Skywriting in WNY ahead of Wings over Batavia Air Show

Batavia, N.Y. (WBEN) Keep an eye to the sky this weekend for messages or designs by skywriter and pilot Nathan Hammond.

In conjunction with the Wings over Batavia Air Show this weekend, pilot Nathan Hammond, who calls himself a ghostwriter, is creating designs in the skies over Buffalo, Batavia and Rochester.

"We're flying a 1956 deHaviland Super Chipmunk aircraft," said Hammond. "One of the neat things we can do with this airplane, is draw and write things in the sky with the smoke from the airplane."

Hammond said to look for smiley faces, hearts, the words "Air Show" and other messages.

"Because we're so high, two miles high in the sky, you might hear the plane, but you can't see it. The words and pictures start to appear magically," he added.

Hammond learned to do it 20 years ago from the former owner of the airplane and his father.

If you think it's easy, think again.

"The best analogy I can give, is get on your riding lawnmower and put it in high gear and mow your lawn as fast as you can, and while you're mowing, write your name in the lawn. It's the same thing."

Public reaction to his work is very positive. "It really boosts the morale of the location that we're flying over," he said. He shared one experience which has happened a few times.

"The airport we were flying out of received a phone call from someone who had attended a funeral of their grandmother. Everyone was really sad. But they walked out of the funeral home and they looked up to see a giant smiley face in the sky. I get chills thinking about it. They said they knew that everything was going to be alright."

Hammond is flying out of Batavia Airport to both Buffalo and Rochester.

The Wings over Batavia Air Show is Saturday and Sunday. Gates open at 2 pm.
The show start at 5 pm both days. Jets will be flying. There will be formation aerobatics, drones and fireworks. Tickets are available at WingsoverBatavia.com as well as the gates.