 60’s & 70’s. ---
**Author:** ![wevets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9a140/32.png) [@wevets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wevets)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2018, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-planes-towing-banners-do-with-the-banner-to-land/821628/7 "2018-09-21T03:28:19Z")
Ah, fantastic videos - thanks!