Cole.
Having towed banners using a C172, Citabria, and Piper Pawnee in the St. Louis area a number of years ago for St. Charles Flying Service, there are two ways in which to pick up a banner.
1. one is to take off with it attached (which requires a long lead rope to allow the aircraft to become airborne before the banner starts to pick up).
2. The other is to takeoff without the banner attached and to pick it up through use of a tow rope attached to the aircraft with a treble type grapple hook (which normally is deployed after takeoff) and snare a circular rope ring held vertically by two poles which is attached to the lead rope of the banner lying on the ground (by flying over the circular rope ring).
Most people use the grapple hook pickup method.
I have seen or heard of banners being towed by helicopters and various aircraft.
The biggest requirement is that the towing aircraft has to be able to fly slow enough to not tear/rip the banner apart. Normally, that is about 70 to 80 KIAS.
Gasser Banners in Nashville, TN, was the company which produced banner towing equipment and banner parts; and, additionally had a book on how to tow banners. Through an internet search just now, it appears that Gasser Banners (
www.gasserbanners.com) has gone out of business and Aerial Vision Worldwide
http://www.bannertowingequipment.com/index.html has bought up Gasser's remaining inventory.
Banners can be made by putting together individual letters (which are between fiber glass poles similar to a fishing pole) or by buying a large single sheet fabric custom banner sign. The individual letters come in two sizes: 5 or 7 ft letters.
Bill