The sight of advertising blimps and airships has become commonplace at most celebrated sporting events. The smooth, quiet ride of these majestic machines gives camera crews the perfect platform for shots that give you a bird’s-eye view of the action.

In addition to blimps and airships, many small aircraft are used to cover outdoor events like car, motorcycle, and boat racing, or football, baseball, soccer, and golf.

Hollywood

Hollywood has made fantastic use of airplanes and helicopters, not only within their scripts and stories, but more importantly, to capture the impossible shot.

From overhead flybys of major skylines to screaming car chases that leave your heart pounding, General Aviation (GA) airplanes and helicopters allow today’s film and video crews to capture spine-tingling action in every frame.

News Coverage

News stations in every metropolitan area use helicopters and airplanes to provide coverage of breaking news events and to shuttle news crews and correspondents to the action.

From high-speed police pursuits to the devastation of raging wildfires, the views we see on the news give us a new perspective on our community and our lives that can forever change the way we approach many issues.

Advertising and Marketing

From the use of small airplanes that tow advertising banners over America’s beaches to the giant blimps that are almost a city-block long, GA helps advertisers promote their products.

One of the most well-known blimps is the Goodyear blimp that flies high over major sporting events to advertise their brand while serving as a camera platform for TV crews. In the United States, it’s common to see the Fuji blimp, while in Japan it’s common to see the Kodak blimp. Many blimps are all white underneath. So, these general-purpose advertising blimps or airships are draped with temporary covers that carry a particular design for an individual advertiser. Also, advertisers use hot air balloons that are shaped like a particular product they want to promote such as a battery, soda bottle, or athletic shoe.

Skywriting was once more common than it is today, but it’s still used to help promote products and services over America’s shoreline and beaches. It’s also used for the occasional marriage proposal.

Some specialty airplanes, helicopters, and blimps are fitted with light boards that display moving messages at night.

Traffic Control and Safety

Traffic reports help an otherwise unbearable drive to work go more quickly and smoothly. They also help urban traffic control centers anticipate and minimize the gridlock that can snarl roads and highways. Aerial police patrols find and pursue aggressive drivers and those using excessive speed. And when accidents happen, airborne medical evacuation—known as medevac flights—transport injured people to trauma centers, thereby saving valuable time and precious lives.