· I

.. ..

ADVERTISING AIRCRAFl'

Fall basically into t'R'O types: · a) Those towing targets or banners of some sort visible during daylight hours. Those are not usually misinterpreted unless the aircraft remains at a range sufficient for the observer to see only outlines and not de­tails of the plane and sign being towed. Frequently reports are accom­panied by drawings with the toved banner assumed t o be a part of the object itself. Duration is longer. than usual A/C sightings - .. - i and flight gen- · era.lly marked by maneuvers. Frequently loud spea.kera-e:re utilized but when heard the A/C should be within range for identification as a known object. Local investigators can check for these aircraft since FAA· reg­ulations require that a permit be obtained for those flights ·

. ..

b) Electrical lighted signs -Same essential characteristics except that. normally viewed at night. On occasion these signs have been tegarded as windows of a much larger craft. Flights again are relatively slow and maneuvering back and forth in one area is characteristic of the flight. : ... . An aircraft usually operates in an area for more than one day and can be viewed on successive nights, ~ather permitting.

H$:LICOPI'ERS

Motion slow. Flight may or may not include · hovering. Should be far enough away from the observer that positive identification cannot be made during the day. May be reported as a black speck moving back and forth, up and do'Wil, etc. During the night vierd effects can be obtained from the red rotating beacon flashing through the canopy. Again motion will . ~ be erratic if the flight includes hovering. Positive identification usual~ simple to obtain by checking the flight schedules ot' military and civilian : · ~el~s in the area. , I

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Rob Mer

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··' "'(•.

! CALIFORNIA . AERIAL ADS ' . : 3373 Topez Ln

Arizona , Nev. California

· Fullerton , : California 926 l '

; HELl-AID CO. Any Point i ! 16800 Roscoe B vd the Area · Van Nuys , Cali

91406

i ··.! SANTA ANA RELI · Southern

· ··i COPTER SERVICE California ! FAA Con trol ,Tower :Orange County ,Airport ' s anta Ana , Ca l f 92707

STINIS AIR SVC , South~rn I nc. Ca l ifornia

.412lt Maybank ve · Lakevrbod, Cali

FLORIDA BROviN-FRANK En

· P .0. Box 16325 -. J acl>.sonville , 'la.

Southeaste n States

Electric Runni g Messa re

Electri . 500 ovin g

:ords oth sides f Aj C

Electric 250 0

a ch side

Electri c 500

Ele.s:tr. c

7' H X 40 1 L n

8• X 38'

61 H X 72' L

. ·.· Yes

No Hhite

No 'vlhite

Yes Hhite

No

Piper Td 110 MPH - pacer

Red & Whi e

50 Second.- Helicop ter

1~7~G 65 MPH Helicopte ·

Taylorcra t 70 MPH

60 MPH

45 MPH

50 MPH

50 MPH

Rob Mer

cer

.. _ , __ . __._ ...... . ~ .._ ... ·--·-·-· ______ , .. _. ....... -~---·~ --·-- ··- .. ··----· ---·· ·- ··~ ·-- _____ .... -· ~--~ .. --.. ~ .... ..

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ILLINOIS WABASH VALLEY AVIATI ON CO.

• Lav1rence-Vince · Muni cipa l Airp ; P. O. Box 59

La\·rrenceville , , I l lionis 6243 I KENTUCKY

IllinoisJ Indiana J

nes Missouri rt

El ectri c 245

.. , --

X dver-i s i ng

Fol

; BAlmES AERIAL Cincinnati} Electr ic Yei . ADVERTISING Da yton , Ohio ! 71 Edge1-100d Rd. Lexington , K

_' F t Hi tchell, K 41017

. :·. MASSACHUSETTS J OSEPH C. BUDlN

L_ (p,AI"\t!!!

~{_~s r c. 6 Upl and Road Burlington , Ma s .

Northeast u. s .

Electric

NEBRASKA DeFOREST L BRO m Brovm ' s Airpor

Through- Electri c 35 ' L

; Vleeping Water , ·Ne braska

Out U. s. Battery System)

OHIO THEGOODYEAR T IHE ( Columbia ) & RUBBER CO. Nov-Apr )

. Akron, Ohio reater L .A. A 44316 outhern Ca l if

r i zona May- Oct )

\nylrhere U. S .

Ele ctr ic c 1 0 Blimp anel s

ea Ot6"H

160' I. 58' H 51' w

or t. W paced ver 1 0' n bot)lil

· ides

X X

Yes

.No

Yes

vJhi te 15 - 20 Seconds

er

Fe\·l Sees .

Cessna l 72D

Cessna 172

60 MPH

N384lP 90 MPH 'reen & Hh .te , range Gl o ine Tips

Tan·

Piper PA18

~limp 50 ii1PH

50 MPH

50-60 MPI

~ 8 MPH

40 MPH

20 MPH

Rob Mer

cer

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~ (.) 0 [0-{ ('Q ~~ ._, I OHIO , The GOODYEAR T ( MA);fLO\-lER Electric 10 ' & RUBBER ·co. Nov-#ft..,) ~ (Blimp ) anels : Akron , Ohio · r eater Miami 1 rea lO'P' ' 44316 May-Oct ) · 6 • \{

nyv1here in Space u. s.

! OKLAHOMA :AERIAL PROMOTI NS , Okla, M

• ••1 I NC. 92 ,_ Texas , Areas

., 509 NH 9 2D Str et [ Oklahoma· C~ty, i Oklahoma 7311 ~ ! PENNSYLVANIA SKY ADS, INC •

1Box 129 , RD #4 . Tarentum, Pa .

Pa, Ohio, W.Va .

~ . : 15_0~4

BRIDGEVILLE CHRYSLER SALES 395 Ha shington Ave Bridgeville, P nna .

·> ' '· ·

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side

' Electri 245

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160 11 X 58'H X

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Adver ising older

Adver ising 9lder

LiGht Bulbs

Few See s . Blimp 50 MPH

Cessna 18 75 MPH

15.-20 Sec . Champi on 100 MPH 7EC Champion 7ECA

20 MPH

65 NPH

40 NPH Rob Mer

cer

--- _:..·· -~-= -<·: .. ;";_":· ~, :_':..-. -~ ~·-__ .......... -.-~. ~ ----. .' i - - -- . . --- -- - .· -- " :. . _ William B. ~Jeitzel: President. Phi_losophy Instructor, Univers i ty __ · -~/ --- ~ 7) ---- -_- - · ·.- .. _ _- · · -

of Pittsburgh, Bradford Campus. Three years physics training at MIT; - -j- f1 {?_- _-/) f::-:fP4-!(f!lf/L · ~ 1-:.~ in Philosophy. NICAP staff member d.urlng summer of-r%·6-:--:-:-Published -- - -_ . - -, . /~

______ c:cc ou~t of Porta~e County (Apr_i_l_l~7_,'----cl-9_6_6_)~U-F_O---,-/_p_o_l_i_c_e_'_'c~h-.a-s_e_'_' ,_· _h_a~ - ' __ J/_,-~ _/ .- ___ _ -_.occ.. . - -·

givE:nt;FO · tc~lks. ~ - - -~ - - ·

. . -~ .

_L_...:t<. c;_:-_1-/il-=:v: Opbta.lmic l:echn.ici.an wi th Drs. Linn, Li.::1n Sr.~ and Sha::-re-::-. 'Former HP with U. S. Harine Corps. Y...ade pictures of _, burned r~tina of UFO w~tness, who suffered eye damage. One of three Inst:Ctute people who are ready to ha..11dle on-going UFO sightings reported to a nswering service ~telephone numbe r 391-2766).

-~ .. - .:. ..: .. . . ~. ·. ;.. .. - - --_ ..-: ~ - . _:·.~ <.: .. ·---· · _ _:_ -:... ;., _ ... -:- -- ·.:," -.-:.:_.:·-. ·_ .. --~- - __ . -..._:· _ ::_:_:,~:-__ :·_: _ _ : . .- ~--_-..~-· - - .- ~~ - ~ '· .. ~- -- ~- -- ~ · ... -.

- ':" -- -~ ..:...:... . - - .... . ·- '- ~- -;~~-~~--:;-- -~ - ~ -:':"' ~.-:-'..- - .: FLYING SAUCER FROM MARS DISCOVERED . - < :

-·-0::._ ... ...... ----- ._., . "' - ..:.·:: . -··-: - - -. . . ~- . - : -•• : . '!"" -_.- . ·

·.An on-the -spot Institute investigation recently verified the . · -:-X_:_ ·. _existence of a "Flying Saucer From Mars," which has accounted for . - .~ _ many UFO sightings in the Pittsburgh area. The object is a Citabria , Champion advertising plane flown by Fred Eiler~ Cu1merville Airport~:-_ .~ and bears the above quoted inscription with the qualification 11 Pa. 11

• ' ·,·

· in small -letters after '11ar s . 11 _Mr . Eiler owns AAA Sky -Adds, Inc. ::.::'-.-=:·"·: . . --. ~ ---- --.: - - -~« - ~- ; -~ -"'~ ~ :·- -~-~ :;:;._- - ~ -~ -~- -:- __ .-____ : _-<· ... :._ : _~:. _:_- :; -~> : -·:: .'· := ~~- : = -~~-<--:_ -~_-: ''":._.:>- - -~- ~ -~-= -:~:_ ,.~;5 .(.· ---= - --:.~·.:t· - ~- -.. -:-: ~--~~2:-~~~ ~~-~-t-

.. The wingspan of the -Citabria ("airbatic" spelled backwar-ds) is :: : :~·.:. · 36 ._.-1 /2 fee t. It usually flies at an altitude of about 1,000 feet-~ . :_:~ :_:.:

around 70 mph, and can stay aloft over -five hours. Mounted below the - : ·.· wings is a framework of wires to which are · s oldered 7 rows of 36 CH5l ­bulbs, the s ize of a flashlight bulb. A heavy tape with holes punched -in it to spell out a message, funs through a machine i nside the plane which makes the bulbs light up i ri a certain sequence, to make the - · message move across the lights. An air siren mounted below the plane -is sometimes used to attract attention. · .~:- ;,_ ·: : .~- - - :,_--:-__ .-:_, · c_ ~ 1 ~--.- .-- :._ __ ...

: ... ~_ --c:- .. ... :_ ; -- -: - .-- - ---- -- -- -:·- -- -_ .. _____ ·:, - -- ~-- -- - ~ __ .-::-_~-::-;.r:.L::. ·- ~ ~--- -

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. _ , _. . ·-. - -:· :· ·

... -In a' strong headwind~ at an airspeed .of 30 mph, the Citabr:i~ . ~~n . ·

· appear to be- standing still. Seen on edge, its lights, moving from _ one side to another, can give the appearance of a fla ttish object with a· row of lights around the rim. _. The engine of the plane is inaudible at a distance _from which th~oving lights' tan be easily seen; t hus, many people report seeing a silent, disc-shaped object with a_rotating rim covered by equally-sEaced_!!_&ht~ . , When the plane :i.s flyine direct~-

• • !" - • • _: - •• ,_. :·_ : • - .: • : -~-_{: :_~. -~ -

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- ·- _-. ~ ~: . . ...... .. . . -.- . · .. - -· -- -:=. . - _...:....-: · .... "···

ly towc:.-:-c _r aw2y f- .. : t~ > ~ ·.:;~.s~:":"-~, e::; ... i ---_1;, i " ' ,._ _,. i ts a.ppearance c an be_quite eerie. _ It can , _ as se ve: ... ·a.l 1·.:: ·.h·l.. dh, ___ t-- ----- ----~:L . ___ -=-~---- · -

5

tate d, . ~ e finite 1 ~ ".n:t. ~:s e~~ 1e ~~y conve n ~~on a 1 a irc_r: £1:':~ ~ r c: • • • _ 1t _., -~-·· ·· -------~~---_: > : • '• ·._.·~·_· ·~_·.·_ =-~~-~ .-----······~·- ___ _ -~- ;-o:.--~-:;_.;_~~-~"=-.__-:-:-_- -6-~·~:; __ ::.:_ :-;~·_ : ::>~:-:.:.----~-'-== L-=-~-'-:.-_:_:___-: ::: ~-=--=------- --~-- -

---------~-~--..,----"-- .. _ .... - --- - : ... _ ··_ ,_-__ -.... -- . - - ,;,--::.-::·-- ·_ ;-;_-~-~~ -~:. ..... _-__ _ : - -___ -_ :"- .: _..::, _:.- .; .-_.- .:. :.:-.. ... _,.: ------.- --- .. . -- .:__- -- --~-.:....--_- _:_ ·.:_---=..::.__:_:.:·.- -~ - ~~--:-.:_ ~-~-~ -:- ~ ~---=~7 __ : . -, ~- --~<:_-. : _:_~.--:~~~--~-~>-;j_~-~~:?~-~--:::-_:_;:=-_-~> ~-.. ~::_:;~-.--- ... :-_.: _:_- ---

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- . ~ -'·

~ :-:. - ~ :::- __ -~ ---· -- - : ~.-- ' -. ·- :.·- . .

Rob Mer

cer

Information

NASA - C-54 flies around the Hanscome Field Area ( Boston) both day and night. Has series of white lites on underside.

Flights- 6 ~1ay 66 2330-04472

7 May 66 1630-19152 23.30-04472

2. American Seerchlight Advertising Company, Cleveland, Ohio

See enclosure ( Letter)

3. Advertising Copany, Long Island, N.Y.

Helicopter adyertising a. GO-GQa banci. flying in the Fresh Meadows Lake Area.

See 22 April 66 Case Files

Beaver Times (Paper) Beaver County, Penn.

In 29 April 66 new{article

Private airpl ane with an illuminated advertising message under its wing. The plane also uses a siren to get attentation.

See 19 Apr 66 C~se Fil~s Rob Mer

cer

Air Agency CE-10·27

•· Training P. 0, BOX 59

J~xaminer Service

ncn t al

• •"'Oxi

•1lbulance

Advcrtis1Dg

·• <t Sales·Service

icated Repair Station No. 3220

January 169 '1968

. Department of the Air Force HQ Foreign Technology Division (AFSC) . Wright-Patterson Air Force Base9 Ohio 45433

Attn: Hector Quintanilla9 Jr. 9 M&jor9 USAF

Dear Sir:

.'

In r eply to your request for info~~~tion concerning ou~ nisht advertising 9 I will submit the followings 1

Our advertising is done with an electric sign whicn is progra~~ed to accept and display moving l etters.

The sign is mounted on a Cessna 172D (N2673U)in a hor izontal position under the aircraft. It is constructed in t hree sections9 and is extended or retracted by using electric winches and nylon rope.

The sign measures eight feet wide and thirty-five feet long when extended. The letters move from the:~rear forward 9 and measure eight feet by four feet.

Under normal circumstances9 the entire message of approximately 60 letters and spaces will repeat itself every 20 seconds.

D..tring the time the sign is extended and lighted9 it is flown through the air at an airspeed of 55 to 60 miles per hour. For trans­.porting it from one location to another9 the bulbs are not lighted~ and it would appear to be a conventional aircraft.

This apparatus, when vi ewed from a side position of more than a half mile can cause some of the effects on the public which you are concerned with. That is t o say t hat it is not readable from that distance, and will appear to be a string of lights moving around some object ••• creating a very busy pattern of light 7 not discernable as a definite object.

On moonlit nights, the aircraft can be distingui shed7 and reports of an aircraft on fire are quite common.

When operating this sign9 we are :cequired by t he wor ding conta ined in our waiver to maintain contact9 or forewarn the FAA through Flight

, I I

Rob Mer

cer

•r At:cnc;y CE·l~7

"i'Aaining

:>aminer Sel'Vica

-lcntD.l

,:_.,ulanco

i,.dvcrtiJ;ing

I .. Sales·Service

l · ·1~ed Repair Station No. 3229

\

P.o. :;.oA 59

- 2 -

Service Stations or Air Traffi c Control Towers.

We are not wai vered to fly lower than existing :regulations allov,, and we operate in strict adherenc ·to t~ese ::ules ;

However9 we have found ".:;hat in cany cases, we ar-e accused of oper­ating at altitudes lower than the cini:':'luns .-. .... a si tuatio:. \'Ja believe is caused by the effect o f the movi ng lights. We have e;.(p.a::i:~;e:.·~ed with this matter by asking co ntrol towe:::-s ·:::o estit::::.ate ou:.:- altitude9 in which case they always estimate it to ~e cor.side:.:-ably lower ·::ha:r. we actually are.

I am enclosing one of our advertising folders in lieu of a photo­gfaph, since it is not easy to take a good picture of this ~ig.. T!;.e drawing depicts the general appearance.

I am also enclosing a copy of our waiver9 with the idea in mind that if ever there is a question on a given night, you might determine the presence of one of these signs by contacting the FAA, and that would be providing the operator complied with his waiver co~~itment.

Our area of operation is legal ly the Continental United States9

but we are operating mostly in the state of I ll i nois9 I ndiana and Mi ssouri. We have operated in Kansas9 Kentucky and Iowa.

We received two sets of information requests f rom you • •• one for Wabash Valley Aviation Co . 9 and one for r:on Bousley. I wish t o inform you that we are one ond the same person.

If we may be of further service to you in your efforts9 please let us know. '

Encl: 2

Sincerel;9~ /~ ·

/d~g~~tJ~-F ~nald R. Sousley l

Rob Mer

cer