1 00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:04,480 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff you Should Know from House Stuff Works 2 00:00:04,480 --> 00:00:13,160 Speaker 1: dot com. Hey, and welcome to the podcast. I'm Josh Clark, 3 00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:16,239 Speaker 1: There's Charles w Chuck Bryant, and Jerry's over there. Who's 4 00:00:16,280 --> 00:00:19,119 Speaker 1: the only well one of the three of us, which 5 00:00:19,160 --> 00:00:23,000 Speaker 1: is crazy pray. Uh, you and I are both sick 6 00:00:23,040 --> 00:00:25,279 Speaker 1: at the same time. Yeah, I'm getting over mine and 7 00:00:25,320 --> 00:00:28,120 Speaker 1: you're in it sounds like in the throes of yours. 8 00:00:28,200 --> 00:00:31,120 Speaker 1: I am, yes, in the flummy thickness of it. And 9 00:00:31,200 --> 00:00:33,479 Speaker 1: this is stuff you should know. That's right. It is 10 00:00:33,479 --> 00:00:39,720 Speaker 1: written in the sky. It is we're in the stars. Uh. Yeah, well, 11 00:00:39,760 --> 00:00:43,680 Speaker 1: now you can't do that at night, No, but you could. 12 00:00:43,320 --> 00:00:46,000 Speaker 1: They tried to make it so yeah glow in the dark. 13 00:00:46,159 --> 00:00:49,120 Speaker 1: Yeah you saw that too, spoiler. Yeah. So we're talking 14 00:00:49,120 --> 00:00:52,960 Speaker 1: about skywriting, right. Uh. And I was trying to think back, Chuck, 15 00:00:53,120 --> 00:00:55,720 Speaker 1: if I have ever seen something written in the sky. 16 00:00:55,800 --> 00:00:57,959 Speaker 1: I'm like, surely I have. You've never seen the scar 17 00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:01,440 Speaker 1: writing message I have like in in I've seen pictures 18 00:01:01,480 --> 00:01:03,840 Speaker 1: of them are plenty, Like you weren't, Like, what is this. 19 00:01:04,640 --> 00:01:08,040 Speaker 1: I'm trying to remember back towards childhood, which is you 20 00:01:08,080 --> 00:01:10,560 Speaker 1: know when I probably would have seen uh, and I 21 00:01:10,640 --> 00:01:13,440 Speaker 1: just can't quite place it. But I have a vague recollection, 22 00:01:14,160 --> 00:01:18,800 Speaker 1: um and nothing. It's me standing and there's grass. But 23 00:01:18,840 --> 00:01:20,800 Speaker 1: then I'm like, look up, dummy, look up, what's in 24 00:01:20,800 --> 00:01:24,240 Speaker 1: the sky. I just walk off and need a dandelion. 25 00:01:25,200 --> 00:01:28,639 Speaker 1: This was this was actually my idea as an article, 26 00:01:29,120 --> 00:01:32,720 Speaker 1: like we're flooding the website with new material now, which 27 00:01:32,720 --> 00:01:36,640 Speaker 1: is great. Man. And uh, I pitched this like five 28 00:01:36,680 --> 00:01:40,160 Speaker 1: weeks ago, not even bam, and here it is, whoomp, 29 00:01:40,680 --> 00:01:44,320 Speaker 1: here it is. I thought you knew, Uh, this is 30 00:01:44,360 --> 00:01:46,560 Speaker 1: a good idea, Chuck, thank you. I found this fascinating. 31 00:01:46,600 --> 00:01:48,120 Speaker 1: Did you know much about it when you pitched it? 32 00:01:48,200 --> 00:01:51,880 Speaker 1: Or had you seen a sky written message recently? Um? 33 00:01:51,920 --> 00:01:55,240 Speaker 1: I think I got the idea from the great comedian 34 00:01:55,320 --> 00:02:00,080 Speaker 1: Kurt Brauno or um did a Kickstarter in may you 35 00:02:00,960 --> 00:02:04,480 Speaker 1: do a skywriting message? And I think his quote was, 36 00:02:05,280 --> 00:02:08,160 Speaker 1: it's so stupid and I love doing stupid things. And 37 00:02:08,200 --> 00:02:11,240 Speaker 1: thank god the Internet loves stupid too, because they funded it. 38 00:02:11,680 --> 00:02:14,360 Speaker 1: And he let people vote on what to do, and 39 00:02:14,400 --> 00:02:17,360 Speaker 1: they chose how do I land? And he had that 40 00:02:17,400 --> 00:02:20,240 Speaker 1: written above the skies of Los Angeles and got some 41 00:02:20,280 --> 00:02:22,320 Speaker 1: attention for it, and it was a funny little gag 42 00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:25,520 Speaker 1: and Kurt's a great guy and a friend of the show. So, um, 43 00:02:25,560 --> 00:02:27,560 Speaker 1: that's where I got the idea because I started wondering, 44 00:02:28,120 --> 00:02:30,320 Speaker 1: how in the world do they do that? Like I've 45 00:02:30,320 --> 00:02:33,520 Speaker 1: seen him before, but I thought, you know, when you're 46 00:02:33,560 --> 00:02:34,919 Speaker 1: up there in the plane, it's got to be pretty 47 00:02:34,960 --> 00:02:39,399 Speaker 1: tough spell something out to like massage the clouds over 48 00:02:39,480 --> 00:02:42,320 Speaker 1: into to beat them into letters. Right, that's how they 49 00:02:42,360 --> 00:02:44,000 Speaker 1: do it. Correct, that's not how they do it. No, 50 00:02:44,160 --> 00:02:46,600 Speaker 1: that isn't how they do it. They use a certain 51 00:02:46,600 --> 00:02:49,800 Speaker 1: type of oil and some high horsepowered planes and it 52 00:02:49,840 --> 00:02:52,880 Speaker 1: takes a tremendous amount of skill, which is why it's 53 00:02:52,919 --> 00:02:57,360 Speaker 1: not much of a surprise, um that it finds. It's uh, 54 00:02:57,440 --> 00:03:03,640 Speaker 1: it's origins among War One flying asis. Apparently the Royal 55 00:03:03,680 --> 00:03:08,800 Speaker 1: Air Force. There was a guy named John Clifford Savage, who, um, 56 00:03:09,400 --> 00:03:13,919 Speaker 1: I guess invented skywriting for military purposes. Yeah, and back 57 00:03:13,960 --> 00:03:16,320 Speaker 1: then I think there were several things they did with 58 00:03:16,360 --> 00:03:19,400 Speaker 1: it in the military. One was to give messages when 59 00:03:19,480 --> 00:03:21,640 Speaker 1: you know you're out of like radio control, because I 60 00:03:21,680 --> 00:03:25,840 Speaker 1: think you can you can see messages for like hundred 61 00:03:25,919 --> 00:03:29,040 Speaker 1: square miles. Yeah, there's a little tricky math to it, 62 00:03:29,080 --> 00:03:32,919 Speaker 1: but there. They say that on a clear day, if 63 00:03:32,919 --> 00:03:35,760 Speaker 1: you're standing on say the Great Planes or something, okay, 64 00:03:36,360 --> 00:03:39,440 Speaker 1: you could you can see a skywritten message for something 65 00:03:39,480 --> 00:03:41,480 Speaker 1: like thirty miles. And if you take into account all 66 00:03:41,480 --> 00:03:44,080 Speaker 1: the thirty miles and multiplian, it's what did you say, 67 00:03:44,120 --> 00:03:49,040 Speaker 1: like square miles, that's a that's a lot of exposure. Yeah, 68 00:03:49,040 --> 00:03:51,080 Speaker 1: and if you're in World War One, your walkie talkie 69 00:03:51,120 --> 00:03:53,480 Speaker 1: back then might not have gone that far. So they 70 00:03:53,520 --> 00:03:56,320 Speaker 1: would send messages and apparently they would also use it 71 00:03:56,360 --> 00:03:59,720 Speaker 1: to um cloak ships, I guess, fly around and just 72 00:03:59,720 --> 00:04:04,160 Speaker 1: close them in cloudy smoke because detection, because what you're 73 00:04:04,200 --> 00:04:09,040 Speaker 1: doing when you're writing is a sky message is basically, um, 74 00:04:09,080 --> 00:04:13,840 Speaker 1: I guess you're you're basically just flying parallel to the ground, right, Well, 75 00:04:13,880 --> 00:04:17,120 Speaker 1: I mean it's aerial acrobatics. You're you're spelling with your plane. 76 00:04:17,560 --> 00:04:20,039 Speaker 1: So um, you're loopti loop and you're doing all sorts 77 00:04:20,040 --> 00:04:25,200 Speaker 1: of crazy stuff. So after John Clifford Savage invented this, 78 00:04:25,480 --> 00:04:29,719 Speaker 1: like within a couple of years after inventing skywriting, somebody's like, 79 00:04:29,760 --> 00:04:33,799 Speaker 1: you know, who would love this company's And companies have money, 80 00:04:34,120 --> 00:04:36,920 Speaker 1: that's right, so let's charge the money to advertise their 81 00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:40,520 Speaker 1: stuff in the sky. And a dude named Captain Cyril 82 00:04:40,600 --> 00:04:45,799 Speaker 1: Turner was the first person, and I think to write 83 00:04:45,839 --> 00:04:50,520 Speaker 1: a skywritten advertisement. Yeah, and I think he was. I 84 00:04:50,520 --> 00:04:52,520 Speaker 1: don't know if it was his original idea, but he 85 00:04:52,560 --> 00:04:55,600 Speaker 1: seemed to be doing this as a proof of concept, 86 00:04:55,720 --> 00:04:59,640 Speaker 1: like let me let me write daily Mail the British newspaper, 87 00:04:59,760 --> 00:05:02,520 Speaker 1: let me right that in the air, uh, and see 88 00:05:02,560 --> 00:05:05,039 Speaker 1: how that works. And then later he went to the 89 00:05:05,120 --> 00:05:07,719 Speaker 1: United States later that same year and said hello USA 90 00:05:08,360 --> 00:05:13,919 Speaker 1: over time square and then Carl Vanderbilt, which is the 91 00:05:13,960 --> 00:05:16,919 Speaker 1: hotel phone number where he was staying, and apparently the 92 00:05:16,960 --> 00:05:19,000 Speaker 1: next two and a half hours he got, uh the 93 00:05:19,040 --> 00:05:23,200 Speaker 1: switchboard lit up literally you can say that because it 94 00:05:23,240 --> 00:05:26,560 Speaker 1: was the nineties and it was. They got forty seven 95 00:05:26,560 --> 00:05:30,239 Speaker 1: thousand phone calls in just a couple of hours. And UM, 96 00:05:30,279 --> 00:05:32,200 Speaker 1: I think that was his way of saying, this is 97 00:05:32,240 --> 00:05:35,320 Speaker 1: gonna work. Yeah exactly, this is advertising. And it got 98 00:05:35,320 --> 00:05:39,280 Speaker 1: the attention to some people, some companies pretty quickly. UM 99 00:05:39,400 --> 00:05:44,240 Speaker 1: Lucky Strikes very famously got into uh skywriting for advertising. 100 00:05:44,800 --> 00:05:49,640 Speaker 1: UM Snocco basically anybody who is anybody with the company 101 00:05:49,680 --> 00:05:52,479 Speaker 1: back then was doing skywriting because the other stuff you 102 00:05:52,520 --> 00:05:56,800 Speaker 1: had was the side of a barn, maybe some radio advertising, right, 103 00:05:57,040 --> 00:06:00,240 Speaker 1: but skywriting, for the amount of money it costs, you 104 00:06:00,320 --> 00:06:02,560 Speaker 1: could get a lot of exposure in ways you you 105 00:06:02,680 --> 00:06:06,120 Speaker 1: just normally couldn't. And Pepsi was starting out at this 106 00:06:06,200 --> 00:06:11,120 Speaker 1: time and they bought into skywriting so enormously that the 107 00:06:11,160 --> 00:06:14,120 Speaker 1: company and skywriting are kind of, um, they go hand 108 00:06:14,120 --> 00:06:16,479 Speaker 1: in hand in a lot of people's minds. Yeah, in 109 00:06:16,480 --> 00:06:19,000 Speaker 1: the nineteen thirties they started putting they didn't have as 110 00:06:19,080 --> 00:06:22,920 Speaker 1: much money to advertise on the radio. So uh, from 111 00:06:22,960 --> 00:06:26,520 Speaker 1: the nineteen fifties, I'm sorry, from the thirties. Of the 112 00:06:26,560 --> 00:06:32,520 Speaker 1: nineteen fifties, they like went all over the US, Cuba, Mexico, Venezuela, Canada. 113 00:06:33,040 --> 00:06:36,240 Speaker 1: Just that was their main form of advertising. And uh, 114 00:06:36,320 --> 00:06:38,880 Speaker 1: the New York Times at the time was they thought 115 00:06:38,960 --> 00:06:42,680 Speaker 1: the skies were going to be littered, like polluted with 116 00:06:42,680 --> 00:06:47,040 Speaker 1: with ads and they called it celestial vandalism, and uh 117 00:06:47,120 --> 00:06:51,080 Speaker 1: they predicted uh, intricate pictures and colors and glow in 118 00:06:51,080 --> 00:06:53,440 Speaker 1: the dark, like we said, But none of that really 119 00:06:53,560 --> 00:06:56,600 Speaker 1: came to fruition, No, it didn't. Um, And I mean, 120 00:06:56,640 --> 00:07:00,520 Speaker 1: there's pretty good reason to kind of worry about this, Uh, 121 00:07:00,560 --> 00:07:07,440 Speaker 1: in alone. Pepsi alone commissioned two thousand skywriting projects and 122 00:07:07,560 --> 00:07:09,479 Speaker 1: um for kind of more in the history of it, 123 00:07:09,720 --> 00:07:12,440 Speaker 1: there's this good article called what Happened to Skywriting that 124 00:07:12,480 --> 00:07:14,960 Speaker 1: was in The Atlantic. That's worth ning too, by the way, 125 00:07:15,000 --> 00:07:19,040 Speaker 1: But um, the thing that undid skywriting. The answer to 126 00:07:19,080 --> 00:07:24,120 Speaker 1: that question is television period. Television advertising came in and 127 00:07:25,320 --> 00:07:27,960 Speaker 1: thanks to our friends at the Nielsen Company, you could 128 00:07:28,240 --> 00:07:32,000 Speaker 1: uh really kind of target and taylor your ad in 129 00:07:32,040 --> 00:07:35,920 Speaker 1: ways that you couldn't before with radio. And it was 130 00:07:36,600 --> 00:07:40,240 Speaker 1: for the amount of exposure you got. It was definitely 131 00:07:40,280 --> 00:07:45,880 Speaker 1: worthwhile to save your money for television advertising and funnel 132 00:07:45,880 --> 00:07:49,680 Speaker 1: away money from your skywriting budget. You know, well it 133 00:07:49,720 --> 00:07:51,800 Speaker 1: seems silly now, but it was like a legit form 134 00:07:51,800 --> 00:07:54,720 Speaker 1: back then of advertising. Um. And like it points out 135 00:07:54,720 --> 00:07:57,560 Speaker 1: in this article, uh, you have to have ideal conditions 136 00:07:57,560 --> 00:07:59,200 Speaker 1: as well. It's got to be a clear sky, can't 137 00:07:59,200 --> 00:08:02,680 Speaker 1: be cloudy, can't be rainy, um, can't be too windy. 138 00:08:02,840 --> 00:08:06,040 Speaker 1: So there was a lot of things that that radio 139 00:08:06,080 --> 00:08:09,120 Speaker 1: and television offered, like it doesn't matter what the weather 140 00:08:09,200 --> 00:08:12,360 Speaker 1: is like basically, I mean, your reception is still gonna suck. 141 00:08:13,240 --> 00:08:16,200 Speaker 1: People can still probably hear what you're trying to say 142 00:08:16,400 --> 00:08:19,680 Speaker 1: that's a that's a good point. And actually Pepsi um 143 00:08:19,800 --> 00:08:22,840 Speaker 1: as I guess it's fiftieth anniversary or something like that. 144 00:08:23,520 --> 00:08:28,160 Speaker 1: They commissioned one of their their former skywriting pilots to 145 00:08:28,880 --> 00:08:32,720 Speaker 1: go find some plane the type of plane that was 146 00:08:32,840 --> 00:08:35,960 Speaker 1: used for skywriting. And this guy found like the plane, 147 00:08:36,120 --> 00:08:39,000 Speaker 1: one of the main planes that Pepsi used for its 148 00:08:39,000 --> 00:08:42,480 Speaker 1: skywriting campaigns because it was so deep into it it 149 00:08:42,520 --> 00:08:47,160 Speaker 1: maintained its own aerial fleet, and this guy found it 150 00:08:47,240 --> 00:08:51,640 Speaker 1: and they started another skywriting campaign for another like twenty 151 00:08:51,760 --> 00:08:54,280 Speaker 1: something years, I believe. Yeah, it started in the seventies 152 00:08:54,320 --> 00:08:57,160 Speaker 1: with the Marry Me Sue commercial? Did you happen to 153 00:08:57,160 --> 00:08:59,679 Speaker 1: watch that? No? I didn't get a chance, did you? Like? Yeah, 154 00:08:59,720 --> 00:09:01,600 Speaker 1: I mean I remembered it when I saw it, which 155 00:09:01,640 --> 00:09:04,720 Speaker 1: was from nine. So that was the first startling thing 156 00:09:05,240 --> 00:09:08,199 Speaker 1: that happened to me today. And you know how a 157 00:09:08,280 --> 00:09:11,360 Speaker 1: commercial spectator just so like cam fisted, Like it's this 158 00:09:11,480 --> 00:09:15,600 Speaker 1: cowboy at a barn trying to proposed to sue his wife, 159 00:09:15,600 --> 00:09:18,600 Speaker 1: of course, and she's you know, you know, it's all 160 00:09:18,800 --> 00:09:21,640 Speaker 1: acted out, but it's got music over it, so she's like, 161 00:09:22,080 --> 00:09:24,480 Speaker 1: what are you doing? And he's like, oh, just wait, 162 00:09:25,080 --> 00:09:27,400 Speaker 1: and she sees the word mary and she's like hmmm. 163 00:09:28,080 --> 00:09:30,600 Speaker 1: And then she sees marry me and she's like whoa. 164 00:09:31,320 --> 00:09:33,440 Speaker 1: And then she sees her name Sue, and she's like 165 00:09:34,000 --> 00:09:37,880 Speaker 1: what yes, of course, and then they kiss and the 166 00:09:37,920 --> 00:09:42,960 Speaker 1: barn catches fire. Now they're outside the barn. The barn, oh, 167 00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:45,600 Speaker 1: I think he said bar. I'm a little stuffed up, gotcha. 168 00:09:46,120 --> 00:09:49,240 Speaker 1: But uh, it's great seventies commercial fun. I recommend watching 169 00:09:49,240 --> 00:09:51,280 Speaker 1: it on the YouTube. It would have been great had 170 00:09:51,360 --> 00:09:54,320 Speaker 1: the Wicked Witch of the West flown in and written 171 00:09:54,360 --> 00:09:58,840 Speaker 1: surrender Dorothy over marry me, Sue, because that showed up. 172 00:09:59,480 --> 00:10:02,960 Speaker 1: Remember she sky wrote with her room. Really yeah, I 173 00:10:02,960 --> 00:10:07,200 Speaker 1: don't remember that it was in uh. I guess it 174 00:10:07,240 --> 00:10:12,880 Speaker 1: was shortly after which was about the gold standard um, 175 00:10:13,000 --> 00:10:15,840 Speaker 1: but it was I think shortly after she discovered her 176 00:10:15,880 --> 00:10:18,520 Speaker 1: sister had been smushed by Dorothy and that Dorothy was 177 00:10:18,559 --> 00:10:21,600 Speaker 1: in oz and she jumps on her broom and flies 178 00:10:21,679 --> 00:10:25,880 Speaker 1: up and surrender Dorothy with it and black smoke. Well, 179 00:10:25,920 --> 00:10:31,520 Speaker 1: she like farting that out. She's squeezing flying monkeys. That 180 00:10:31,520 --> 00:10:34,560 Speaker 1: that broom exhaust that we all know about. So let's 181 00:10:34,559 --> 00:10:50,120 Speaker 1: talk about how to sky right, all right after the chuck. Um, 182 00:10:50,160 --> 00:10:53,440 Speaker 1: they say in this article, but I probably they in 183 00:10:53,480 --> 00:10:57,200 Speaker 1: general that skywriting is a lost art. It takes a 184 00:10:57,240 --> 00:11:03,080 Speaker 1: tremendous amount of skill, and it's been so underfunded over 185 00:11:03,120 --> 00:11:06,360 Speaker 1: the last few decades that like, there's literally a handful 186 00:11:06,400 --> 00:11:09,880 Speaker 1: of people, maybe four or five. How many people fit 187 00:11:09,920 --> 00:11:12,440 Speaker 1: into a hand Well, it says in here four people. 188 00:11:12,520 --> 00:11:15,920 Speaker 1: I found that hard to believe. But uh. The article 189 00:11:15,960 --> 00:11:19,680 Speaker 1: also points out that it's a lost art because it's 190 00:11:19,760 --> 00:11:22,720 Speaker 1: you can't learn it unless you learn from someone who 191 00:11:22,720 --> 00:11:25,360 Speaker 1: does it, and so few people do it these days. 192 00:11:25,400 --> 00:11:27,839 Speaker 1: It's just a closely guarded secret. And back in the 193 00:11:27,920 --> 00:11:31,280 Speaker 1: day they wouldn't tell anyone because competition among pilots. They 194 00:11:31,320 --> 00:11:34,080 Speaker 1: would keep their little secrets to themselves. So there's really 195 00:11:34,160 --> 00:11:36,600 Speaker 1: you can't get on the internet and learn how to skywrite. Yeah, 196 00:11:36,640 --> 00:11:39,280 Speaker 1: there's not a handbook or anything like that. Um, and 197 00:11:39,320 --> 00:11:42,200 Speaker 1: we should say we're talking skywriting. There's something separate called 198 00:11:42,240 --> 00:11:46,800 Speaker 1: sky typing, which more people are involved with, but for 199 00:11:46,800 --> 00:11:51,320 Speaker 1: for free hand skywriting, there's seriously possibly four to six 200 00:11:51,360 --> 00:11:53,320 Speaker 1: people in the world that know how to do it. Yeah, 201 00:11:53,320 --> 00:11:55,560 Speaker 1: well these days too. Um. I looked at a couple 202 00:11:55,600 --> 00:11:57,959 Speaker 1: of the skywriding websites. I think there's probably only two, 203 00:11:58,480 --> 00:12:01,360 Speaker 1: and it's it's sky riding in banner towing, which is 204 00:12:01,400 --> 00:12:05,320 Speaker 1: the big things. So you got skywriting dot com and 205 00:12:05,360 --> 00:12:09,120 Speaker 1: skywriting dot net. That would have made and that's what 206 00:12:09,160 --> 00:12:10,720 Speaker 1: you see more of these days. If you want an 207 00:12:10,720 --> 00:12:14,680 Speaker 1: ad or marry me, Josh, you're gonna you're gonna attach 208 00:12:14,720 --> 00:12:17,800 Speaker 1: it to a banner and pull it behind your plane. Yeah, 209 00:12:17,960 --> 00:12:20,720 Speaker 1: instead of that stupid smoke stunt. And actually, one of 210 00:12:20,760 --> 00:12:24,280 Speaker 1: the people interviewed one of the very few people who 211 00:12:24,360 --> 00:12:28,200 Speaker 1: know how to freehand skywrite, which is kind of redundant. 212 00:12:28,280 --> 00:12:33,800 Speaker 1: It's skywriting is freehand. Um. She met her husband who 213 00:12:33,880 --> 00:12:36,959 Speaker 1: was a banner tower and taught him how to skywrite. 214 00:12:37,720 --> 00:12:42,080 Speaker 1: She was a pepsi smoke writer. Um and uh. When 215 00:12:42,240 --> 00:12:44,040 Speaker 1: she got ahold of her husband, he was just some 216 00:12:44,200 --> 00:12:49,120 Speaker 1: backwards banner tower. She's like, I'm gonna teach you a skill. Friend. 217 00:12:49,280 --> 00:12:50,880 Speaker 1: He's like, but all you do is hook it up 218 00:12:50,880 --> 00:12:54,520 Speaker 1: here and fly right, And she said, oh my, just wait, 219 00:12:55,440 --> 00:12:58,079 Speaker 1: oh you're talking about the Yeah, he thought banner towing 220 00:12:58,160 --> 00:13:00,480 Speaker 1: was like the different cult. Yeah, because he was crop 221 00:13:00,559 --> 00:13:05,720 Speaker 1: dusting before that. But Suzanne Asbury Oliver and her husband, 222 00:13:05,760 --> 00:13:10,520 Speaker 1: Steve Oliver. I believe um are two of there, possibly 223 00:13:10,559 --> 00:13:13,000 Speaker 1: half of the total number of people who know how 224 00:13:13,040 --> 00:13:16,240 Speaker 1: to sky right, is that crazy? And they're married. It's 225 00:13:16,240 --> 00:13:20,319 Speaker 1: all in the family. Yeah, the secrets in the family. 226 00:13:20,720 --> 00:13:23,240 Speaker 1: So these planes are going about a hundred and fifty 227 00:13:23,240 --> 00:13:26,520 Speaker 1: miles an hour. It's pretty fast. And in order to 228 00:13:27,200 --> 00:13:29,440 Speaker 1: if you've ever seen a skywritten message, it's it looks 229 00:13:29,440 --> 00:13:33,079 Speaker 1: a little like a child has drawn it because they're 230 00:13:33,160 --> 00:13:35,440 Speaker 1: riding it with a plane, And it's just very difficult 231 00:13:35,480 --> 00:13:39,360 Speaker 1: to do. Um. And in fact, the word pepsi itself 232 00:13:39,440 --> 00:13:44,559 Speaker 1: apparently takes seventeen different maneuvers and I think like fourteen 233 00:13:44,640 --> 00:13:48,520 Speaker 1: smoke releases just to make those five letters. Yeah, that's 234 00:13:48,520 --> 00:13:52,440 Speaker 1: just pretty tricky, right. Um. Even before that, though, you 235 00:13:52,480 --> 00:13:55,080 Speaker 1: have to have perfect conditions, Like you were saying, the 236 00:13:55,080 --> 00:13:57,880 Speaker 1: whole thing starts at about ten thousand feet up because 237 00:13:58,000 --> 00:14:01,840 Speaker 1: up there it's cold enough sometimes it's human enough, um 238 00:14:01,880 --> 00:14:05,880 Speaker 1: that the smoke will stay together, so it'll last as 239 00:14:05,920 --> 00:14:09,000 Speaker 1: long as like twenty minutes under ideal conditions. Plus it 240 00:14:09,040 --> 00:14:11,920 Speaker 1: can't be cloudy or else. Your stuff just kind of 241 00:14:12,480 --> 00:14:17,640 Speaker 1: blends in with everything else, right exactly, So you you 242 00:14:17,880 --> 00:14:20,240 Speaker 1: have to have ideal conditions first, and then after that 243 00:14:20,520 --> 00:14:24,440 Speaker 1: you have to get in your little uh air acrobatic plane. 244 00:14:24,800 --> 00:14:27,360 Speaker 1: So they used to use UM. I think the Pepsi 245 00:14:27,440 --> 00:14:32,160 Speaker 1: plane was a Traveler, that's what it was called. That 246 00:14:32,320 --> 00:14:34,840 Speaker 1: was the company that made it. UM and it's now 247 00:14:34,880 --> 00:14:38,800 Speaker 1: in the National Air and Space Museum by Dullus, which 248 00:14:38,880 --> 00:14:43,480 Speaker 1: is well worth the visit. Yeah, there's a space shuttle there, 249 00:14:43,520 --> 00:14:47,520 Speaker 1: there's a s R. Seventy one Blackbird. There's a lot 250 00:14:47,640 --> 00:14:50,680 Speaker 1: of really great stuff there, and apparently there's the Pepsi 251 00:14:50,720 --> 00:14:54,720 Speaker 1: plane too, but UM. Suzanne Asbury Oliver says that she 252 00:14:54,840 --> 00:14:58,920 Speaker 1: uses a Chipmunk now, which is a small light, very 253 00:14:59,040 --> 00:15:04,480 Speaker 1: highly maneuverable plane with a high horsepower. That's another key, sure, 254 00:15:05,080 --> 00:15:07,720 Speaker 1: because with high horse power you can generate a lot 255 00:15:07,720 --> 00:15:09,960 Speaker 1: of heat. And you're gonna have to generate a lot 256 00:15:10,000 --> 00:15:12,440 Speaker 1: of heat up there because you need to burn off 257 00:15:12,440 --> 00:15:17,680 Speaker 1: your oil. Yeah, it's a paraffin oil UM liquid paraffin basically, 258 00:15:17,760 --> 00:15:21,040 Speaker 1: and it needs to in order to reach that smoke point, 259 00:15:21,160 --> 00:15:24,520 Speaker 1: needs to hit the engine at fift degrees and then 260 00:15:24,560 --> 00:15:29,280 Speaker 1: it is just spit out through the exhaust. And I 261 00:15:29,320 --> 00:15:33,120 Speaker 1: think the letters themselves always wonder from the ground like 262 00:15:33,160 --> 00:15:36,200 Speaker 1: how big they are. Apparently the letters are about a 263 00:15:36,200 --> 00:15:40,080 Speaker 1: mile high and once the smoke expands about seventy five 264 00:15:40,120 --> 00:15:43,400 Speaker 1: ft wide, which is bigger than I thought. Yeah, I 265 00:15:43,440 --> 00:15:47,640 Speaker 1: had no idea they were mile high letters. And pepsi 266 00:15:47,680 --> 00:15:50,400 Speaker 1: can be the word pepsi. It can be up to 267 00:15:50,440 --> 00:15:54,320 Speaker 1: about five miles across. Yeah, and um, so when you're 268 00:15:54,360 --> 00:15:57,600 Speaker 1: doing this you have no frame of reference. Um, like, 269 00:15:57,680 --> 00:16:00,320 Speaker 1: you can't see what you're doing, is the author of 270 00:16:00,360 --> 00:16:03,920 Speaker 1: this article points out. Julia Layton says, it's basically like 271 00:16:04,000 --> 00:16:08,800 Speaker 1: drawing a picture in the dark. Yeah, Um, backwards and backwards. 272 00:16:08,800 --> 00:16:11,040 Speaker 1: It's a very good point, which I didn't understand why 273 00:16:11,080 --> 00:16:13,040 Speaker 1: they had to do it that way, because the way 274 00:16:13,080 --> 00:16:17,080 Speaker 1: you're flying, the ground is below you, but the people 275 00:16:17,160 --> 00:16:21,800 Speaker 1: looking up at the message, this guy is above them. 276 00:16:22,040 --> 00:16:23,920 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, sure, I guess that makes sense. So when 277 00:16:23,960 --> 00:16:28,440 Speaker 1: you're writing pepsi like this, if you were beneath it 278 00:16:28,440 --> 00:16:31,800 Speaker 1: would be backwards to you. So since you were doing 279 00:16:31,840 --> 00:16:33,400 Speaker 1: it for the benefit of the people on the ground, 280 00:16:33,680 --> 00:16:36,840 Speaker 1: you the skywriter, has to write the whole thing backwards. 281 00:16:36,880 --> 00:16:39,080 Speaker 1: They probably learned that the hard way a couple of times. Yeah, 282 00:16:39,080 --> 00:16:42,720 Speaker 1: I would guess. So they're like, hello USA, backwards. What 283 00:16:42,760 --> 00:16:44,800 Speaker 1: does that say? Yeah, apparently there was one guy I 284 00:16:44,800 --> 00:16:46,960 Speaker 1: read in the Atlantic story in New York in the 285 00:16:47,000 --> 00:16:49,720 Speaker 1: early days that did such a bad job. He landed 286 00:16:49,760 --> 00:16:51,800 Speaker 1: and went back up and put a drew a line 287 00:16:51,800 --> 00:16:55,040 Speaker 1: through his message and started over. Yeah. I like that though, Yeah, 288 00:16:55,040 --> 00:16:56,920 Speaker 1: I mean it makes sense. I was wondering if there 289 00:16:57,000 --> 00:16:59,920 Speaker 1: was a technique for like flying through your old letter 290 00:17:00,080 --> 00:17:01,600 Speaker 1: or whatever to break them up and start over. But 291 00:17:02,200 --> 00:17:04,560 Speaker 1: the line will do it too, because I never thought 292 00:17:04,600 --> 00:17:08,119 Speaker 1: about that. It's a good idea. But um, so to 293 00:17:08,119 --> 00:17:11,160 Speaker 1: to make these letters, you're using, um, the ground. Any 294 00:17:11,320 --> 00:17:13,160 Speaker 1: anything you can on the ground is like a frame 295 00:17:13,160 --> 00:17:17,560 Speaker 1: of reference, like streets um in some cities, or form 296 00:17:17,560 --> 00:17:20,760 Speaker 1: a grid like pattern. So in an article I read, 297 00:17:21,119 --> 00:17:25,639 Speaker 1: they basically said that's kind of like using lined paper. Um. 298 00:17:25,800 --> 00:17:28,000 Speaker 1: You also can use the shadow on the ground that's 299 00:17:28,000 --> 00:17:31,320 Speaker 1: reflected by the clouds to kind of show yourself like, Okay, 300 00:17:31,359 --> 00:17:32,879 Speaker 1: that that letter looks good, I can move on to 301 00:17:32,960 --> 00:17:37,359 Speaker 1: the next one. But you're also using timing too, so like, 302 00:17:37,480 --> 00:17:41,280 Speaker 1: for example, to make the upright in a ffort a 303 00:17:41,280 --> 00:17:44,119 Speaker 1: P or an L or something like that, you're gonna 304 00:17:44,240 --> 00:17:47,800 Speaker 1: hold your smoke trigger for like a fifteen count or 305 00:17:47,880 --> 00:17:49,920 Speaker 1: something like that, right, and you'll know what that's gonna 306 00:17:49,960 --> 00:17:52,320 Speaker 1: look like. I mean a lot of practice goes into 307 00:17:52,359 --> 00:17:56,480 Speaker 1: this too, for sure, because that's just one streak when 308 00:17:56,520 --> 00:17:58,240 Speaker 1: you have to go make the rest of the P 309 00:17:59,040 --> 00:18:02,400 Speaker 1: or an R or something that's very difficult. And Suzanne 310 00:18:02,440 --> 00:18:08,280 Speaker 1: Hasbury Oliver points out writing Chinese extraordinarily difficult, like in 311 00:18:08,359 --> 00:18:12,000 Speaker 1: the sky. I wasn't sure what she meant by that. 312 00:18:12,160 --> 00:18:14,840 Speaker 1: I think she met in this guy really yeah, man, 313 00:18:15,200 --> 00:18:17,360 Speaker 1: I thought you were just equating it with writing Chinese 314 00:18:17,359 --> 00:18:19,760 Speaker 1: on paper or something. I don't know. She's the best around, 315 00:18:20,000 --> 00:18:23,160 Speaker 1: all right. So once you have written this message, if 316 00:18:23,240 --> 00:18:25,680 Speaker 1: it is on a good day and it's not super windy, 317 00:18:25,760 --> 00:18:29,000 Speaker 1: you might get twenty minutes out of it. Um usually 318 00:18:29,080 --> 00:18:31,280 Speaker 1: less than that. I've seen anywhere from like eight to 319 00:18:31,359 --> 00:18:34,600 Speaker 1: ten before it starts to dissipate, and you can see it, 320 00:18:34,680 --> 00:18:36,600 Speaker 1: you know, for a while too once it dissipates. But 321 00:18:37,000 --> 00:18:39,160 Speaker 1: on a on a good day, what you're paying for 322 00:18:39,320 --> 00:18:43,000 Speaker 1: is not a lot of time, exposure time. So that's 323 00:18:43,000 --> 00:18:44,560 Speaker 1: why back in the day they used to do over 324 00:18:44,680 --> 00:18:47,760 Speaker 1: things like Times Square or sporting events. Of course, is 325 00:18:47,800 --> 00:18:51,880 Speaker 1: where they do the banners now. The same idea back then. Um, 326 00:18:51,920 --> 00:18:54,199 Speaker 1: And like we said, Chuck, they use a paraffin based 327 00:18:54,240 --> 00:18:58,280 Speaker 1: oil and they have a reservoir tank that usually holds 328 00:18:58,280 --> 00:19:01,040 Speaker 1: something like thirty gallons. This is a hundred and fourteen 329 00:19:01,119 --> 00:19:04,040 Speaker 1: leaders for our friends outside of the US and Liberia. 330 00:19:04,240 --> 00:19:09,159 Speaker 1: And um, that's enough typically to to write about twelve letters. 331 00:19:09,160 --> 00:19:13,080 Speaker 1: Not much no, so these messages are are typically fairly short, 332 00:19:13,560 --> 00:19:15,840 Speaker 1: although there was one that's way more than twelve letters 333 00:19:15,880 --> 00:19:17,719 Speaker 1: and I couldn't find out, but it seems to me 334 00:19:17,800 --> 00:19:20,080 Speaker 1: from what I've seen, it's got to be the longest 335 00:19:20,119 --> 00:19:23,200 Speaker 1: skywriting message ever, the one that John Lennon and Yoko 336 00:19:23,240 --> 00:19:28,480 Speaker 1: oh No commissioned. Uh oh, is it over Toronto? Over Toronto? 337 00:19:28,960 --> 00:19:32,960 Speaker 1: War is over? If you want it, Happy Xmas. They've 338 00:19:32,960 --> 00:19:36,639 Speaker 1: saved a few bucks there from John and Yoko. Um. 339 00:19:36,720 --> 00:19:39,080 Speaker 1: The only thing I can figure is they might have 340 00:19:39,080 --> 00:19:42,680 Speaker 1: had a couple of planes at work, maybe because that's 341 00:19:42,720 --> 00:19:45,879 Speaker 1: way more than twelve letters. Yeah, I mean, if the 342 00:19:45,920 --> 00:19:48,720 Speaker 1: thing sticks around for twenty minutes, they could be Yeah, 343 00:19:48,880 --> 00:19:51,160 Speaker 1: I would guess they'd have to use more than one. 344 00:19:51,400 --> 00:19:54,800 Speaker 1: And then uh over Austin in March of this year. 345 00:19:54,840 --> 00:19:57,480 Speaker 1: That had to be for south By Southwest or the 346 00:19:57,520 --> 00:20:01,199 Speaker 1: first several hundred digits of pie. So they must have 347 00:20:01,200 --> 00:20:03,240 Speaker 1: had a couple of planes over that too. Pie in 348 00:20:03,280 --> 00:20:08,040 Speaker 1: the sky. Um, it's gonna cost you some money. Uh. 349 00:20:08,160 --> 00:20:10,440 Speaker 1: In the article it says five thousand, but I saw 350 00:20:11,240 --> 00:20:14,640 Speaker 1: the other website. Maybe they're undercutting. Um said that they 351 00:20:14,680 --> 00:20:18,840 Speaker 1: started about fift bucks for the most basic message, which 352 00:20:18,920 --> 00:20:21,960 Speaker 1: is just an I I guess so, and it goes 353 00:20:22,040 --> 00:20:25,360 Speaker 1: up from there. Um, I know Kurt Brownell are raised. Um, 354 00:20:25,440 --> 00:20:28,800 Speaker 1: Like I said about sixty eight hundred bucks. Uh, that's 355 00:20:28,800 --> 00:20:33,119 Speaker 1: not bad for a lengthy message like that. Yeah, how 356 00:20:33,200 --> 00:20:36,800 Speaker 1: do I land? Yeah? And the Kickstarter apparently the founder 357 00:20:36,800 --> 00:20:39,479 Speaker 1: of Kickstarter heard about it and was in town and 358 00:20:39,520 --> 00:20:42,040 Speaker 1: like delayed his trip an extra day because Kurt had 359 00:20:42,080 --> 00:20:44,800 Speaker 1: a big party on a rooftop and um, he stayed 360 00:20:44,840 --> 00:20:47,240 Speaker 1: and went to the party just to I guess say, 361 00:20:47,320 --> 00:20:50,879 Speaker 1: like this is what my company has become. Or I 362 00:20:50,960 --> 00:20:53,680 Speaker 1: had something to do with this too, Yeah, probably so. Um. 363 00:20:53,720 --> 00:20:56,600 Speaker 1: And if you're worried about what is being used for smoke, 364 00:20:56,680 --> 00:21:00,000 Speaker 1: like we said, it's paraffine oil. Um, And it's actually 365 00:21:00,160 --> 00:21:04,840 Speaker 1: non toxic, biodegradable, the good stuff. And if you're like, hey, 366 00:21:04,880 --> 00:21:09,800 Speaker 1: skywriting is polluting, but I'm cool with air shows. Well, 367 00:21:09,920 --> 00:21:12,120 Speaker 1: I have an eye opener for you, pal. They used 368 00:21:12,200 --> 00:21:14,960 Speaker 1: the same stuff at air shows. That's right. And if 369 00:21:15,000 --> 00:21:17,840 Speaker 1: you are a pilot, like let's say you're a crop 370 00:21:17,920 --> 00:21:20,280 Speaker 1: duster and you've got a little tavil and chipmunk and 371 00:21:20,359 --> 00:21:22,399 Speaker 1: you want to get into this because it seems like 372 00:21:22,440 --> 00:21:26,240 Speaker 1: a good time to be getting into skywriting. Um, it's 373 00:21:26,240 --> 00:21:28,360 Speaker 1: also the worst time to be getting in the skywriting. 374 00:21:28,800 --> 00:21:33,000 Speaker 1: But um, it'll cost you anywhere from three to six 375 00:21:33,040 --> 00:21:36,040 Speaker 1: grand to outfit your plane to be able to do this, 376 00:21:36,920 --> 00:21:38,520 Speaker 1: which I mean you can make that back in a 377 00:21:38,560 --> 00:21:41,480 Speaker 1: couple of messages, maybe one. Yeah, that's not bad. Yeah, 378 00:21:41,480 --> 00:21:43,840 Speaker 1: if John Lennon hires you, yeah, I don't know if 379 00:21:43,840 --> 00:21:46,440 Speaker 1: that's gonna happen anytime soon. No, but Yoko still could. 380 00:21:46,480 --> 00:21:49,239 Speaker 1: She's still around and kicking. That's true. We saw her 381 00:21:49,240 --> 00:21:53,159 Speaker 1: in New York in person. Yeah, no way, what just 382 00:21:53,240 --> 00:21:57,200 Speaker 1: like walking No at a restaurant. Oh, that's a big one. 383 00:21:57,359 --> 00:22:00,879 Speaker 1: It was a huge one. Yeah, they're neat or if 384 00:22:00,920 --> 00:22:05,119 Speaker 1: you're shy a La bouff. Oh yeah, yeah, you know 385 00:22:05,200 --> 00:22:08,600 Speaker 1: that guy, that jerk. He's not famous anymore. It bags 386 00:22:08,640 --> 00:22:11,919 Speaker 1: says though he uh he did that you know, he 387 00:22:11,960 --> 00:22:14,040 Speaker 1: was in the ad that played Jars in Scandal earlier 388 00:22:14,080 --> 00:22:16,080 Speaker 1: this year. I didn't know what that was about. He 389 00:22:16,240 --> 00:22:19,040 Speaker 1: did some h I think, I'm not sure exactly what 390 00:22:19,040 --> 00:22:21,760 Speaker 1: he did, but he supposedly played giarized Daniel Clothes, a 391 00:22:21,920 --> 00:22:25,200 Speaker 1: graphic novel like pretty heavily and he was just killed 392 00:22:25,240 --> 00:22:27,480 Speaker 1: for it. For what did he have a graphic knowledge? Now? 393 00:22:27,560 --> 00:22:29,440 Speaker 1: I think he did a maybe it was a play 394 00:22:29,520 --> 00:22:32,680 Speaker 1: or something. I can't remember exactly, but he was called 395 00:22:32,680 --> 00:22:34,679 Speaker 1: out and nobody likes that guy anyway, so people are 396 00:22:34,720 --> 00:22:37,960 Speaker 1: ready to pounce on him anyway, So he did. He 397 00:22:38,040 --> 00:22:43,520 Speaker 1: spent grand two higher skywriters, one that said I'm sorry, 398 00:22:43,960 --> 00:22:46,920 Speaker 1: Daniel Clothes or clouds, I'm not sure I was pronounced, 399 00:22:47,400 --> 00:22:53,399 Speaker 1: and then another one that said stop creating because if 400 00:22:53,400 --> 00:22:55,800 Speaker 1: you're a creator, they're gonna come after you. I guess 401 00:22:57,359 --> 00:23:02,960 Speaker 1: grand Um and I believe though, were digital skywriting, which 402 00:23:02,960 --> 00:23:07,480 Speaker 1: is whoa, whoa. We're gonna get into that right after this. 403 00:23:10,840 --> 00:23:14,800 Speaker 1: So digital skywriting the Wave of the future, Yeah, the 404 00:23:14,800 --> 00:23:19,200 Speaker 1: Wave of the Future that originally originated in the nineteen forties. Yeah, 405 00:23:19,240 --> 00:23:21,320 Speaker 1: I was really surprised to see that. So remember how 406 00:23:21,359 --> 00:23:24,880 Speaker 1: we said there was like skywriting which is freehand. There's 407 00:23:24,920 --> 00:23:28,840 Speaker 1: also sky typing, which is basically like dot matrix printing, 408 00:23:28,960 --> 00:23:31,680 Speaker 1: but in the sky. And in the forties, the guy 409 00:23:31,760 --> 00:23:36,159 Speaker 1: named Andy Stennis whose family is still involved in sky typing. 410 00:23:36,440 --> 00:23:40,639 Speaker 1: They run a UM, one of the bigger sky typing companies. 411 00:23:40,680 --> 00:23:44,960 Speaker 1: As you can imagine, UM he invented this process where 412 00:23:44,960 --> 00:23:49,520 Speaker 1: you would use multiple planes and they basically just fly 413 00:23:49,800 --> 00:23:54,320 Speaker 1: across the path to sky information. So kind of like 414 00:23:54,359 --> 00:23:57,560 Speaker 1: you remember that chalk holder that you you would make 415 00:23:57,600 --> 00:24:02,439 Speaker 1: like the the music stripe with ye, yeah, I think 416 00:24:02,480 --> 00:24:05,400 Speaker 1: they used it to UM. When your first learning cursive 417 00:24:05,840 --> 00:24:08,399 Speaker 1: like lined paper, or if you got in trouble and 418 00:24:08,440 --> 00:24:11,119 Speaker 1: you have to write something all over the chalkboard, you 419 00:24:11,160 --> 00:24:13,160 Speaker 1: can just use that thing and knock out like five 420 00:24:13,200 --> 00:24:15,320 Speaker 1: at once. I totally forgot about this. This is like 421 00:24:15,359 --> 00:24:18,760 Speaker 1: that but with planes. And in the fourties, Andy Stintness 422 00:24:18,840 --> 00:24:21,280 Speaker 1: was like, I'm just gonna put five planes in the 423 00:24:21,320 --> 00:24:24,760 Speaker 1: service together. We'll fly in formation uh in one direction, 424 00:24:24,760 --> 00:24:27,080 Speaker 1: we'll all go back and fly above that in the 425 00:24:27,119 --> 00:24:30,040 Speaker 1: opposite direction, and then above that back in the original direction, 426 00:24:30,560 --> 00:24:34,560 Speaker 1: and then UM you print out basically a message that way. 427 00:24:34,600 --> 00:24:36,679 Speaker 1: So you're building it from the bottom up or the 428 00:24:36,720 --> 00:24:40,320 Speaker 1: top down, going from side to side, just like a 429 00:24:40,440 --> 00:24:43,640 Speaker 1: dot mate like exactly like that. Yeah. The thing is, though, 430 00:24:44,080 --> 00:24:47,000 Speaker 1: is it's not um. It's gonna look neater than your 431 00:24:47,000 --> 00:24:48,520 Speaker 1: hand drawn when it's not gonna look like a five 432 00:24:48,560 --> 00:24:51,199 Speaker 1: year old druid. Well, especially since in the sixties they 433 00:24:51,240 --> 00:24:54,399 Speaker 1: introduced computer programs that control it too well exactly, and 434 00:24:54,440 --> 00:24:57,760 Speaker 1: it's um. It's little puffs of smoke like the dot matrix, 435 00:24:57,800 --> 00:25:01,600 Speaker 1: So the computer can trolls it. The pilot just flies 436 00:25:01,680 --> 00:25:04,760 Speaker 1: the plane. It's got the message all loaded into the 437 00:25:04,800 --> 00:25:08,160 Speaker 1: little program and it knows when to to burp out 438 00:25:08,200 --> 00:25:11,120 Speaker 1: those little puffs of smoke UM, five at a time, 439 00:25:11,880 --> 00:25:13,880 Speaker 1: and then back and forth and back and forth until 440 00:25:13,920 --> 00:25:17,480 Speaker 1: you've got you know whatever, you're silly messages shila boof. 441 00:25:18,680 --> 00:25:22,640 Speaker 1: So if you're if you're making a mile high UM 442 00:25:23,000 --> 00:25:27,000 Speaker 1: message and the five planes are flying in like a 443 00:25:27,040 --> 00:25:30,920 Speaker 1: half a mile wide formation, then they're gonna one passes. 444 00:25:31,040 --> 00:25:34,520 Speaker 1: They're gonna make the bottom half of like pie yeah 445 00:25:34,800 --> 00:25:37,360 Speaker 1: or stop creating or something. Then the next pass will 446 00:25:37,400 --> 00:25:39,280 Speaker 1: be the top half of it from one side to 447 00:25:39,320 --> 00:25:43,120 Speaker 1: the other, and then you've got a perfect, very very nice, 448 00:25:43,160 --> 00:25:46,760 Speaker 1: like you said, very clean sky typed message. Yeah, and 449 00:25:46,800 --> 00:25:49,120 Speaker 1: you can still see the dots. I mean it puffs out, 450 00:25:49,160 --> 00:25:53,520 Speaker 1: but it never quite connects like a skywritten message. And 451 00:25:53,560 --> 00:25:57,400 Speaker 1: I guess that another think about grand that's five planes 452 00:25:58,280 --> 00:26:00,840 Speaker 1: at five grand apiece, which is a minimum price, so 453 00:26:00,920 --> 00:26:03,520 Speaker 1: I guess that makes sense. Yeah, that's that's one of 454 00:26:03,560 --> 00:26:06,040 Speaker 1: the main reasons sky typing is so much more expensive. 455 00:26:06,080 --> 00:26:08,479 Speaker 1: You can get way more letters out of it. Like 456 00:26:08,520 --> 00:26:11,480 Speaker 1: when they did Pie in the Sky in Austin, they 457 00:26:11,520 --> 00:26:14,760 Speaker 1: did um, I think a couple hundred of the of 458 00:26:14,840 --> 00:26:20,320 Speaker 1: the places after the decimal Like that's a tremendous sky 459 00:26:20,400 --> 00:26:22,760 Speaker 1: type message to Don't wonder who paid for that. I'm 460 00:26:22,800 --> 00:26:25,160 Speaker 1: sure it was like a Google or somebody. Huh. Probably 461 00:26:25,520 --> 00:26:28,240 Speaker 1: they got deep pockets. But that's one of the reasons 462 00:26:28,240 --> 00:26:30,359 Speaker 1: why it's so expensive, because you have to hire five 463 00:26:30,480 --> 00:26:33,679 Speaker 1: or more planes, Like it's a minimum of five planes. Yeah, 464 00:26:33,840 --> 00:26:36,439 Speaker 1: you might need more than that. Yeah, and um, I 465 00:26:36,480 --> 00:26:40,480 Speaker 1: think who wrote this one? Julia Layton. Julia Layton says 466 00:26:40,560 --> 00:26:46,720 Speaker 1: that the digital skywriting requires less piloting finesse. I guess 467 00:26:46,720 --> 00:26:48,240 Speaker 1: that's a one way of saying it, because you're not 468 00:26:48,280 --> 00:26:50,239 Speaker 1: doing loop de loops. But if you're flying five at 469 00:26:50,240 --> 00:26:53,520 Speaker 1: a time in formation. That's some piloting finesse. That is, 470 00:26:53,640 --> 00:26:56,639 Speaker 1: it is piloting finesse. But they're not like they're not 471 00:26:57,280 --> 00:26:59,400 Speaker 1: doing like you say, a loop de loop to make 472 00:26:59,640 --> 00:27:03,160 Speaker 1: the part of a are Yeah, you know, like they're 473 00:27:03,200 --> 00:27:06,119 Speaker 1: just basically flying in formation and then some computer is 474 00:27:06,160 --> 00:27:09,200 Speaker 1: measuring exactly like their altitude and their distance in relation 475 00:27:09,280 --> 00:27:11,520 Speaker 1: to the ground and spitting out a puff of smoke 476 00:27:11,920 --> 00:27:14,399 Speaker 1: to form these letters. Like they're not doing any of 477 00:27:14,440 --> 00:27:17,359 Speaker 1: the writing. Yeah, but it's still it's better than I 478 00:27:17,400 --> 00:27:22,000 Speaker 1: can do. I'll give you that. Um. Yeah. And there's 479 00:27:22,080 --> 00:27:27,560 Speaker 1: predictions that, uh, skywriting is making a big comeback. Um, 480 00:27:27,600 --> 00:27:31,640 Speaker 1: so much so. And I found this interesting. Microsoft, did 481 00:27:31,640 --> 00:27:33,919 Speaker 1: you see this where they got a virtual skywriting patent. 482 00:27:35,480 --> 00:27:37,480 Speaker 1: There's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. They got a 483 00:27:37,480 --> 00:27:39,480 Speaker 1: patent where you can send in a picture of a 484 00:27:39,520 --> 00:27:42,439 Speaker 1: blue sky and tell them the mess, tell them the 485 00:27:42,480 --> 00:27:45,679 Speaker 1: message you want, and they will insert a fake skywriting 486 00:27:45,720 --> 00:27:49,280 Speaker 1: message into your photo and you can show people like, hey, 487 00:27:49,320 --> 00:27:52,520 Speaker 1: I got a photo of a skywriting message. That's not real. 488 00:27:52,840 --> 00:27:57,640 Speaker 1: That's cheating. That's gonna ruin the industry maybe. But um, 489 00:27:57,680 --> 00:28:00,760 Speaker 1: apparently the patent the picture that they used to get 490 00:28:00,800 --> 00:28:03,919 Speaker 1: the patent ordered was of a real skywritten message that 491 00:28:04,000 --> 00:28:08,040 Speaker 1: was actually copy written, so they I think it's still 492 00:28:08,080 --> 00:28:11,840 Speaker 1: went through even though they had infringed on a copyright 493 00:28:11,880 --> 00:28:13,960 Speaker 1: to get the patent, And I don't think they've done 494 00:28:13,960 --> 00:28:16,600 Speaker 1: anything with it yet. There's not an app yet. But 495 00:28:16,680 --> 00:28:18,760 Speaker 1: um no, I would know about it if there were 496 00:28:19,040 --> 00:28:20,960 Speaker 1: look out for it in the future. My friend, you 497 00:28:21,080 --> 00:28:24,320 Speaker 1: might be able to fake you me out. Yeah, let's say, 498 00:28:24,359 --> 00:28:26,159 Speaker 1: look at this photo. And she's like, that's weird. What 499 00:28:26,440 --> 00:28:29,160 Speaker 1: Usually people just walk you outside and show you the thing. 500 00:28:29,359 --> 00:28:31,679 Speaker 1: I would say, no time for that. Just look at 501 00:28:31,680 --> 00:28:35,240 Speaker 1: the photo. We're a busy couple. Yeah, um, and they're Actually. 502 00:28:35,320 --> 00:28:37,439 Speaker 1: It does sound like there is something of a future 503 00:28:37,560 --> 00:28:44,719 Speaker 1: for skywriting thanks to social media, because there's the the 504 00:28:44,760 --> 00:28:47,600 Speaker 1: novelty of a skywritten message like a real one, not 505 00:28:47,720 --> 00:28:50,480 Speaker 1: then Microsoft fake out like how do I land? And 506 00:28:50,640 --> 00:28:54,360 Speaker 1: you've got things like Instagram and Twitter, so people are like, oh, 507 00:28:54,480 --> 00:28:57,000 Speaker 1: check this out what somebody did over the sky of Austin, 508 00:28:57,280 --> 00:28:59,480 Speaker 1: And all of a sudden, something that was visible to 509 00:28:59,520 --> 00:29:02,800 Speaker 1: everybody at south By Southwest is visible to the entire world. 510 00:29:02,960 --> 00:29:05,320 Speaker 1: Well that's how Kurt brown Ewers blew up. It was 511 00:29:05,400 --> 00:29:08,640 Speaker 1: on Reddit and like weeks after he had done it, 512 00:29:08,680 --> 00:29:10,160 Speaker 1: he got a little bit of pressed, and then it 513 00:29:10,280 --> 00:29:12,360 Speaker 1: popped up on Reddit weeks later and he got a 514 00:29:12,360 --> 00:29:15,840 Speaker 1: whole new round of press and did interviews about it, 515 00:29:15,880 --> 00:29:19,720 Speaker 1: and it became a nice little comics stunt for role Kurt. 516 00:29:20,000 --> 00:29:24,200 Speaker 1: Now he has a car, that's right. Uh, you got 517 00:29:24,240 --> 00:29:26,640 Speaker 1: anything else? I have nothing else, sir. Okay, Well, if 518 00:29:26,640 --> 00:29:29,880 Speaker 1: you want to know more about skywriting, this article commissioned 519 00:29:29,880 --> 00:29:33,880 Speaker 1: by Chuck, you can type skywriting one word into the 520 00:29:33,920 --> 00:29:35,800 Speaker 1: search bar at how stuff works dot com and it 521 00:29:35,840 --> 00:29:37,840 Speaker 1: will bring it up. Since I said sewarch bar, it's 522 00:29:37,880 --> 00:29:41,800 Speaker 1: time for a listener mail. I'm gonna call this another 523 00:29:42,360 --> 00:29:46,560 Speaker 1: vulture vomit revisiting. That's the gift that keeps on giving. Yeah, 524 00:29:46,600 --> 00:29:50,000 Speaker 1: we did a podcast a while ago on vultures and 525 00:29:50,040 --> 00:29:52,680 Speaker 1: how their defense is to vomit on you, and uh, 526 00:29:52,720 --> 00:29:54,520 Speaker 1: it happened to this guy, which is kind of neat. 527 00:29:55,640 --> 00:29:58,360 Speaker 1: Hey everyone, I'm a bit of an amateur speed lunker. 528 00:29:58,840 --> 00:30:01,080 Speaker 1: A few summers ago I made precarious climb up a 529 00:30:01,080 --> 00:30:03,800 Speaker 1: cliff to explore a cave overlooking a river. I had 530 00:30:03,800 --> 00:30:06,120 Speaker 1: a friend with me, as you always should for such adventures. 531 00:30:06,120 --> 00:30:08,239 Speaker 1: But the narrow ledge only allowed for one of us 532 00:30:08,240 --> 00:30:10,120 Speaker 1: at a time to get to the mouth of the cave, 533 00:30:10,200 --> 00:30:13,120 Speaker 1: so I went first. I got into the cave, and 534 00:30:13,160 --> 00:30:15,440 Speaker 1: the droppings in foul stench let me know that it 535 00:30:15,480 --> 00:30:18,640 Speaker 1: was a vulture nest, but nobody seemed to be home, 536 00:30:19,040 --> 00:30:21,800 Speaker 1: so I ventured a little deeper and found, in my surprise, 537 00:30:22,200 --> 00:30:27,160 Speaker 1: a nest of hissing, angry little vulture lngs. I bet 538 00:30:27,200 --> 00:30:30,440 Speaker 1: they are. Uh. They were as aggressive as they were fuzzy, 539 00:30:30,640 --> 00:30:33,160 Speaker 1: and the biggest one tried to challenge me and chase 540 00:30:33,200 --> 00:30:35,120 Speaker 1: me away, which I thought was really cute. That's the 541 00:30:35,200 --> 00:30:38,040 Speaker 1: big brother, until I heard a thump behind me in 542 00:30:38,080 --> 00:30:40,640 Speaker 1: a much louder hiss. I turned around to see that 543 00:30:40,760 --> 00:30:44,680 Speaker 1: Mama had returned, and her bulk blocked almost the entire 544 00:30:44,800 --> 00:30:47,280 Speaker 1: entrance of the small cave. I decided to make a 545 00:30:47,320 --> 00:30:50,680 Speaker 1: fake rush and yell to scare her away, and when 546 00:30:50,720 --> 00:30:54,240 Speaker 1: I did, she reared her head back and projectile vomited, 547 00:30:54,840 --> 00:30:57,400 Speaker 1: kidding me in the side of the face. Oh man, 548 00:30:57,600 --> 00:31:00,280 Speaker 1: I have to tell you, guys, no other chemical current 549 00:31:00,400 --> 00:31:03,320 Speaker 1: in nature compares to vulture vomit. I was shocked for 550 00:31:03,360 --> 00:31:05,320 Speaker 1: a moment, and when I caught the whiff of the 551 00:31:05,360 --> 00:31:08,160 Speaker 1: disgusting mess running down my neck and into my shirt. 552 00:31:08,600 --> 00:31:13,000 Speaker 1: I basically went mildly insane. I pushed past the vulture, 553 00:31:13,440 --> 00:31:16,280 Speaker 1: leapt from the cave and slid down a tree growing 554 00:31:16,320 --> 00:31:19,000 Speaker 1: next to the cliff, tore off my shirt and jumped 555 00:31:19,000 --> 00:31:20,800 Speaker 1: into the river in a mad dash to get away 556 00:31:20,800 --> 00:31:23,720 Speaker 1: from that smell. Despite a good washing in the river, 557 00:31:23,800 --> 00:31:26,000 Speaker 1: I still stank and I had to ride home in 558 00:31:26,240 --> 00:31:29,000 Speaker 1: the bed of the truck. That, my friends, is why 559 00:31:29,000 --> 00:31:31,600 Speaker 1: you should never scare a vulture, And that is from 560 00:31:31,680 --> 00:31:35,320 Speaker 1: James Ashford in Springfield. Missoo nice. Thanks a lot, James. 561 00:31:35,400 --> 00:31:38,480 Speaker 1: It's funny how vulture vomit will focus the mind. Yeah, 562 00:31:38,600 --> 00:31:41,520 Speaker 1: I bet it's um. Have you ever been skunked or 563 00:31:41,640 --> 00:31:45,480 Speaker 1: been super close to something that's been driven on the 564 00:31:45,520 --> 00:31:48,560 Speaker 1: highway through its skunk? Not the sane. I've never been 565 00:31:48,600 --> 00:31:51,840 Speaker 1: anywhere near now. Yeah. Our dog Lucy got skunked when 566 00:31:51,880 --> 00:31:53,880 Speaker 1: we lived in l A and I woke up. I 567 00:31:53,960 --> 00:31:55,480 Speaker 1: might have told this before I woke up in the 568 00:31:55,480 --> 00:31:58,520 Speaker 1: middle of the night. And this was during this post 569 00:31:58,600 --> 00:32:01,040 Speaker 1: nine eleven. I thought that someone had set off a 570 00:32:01,040 --> 00:32:04,479 Speaker 1: dirty bomb. It was unlike it doesn't smell like it 571 00:32:04,520 --> 00:32:07,360 Speaker 1: does on the road. It smelled like the harshest, most 572 00:32:07,400 --> 00:32:11,600 Speaker 1: bitter like acrid chemical. It was just in the air 573 00:32:11,640 --> 00:32:13,160 Speaker 1: and I was tasting at my mouth, and I was like, 574 00:32:13,200 --> 00:32:15,520 Speaker 1: we've been attacked. We've been attacked. I I yeah, because 575 00:32:15,520 --> 00:32:19,320 Speaker 1: there's something almost like vaguely pleasant about like skunk smell 576 00:32:19,600 --> 00:32:21,920 Speaker 1: far away. Oh yeah, I love it. But actually see 577 00:32:21,920 --> 00:32:23,640 Speaker 1: how it would just like make you lose your mind 578 00:32:23,680 --> 00:32:26,280 Speaker 1: and it is not the same thing close up and 579 00:32:26,960 --> 00:32:29,800 Speaker 1: burn your skin or anything. No, it didn't. It was 580 00:32:29,840 --> 00:32:32,880 Speaker 1: really gross. So, I mean she smelled for We gave 581 00:32:32,880 --> 00:32:35,800 Speaker 1: her the tomato juice bath, which is supposed to help. 582 00:32:35,920 --> 00:32:38,760 Speaker 1: Did it work. I mean it's sort of massed a 583 00:32:38,800 --> 00:32:40,960 Speaker 1: little bit, but it basically just has to wear off 584 00:32:41,000 --> 00:32:43,760 Speaker 1: over of course some days and days and days. Yeah, 585 00:32:43,800 --> 00:32:47,080 Speaker 1: it was really rancid. Did you like shaver her fur anything? Like? No, 586 00:32:47,400 --> 00:32:49,400 Speaker 1: I thought about it. It was so gross. It is 587 00:32:49,480 --> 00:32:51,840 Speaker 1: very gross. Yeah, I didn't know there's skunks in l A. 588 00:32:51,960 --> 00:32:54,360 Speaker 1: That might be the fact of this podcast. They're all 589 00:32:54,360 --> 00:33:00,000 Speaker 1: over the place, skunks, coyotes, mountain lions, and smelly dogs 590 00:33:00,000 --> 00:33:05,480 Speaker 1: a wild place tomato sauce dogs. Uh. If you want 591 00:33:05,520 --> 00:33:07,440 Speaker 1: to tell us a story that has to do with 592 00:33:07,440 --> 00:33:09,680 Speaker 1: one of our old episodes. We love hearing about that, 593 00:33:09,840 --> 00:33:12,920 Speaker 1: especially if it brings up a counter story by Chuck. 594 00:33:13,600 --> 00:33:16,160 Speaker 1: You can tweet to us at s y s K podcast. 595 00:33:16,520 --> 00:33:18,920 Speaker 1: You can join us on Facebook dot com slash stuff 596 00:33:18,920 --> 00:33:21,080 Speaker 1: you Should Know. You can send us an email to 597 00:33:21,240 --> 00:33:24,680 Speaker 1: Stuff Podcast at how stuff Works dot com. We have 598 00:33:24,760 --> 00:33:27,640 Speaker 1: an Instagram page, We have a Pinterest page. We got 599 00:33:27,640 --> 00:33:31,400 Speaker 1: it all, everybody, and the whole thing comes together at 600 00:33:31,400 --> 00:33:33,680 Speaker 1: our home on the web, Stuff you Should Know dot 601 00:33:33,680 --> 00:33:41,360 Speaker 1: com for more on this and thousands of other topics. 602 00:33:41,600 --> 00:33:50,160 Speaker 1: Is it how stuff Works dot com