Aerobatics pilot and skywriter James Butler Sr., former owner of Aerial Sign Co., died Wednesday at his Cooper City home after an extended illness, a family member said Monday. He was 72.
Butler Sr. and his father, Arnold Butler, were considered innovators in the field of aerial advertising and skywriting, having created much of the technology needed to establish and grow the industry. Butler Sr. retired after selling Aerial Sign Co. to Van Wagner Communications in 2004.
“He was extremely generous,” said son James Butler Jr. of Pembroke Pines. “He gave hundreds and hundreds of pilots their first opportunity in aviation.”
On Monday, Butler Jr., 47, who worked with his father in the family business, recalled his dad’s love of aviation and willingness to help young boys in the community to further their dreams of becoming pilots.
“If they loved aviation and committed to it, he’d provide the hardware to do it,” said Butler Jr.
Arnold Butler, a former airport operator in Manchester, N.H., first started in aerial advertising in 1946 and later moved the family business to North Perry Airport in Pembroke Pines in 1953.
Aerial Sign’s innovations included being the first in the late 1960s to implement wing extensions, which allowed its planes to pull more weight and larger banners, according to company records. That was the first of several modifications that allow it to tow banners more efficiently.
“He was about being innovative and thinking outside of the box,” said daughter Jodi Butler Pierce, 46, who also worked in the family business at one time.
He was still innovating even in retirement, she said.
About five years ago, Butler Sr. developed a patent related to the mechanisms that move the banners on a plane, she said. He’d successfully tested it over a field in Merrritt Island where his daughter lives.
She also recalled a time in the 1960s when her father, with the help of her grandfather and several friends, landed an airplane on the back of a houseboat.
“He wanted to do something that hadn’t been done before,” Butler Pierce said. “That was just the kind of person he was.”
In its heyday, the company was the largest banner-towing operation in South Florida. Its planes flew banners over beaches, sporting events, and even in the aftermath of natural disasters such as Hurricane Andrew.
At the height of his career, Butler Sr. operated more than 100 banner-towing planes daily across the U.S. and towed up to 60,000 banners each year.
The aerial advertising business took a hit however after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, when banners were no longer allowed to fly over stadiums.
“It really knocked us down real bad,” said Butler Jr., noting the money they earned from flying over Miami Dolphins and Marlins games helped to tie them over during slower winter months. Advertisers also opted to spend their money on cable TV and on the Internet, which also cut into revenues.
Today, James Butler Jr. is continuing his father’s legacy at North Perry Airport, where he works in quality control and safety at the company his father once owned, now called Van Wagner Aerial Media.
Butler Sr. made a strong impact on the North Perry Airport community.
“He was always a prominent aviation figure down there,” said Mike Nonnemacher, operations director at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, who met Butler Sr. when he was child and interacted with him over his years in the business.
Nonnemacher’s father had a business — Flyrite Banners — that sold Butler Sr. letters for his banners.
“He was always an advocate for safety and was a real benefit to North Perry Airport,” Nonnemacher said.
Butler Jr. said his father, who retired about 10 to 12 years ago, had in recent years struggled with a combination of illnesses including heart disease and diabetes. He’d also lost the ability to walk and was wheelchair-bound.
Butler Sr. is survived by four children and four grandchildren in addition to two sisters and a brother.
A memorial service is planned for sometime in October at North Perry Airport, but more details will be announced soon, Butler Jr. said.
Staff researcher Barbara Hijek contributed to this report
, 954-356-4209 or Twitter@TheSatchreport
