Drone-flown aerial ads expected along Miami beaches
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A rendering of the Sustainable Skylines drone towing a banner advertisement. Credit: Courtesy of Sustainable Skylines
Drones towing aerial advertisements will soon begin flying over Miami's beaches, competing for airspace with traditional banner planes.
Why it matters: Miami-based Sustainable Skylines says its hybrid-electric drones are quieter, safer and more eco-friendly than gas-powered planes.
- They will also fly lower to bring ads closer to the public, though founder and CEO Jacob Stonecipher says it shouldn't bother beachgoers.
Driving the news: The company is the first drone-based banner hauler to be approved by the Federal Aviation Administration, he tells Axios.
- He is aiming to launch the drone service in mid- to late July along Miami Beach.
- The company is in talks with local officials and the FAA to find a site where the drones can take off and land, he says.
What they're saying: Stonecipher, who moved to Miami from New York after working in venture capital research, says he wants to "displace antique planes with sustainable solutions."
- The industry relies on "hazardous" techniques to attach banners to aircraft with grappling hooks, he says, whereas his drones take off vertically.
- Sustainable Skylines says on its website it will track "real-time impressions," compile cellular datasets and use AI to "process drone footage" to measure audience size.
The lower flight paths — about 400 feet up compared to 500 feet for banner planes — are a "marginal difference," he says.
- "I think it's going to be similar as to where we're flying, it's just going to be more readable."
- He acknowledges there may be some pushback from the public, but says he created the company for the "right reasons" — such as protecting the environment and reducing noise pollution.
How it works: Each drone will be operated by a pilot from a mobile command vehicle parked nearby with the help of two visual observers and a safety officer.
- The pilot must have a visual line of sight to the drone along its four-mile loop.
- The drones, which are about 5.5 feet in diameter and weigh just under 100 pounds, will be towing 800-square-foot banner ads.
- To start, the company will use two drones in Miami Beach, but may add more.
What's next: The company plans to expand to Fort Lauderdale and Tampa by the end of the year, Stonecipher says.
- "We hope to scale this across Florida."