Love Series: Airplane Skywriting ��Love��

Skywriting has been amazing people with its beauty and mystery since the early 1900s.� It was first used by British Royal Air Force pilots to send messages to the ground when other communications failed.� It then became an advertising tool for companies like Pepsi.� In more recent years, people have hired skywriters to write personal messages to loved ones.

There are two types of skywriting: traditional and skytyping.� Both forms feed paraffin oil through the plane��s exhaust to create a trail of white smoke.� In traditional skywriting, the release of oil is controlled by a switch in the plane��s cockpit.� For skytyping, a computer controls when the smoke is released.�

Traditional skywriting requires a specially trained pilot.� They create a detailed flight plan with the letters written in reverse.� Each maneuver is precisely timed so the message is legible on the ground.� Skytyping is faster and easier, but less elegant.� Five planes fly in parallel lines, releasing puffs of smoke to form the message.� Unlike traditional skywriting, skytyping consists of broken dots instead of solid lines.

Today, people stop in their tracks to watch skywriters at work.� Whether it be a simple advertisement, personal message, or even a marriage proposal, skywriting is a rare and awe-inspiring art form.� It brings joy and wonder to all who witness it and lends a little magic to the everyday.