WAILUKU - Maui County looks like it soon may be the last county in Hawaii to ban banner advertisements pulled by planes, giant kites and other aircraft.

The measure is meant also to prevent people from using hot-air balloons, hang gliders, even kiteboard sails, as vehicles for the flashy ads, Johnson said. The bill next goes to the entire County Council.

"When you go out for a day at the beach, you don't want to be buzz bombed by some banner coming at you from overhead," Johnson said.

Council Member Gladys Baisa added that airplane banners can ruin the "ambience" of the Valley Isle. She expressed strong support for the ban.

In her argument for the bill, Johnson cited the need to preserve Maui County's visual beauty and maintain traffic safety. Honolulu was the first county in the state to institute an aerial ad ban in 1978. Courts have upheld the ordinance.

The bill does not affect tail insignias and other airplane identifiers.

The penalty for violating the aerial advertising ban would be a fine of $25 to $500 and up to three months in jail.

For the full story: http://www.mauinews.com/page/content.detail/id/529238.html?nav=10