🛩️ A sustainable approach to aerial advertising

Redefining the skies: How a Miami startup is reinventing aerial advertising with drones and data analytics

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What if aerial advertising could be smarter, quieter, and 90% cleaner? Sustainable Skylines is making it happen. Meet the Miami startup that’s turning drones into a green aviation game-changer. Watch our video feature here.

If you have attended one of our Opportunity Miami events this year, we ask that you share your feedback with us so that we can continue to provide opportunities for connection and growth towards a more sustainable economic future.

With its constant sunshine and endless beaches, Miami has been called the aerial advertising capital of America. On any given day, a handful of single-engine planes tow advertisement banners of all kinds. Those planes, though, use a lot of fuel for the short flight.

What if there were a way to keep the spectacle alive while protecting the environment?

Part of our mission at Opportunity Miami is to drive a sustainable, net-zero future, turning the challenge of climate change into a generational business opportunity. According to the World Economic Forum, transitioning to a net-zero economy could unlock $10.3 trillion in annual business opportunities by 2050. Through innovative ideas and bold solutions, we spotlight how Miami-based changemakers like Sustainable Skylines are paving the way to a carbon-neutral economy.

“We set out to develop a more sustainable solution to eliminate inefficiencies of the industry and really modernize aerial advertising,” said Jacob Stonecipher, Founder and CEO of Sustainable Skylines, the first FAA-approved drone banner towing advertising company.

Learn more about the company in our latest On Site video feature here.

THE ENVIRONMENTAL FACTOR

These custom-made drones are about 5.5 feet in diameter, weigh just under 100 pounds, and can tow 800-square-foot banner ads. They use a combination of electric and unleaded fuel, eliminating more than 90% of carbon emissions and 40% of noise pollution compared to a traditional single-engine Cessna that you currently see towing aerial advertisements.

The goal, Stonecipher noted, is to become fully electric in the coming years.

THE TALENT FACTOR

The drones are piloted on the ground by traditional aviators who have a private pilot license or above as well as a drone license.

Groundbreaking aerial advertising takes flight as expert pilots blend traditional aviation skills with cutting-edge drone technology, delivering unmatched precision, safety, and innovation—reshaping the skies like never before.

Opportunity Miami got a look at innovation in action, visiting Sustainable Skylines’ Homestead testing site in November as they prepared for their groundbreaking drone launch over Miami Beach the day after Thanksgiving.

The pilot will be in a custom-built van with monitors to follow the flight path and see what the drone cameras are capturing around them. Then the visual observers are tasked with monitoring the airspace and what’s going on throughout the flight, communicating directly with the pilot to ensure the operation is done as safely as possible. Together, they deliver seamless, innovative, and secure aerial operations.

“The flight crew is the most important aspect of this entire business – beyond the technology itself,” Stonecipher noted. “Training pilots and visual observers and our safety officer is of the utmost importance.”

The company is the first in the nation to receive an exemption and waiver from The Federal Aviation Administration which enables Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone banner towing operations. This allows Sustainable Skylines to fly the drones with the pilot on the ground while having visual observers along the coastline.

“This is kind of the next iteration of aviation,” Stonecipher added.

THE REINVENTION FACTOR

Sustainable Skylines may be pioneering a new path in aviation. It is also reinventing aerial advertising.

While sitting on a New Jersey beach, watching planes tow banners every few minutes, Jacob Stonecipher had a revelation: “There had to be a better way of doing this.” That moment sparked Sustainable Skylines, revolutionizing aerial advertising with innovation and sustainability, changing the skies forever.

Aerial advertising has been around for over a century, but it hasn’t evolved much. There’s also not a clear form of audience measurement methodology.

Sustainable Skylines is looking to change that through its drone technology and AI, which can capture real-time audience impressions, size, demographics, and reach.

“There is a renaissance going on within the out-of-home advertising environment,” Stonecipher said. “We're bringing it into the 21st century.”

CLIMATE TECH MEETUP RECAP

Earlier this week, Opportunity Miami held its 14th climate tech meetup, in collaboration with Miami-Dade County. The meeting focused on a federal grant that will help the County expand the current electric vehicle infrastructure. The meetup, our last of the year, also addressed workforce challenges in the industry and the need for training and funding to develop a talent pipeline for these jobs – now and in the future.

The call for further private and public partnership underscores the role of Opportunity Miami and The Miami-Dade Beacon Council in assisting in our regional efforts to reach carbon neutrality within the next few decades.

We invite you to share your feedback on this event or any others you may have attended this year. Your input helps us to focus on the year ahead, and make sure we are providing impactful connections and opportunities for growth towards a more sustainable economic future.

PITCH US

If you have a company or entrepreneur to suggest or an idea to share that relates to building Miami’s future, email us at next@opportunity.miami. We invite you to subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on our social media channels. If you were forwarded this newsletter, you can subscribe by clicking here. And if you are new to Opportunity Miami, you can learn about our mission and work here. 

~ Opportunity Miami