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Sky’s not the limit for aerial ads

A volleyball player's hands frame an Aerial Promotions Inc. plane that tows an advertisement above Hermosa Beach. The debate over the aerial banners has resulted in the city adopting a "code of conduct" for pilots.

A volleyball player’s hands frame an Aerial Promotions Inc. plane that tows an advertisement above Hermosa Beach. The debate over the aerial banners has resulted in the city adopting a “code of conduct” for pilots.  (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

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Bird's-eye view

Pilot Bob Dobry, owner of Aerial Promotions Inc., keeps an eye out for his planes above the coastal area of Huntington Beach. “We follow the rules and regulations. We’re safe,” he said, adding that “we’re here to stay.”  (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

On duty

Under the new code, planes with advertisements, such as this one at Long Beach Airport, wouldn’t make more than four passes over a section of shore in a 20-minute block, would use mufflers when possible and would fly at least 1,200 feet high if circling an event.  (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

Banner drop

The banners are typically 35 feet tall and 100 feet long and, under FAA regulations, can be towed at 500 feet above the water.  (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

It's a wrap

Ground crew worker Kyle Lance, left, and Nick Taylor, operations manager for Aerial Promotions Inc., fold a billboard. The planes that tow the signs are regulated by the FAA, but several local governments have attempted to take control.  (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

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