Combs Takes to the Skies

By now most everyone in the state has heard about, or seen, the airplane that circled Little Rock and North Little Rock on April 28. A banner was towed behind that read: “Shut Down MNB.”

The stunt was underwritten by Northwest Arkansas real estate developer Gary Combs, who has been involved in lawsuits against Metropolitan National Bank as well as other banks for about a year.

On April 29, Combs told our Whispers staff the service he paid to fly the banner was forced to fly in and out of a grass strip that was supplied by “a friend” because airfields around Little Rock wouldn’t let the plane depart with the banner. 

We figure most Whispers readers – and bankers – are scratching their heads, wondering what he paid for the 5 to 6 hour flight.

“The [Arkansas Democrat-Gazette] won’t take the $1,800 or $3,000 it takes to print my ad – it was more than that,” he said.

According to Ted DeReeder, owner of NationalSkyAds.com of New York, the banner had what appeared to be seven-foot letters and probably cost in the neighborhood of $450 per hour, the going rate. There are only two operators in the area that do that work, DeReeder said.

But wait, there’s more. Combs plans to fly the same banner in Northwest Arkansas when the wind dies down (winds were high in Springdale before press time on April 29).

And even more. Combs plans to mount a campaign of aerial signs and said the next one will read: “Terminella vs. MNB” referring to the case that is soon to be heard by the Arkansas Supreme Court.