CAA: GA News, "Aerial advertisers are still grounded"

["Stephen Irwin" <stepheni@xxxxxxxxx>]

Saturday, September 22, 2001 

Aerial advertisers are still grounded
Small businesses may not recover from shutdown 
By Christopher Calnan 
The Florida Times-Union


These aren't banner days for aerial advertisers.

The small businesses that make their money towing messages behind
aircraft above beaches and ballgames have been out of business since the
Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The Federal Aviation Administration won't
let them fly, and two Jacksonville aerial advertisers said the
restriction may put them out of business -- permanently.

Although commercial airlines are back in operation with limited
schedules, aerial advertisers and most others operating under visual
flight rules haven't been given the go-ahead to operate near stadiums.

In Jacksonville, that means the skies over Jaguar football games will be
as empty as the pockets of business people who depend on the events to
make a living.

"We're grounded," said Todd Houdek, president of American Banner.
"There's been a misunderstanding that everything is back to normal, but
it's not."

American Banner, which is based at Herlong Airport, will lose $10,000 in
business during the first two weeks of being grounded, Houdek said. 

Houdek, an eight-year Air Force veteran, started his business in
January. But it may not make it through its first year.

"I'd give it two or three weeks before we'd shut the doors and look for
some thing else to do," he said

Beach Banners at Craig Airport is losing $500 a day, owner Joel Weaner
said.

Both businesses advertise during Jaguar and Tampa Bay Buccaneers games.
They also fly banners at Florida State University and University of
Florida games. 

Weaner normally does radio traffic reports during the week and banner
advertising on weekends. After beach advertising during the summertime,
60 percent of his business is generated from games.

Weaner has laid off three employees and figures his business could
survive two or three weeks before he'd be forced to close. This week, he
didn't sound hopeful.

"I don't know what I'm going to do," he said. "It looks bleak, doesn't
it?"

About 300 aerial advertisers operate in the United States, Weaner said.
In Fort Lauderdale, the owner of Aerial Sign Co., Jim Butler, said he's
losing more than $10,000 a day.

On Sept. 14, Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta allowed certain
general aviation flights back into the air. But several types of
operations are still not authorized: visual flight rules training,
banner towing, sightseeing, traffic watch flights, blimps and news
reporting operations. 

Flying near most stadiums also is prohibited. It's unclear when the
restrictions will be lifted, and FAA officials in Atlanta and
Washington, D.C., couldn't be reached for comment.

"We are restoring the national airspace system in a phased manner, after
careful evaluation of the safety and security issues in each sector,"
Mineta said in a news release last week. "Please remember that we are
recovering from a massive disruption and widespread shock. But very soon
we will work our way back to full recovery."

But it may be too late for aerial advertisers.

The federal government is considering bailing out commercial airlines
with a multibillion dollar package.

Weaner said the government also should compensate small-business owners
like himself.

"I hope they're setting aside some provisions for us when they did
this," he said.

   Post your opinion on this story in the CAA General Aviation Forum
http://www.californiaaviation.org/cgi-bin/dcforum/dcboard.cgi?conf=DCConfID2

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