Make beer, not war: Polish pilot’s timely message

Make beer, not war. That was the simple message written by a Polish pilot flying out of Poznań this weekend. The pilot of the Tecnam P2008 JC spent nearly four hours in the air and 2 hours 20 minutes creating the sky writing. Writers flightradar24.com.

As ADS-B transponders have become standard in much of the world and the flight paths visible in real time, pilots have taken to the skies to draw or write all manner of things. Most popular are hearts and Christmas trees, but written messages are common as well. In smaller aircraft, such as this one, the pilots are often building flight hours toward new certifications or gaining proficiency with a certain type of flying. Rather than just flying in circles or criss-crossing the country, a pilot can sharpen their skills and write a message in the sky.

Read more: Fact check: will Antonov Airlines abandon Ukraine for Germany?

SP-SMC, the Tecnam P2008JC MkII used by the pilot to write their message.

Pilots will usually program their route beforehand using digital flight planning tools that allow them to trace the route and establish waypoints for their journey. Depending on the aircraft, the flight plan will either be entered into the flight computer and flown with autopilot or flown by hand.

What are some of your favorite pieces of sky art? Let us know in the comments below.