Take Back the Skies      


A campaign for Americans to
regain their birthright to fly


Radio Spots


Here are different two approaches to reaching the likely-flyer audience.

Series One is called "Take Back the Skies" and targets an educated audience, through public radio and through commercial stations that are able to attract upscale listeners.

Series Two takes a challenge approach, asking listeners if they have what it takes to become a pilot. These messages target a broader audience through higher-end music and news stations.

To have effect, these spots each need to air a total of fifty times or more over the two weeks before the presentation. 

Series One

1) General aviation contributes over a $100 billion to our economy every year, employing more than ten million Americans, as pilots and flight instructors, mechanics and fuel truck jockeys. General aviation transports business professionals to conferences, and flies families to vacation spots. They fly on skis in Alaska, and on floats in Louisiana. They dust crops and seed clouds, spot fires and report on traffic. They carry emergency personnel and equipment to disaster sites. With more than 70% of the world's aircraft and 80% of the hours flown under our flag, general aviation is truly an American enterprise. Let's Take Back the Skies, I'm Tony Seton. [Studio tag*]  [Click for audio.]

2) There are many reasons to learn to fly. One reason is avoid those two-hour lines waiting for a commercial flight. Instead, you can fly directly to your destination, on your own schedule, hassle-free, looking down at that sea of red tail lights on the grid-locked highways below. Want another reason? How 'bout the thrill of breaking through the clouds to see the runway, right where it should be in front of your nose. Or watching an airstrip light up for your landing at the click of a button. Maybe the best reason for learning to fly was written by John Gillespie Magee in his immortal poem "High Flight" when he said that he flew to touch the face of God. Let's Take Back the Skies,I'm Tony Seton. [Studio tag*]  [Click for audio.]

3) Learning to fly is an extraordinary experience in itself, but it's not for everyone. Being a good pilot requires more than courage; there are no old, bold pilots. Indeed, every pilot worth her salt can tell you about finishing a lesson and discovering the famous sweat-soaked shirt. Those who truly want to fly will push through the envelope, conquering their fears with more instruction, and deeper experience. Experience alone is not enough; you must constantly be aware. They say...A superior pilot is one who uses her superior judgement to avoid a situation which might require the use of her superior skills. Let's Take Back the Skies, I'm Tony Seton.  [Studio tag*]  [Click for audio.]

4) They say a private pilot's certificate is a license to learn. When you've already learned so much. You studied aerodynamics to understand the principles of lift that keep your plane aloft. You learned meteorology so you can avoid wind shears, icing, and fog. You mastered the radio so that you can communicate with the tower to determine your position in the flow of airport traffic. You know how to read sectional charts to avoid ground hazzards and military operations areas. And that's just the beginning. Every flight is a new opportunity to learn..to learn more about the plane, about flying, and about yourself. Good pilots never stop learning. Let's Take Back the Skies, I'm Tony Seton.  [Studio tag*]  [Click for audio.]

5) This year is the centennial anniversary of man's first powered flight. On December 17, 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright opened a new chapter in civilization when they flew through the chill winds over the Outer Banks of North Carolina on the Kitty Hawk Flyer, a plane they had designed from scratch, powered by a motor also of their own design. The Wright brothers made four flights that day; the longest was 871 feet and lasted :59. Their extraordinary accomplish- ments started the voyage that put Neil Armstrong on the moon. Flying is indeed an American birthright, to be celebrated to its fullest. Let's Take Back the Skies. I'm Tony Seton.   [Studio tag*] [Click for audio.]

*Studio Tag (over background engine noise): "Take Back the Skies" is sponsored by Up-'n-Away Aviation. Come to Up-'n-Away  [this] Saturday morning [insert date] at ten to meet Tony Seton and hear more about learning to fly and the exciting world of general aviation. For details, call 737-4568.


Series Two

1) For some people, the goal is a college sheepskin. Others want to make piles of money. Me, I worked my way up through the ranks of broadcast journalism to become an award-winning, globe-trotting producer for ABC Television News. I covered Watergate, interviewed prime ministers, and was admitted to the White House inner sanctum. But no accomplishment meant more to me than earning my private pilot's certificate and an instrument rating. Learning to fly is a breath-catching experience. So much to comprehend through the books and tapes and the actual hands-on flying. More important, you learn about yourself, and the inner road to courage. No, flying isn't for everyone. There are no old, bold pilots.   [Studio tag#] 

2) What has been your greatest accomplishment? Making it through med school? Passing the bar? Owning your own business? If you don't feel like you've really been tested, put yourself behind the controls of a small plane. Experience the confident elation as you break out of the clouds to see the airfield in front of your nose. Or when you click the microphone key and watch the runway magically light up below you. Of course, learning to fly is a serious affair. You have to understand how lift keeps your plane aloft, what signs to look for to avoid dangerous weather, and how to communicate with air traffic control to assure that you reach your destination safely and on time. And you've got to get it all right. You can't pull over to the side of the road at 5,000 feet.   [Studio tag#] 

3) If you're like most people, you don't even notice the buzz of a small plane flying overhead. General aviation is a part of our daily lives, an American birthright. But think about it a minute, what it must be like to fly along at twice the speed you drive your car, with no roads, little traffic, and very few rules. It takes a lot to earn a pilot's license, a lot more than courage. It requires character. You have to be smart and disciplined. You have to know the limitations of the plane, and of the pilot. And if you have the right stuff, you too can join an elite society. John Gillespie Magee wrote in his immortal poem "High Flight," that he flew to touch the face of God.   [Studio tag#] 

#Studio Tag (over background engine noise):  Do you have what it takes? Find out. [This] Saturday morning [date] from ten to eleven at Up-'n-Away Aviation. It's free, but space is limited. Call 737-4568.


  With your correspondent


Tony Seton


  Contact information

TonySeton@TonySeton.com

PO Box 7281
Carmel CA 93921
831-649-6397


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