By Larry E. Nazimek

Full team formation. (Geico Skytypers)The GEICO Skytypers are a precision formation flying team, but they are also an aerial advertising team that gets the messages out in a most unique way: “skytyping.”

“Skywriting,” with a single aircraft flying in patterns and releasing smoke to form large letters, was far more popular 50 years ago than it is today. What had been common then is not common now.

“Skytyping” is a type of dot matrix printing made by puffs of smoke released by a five aircraft flying line – flying abreast.