Method, apparatus, and system for producing indicia in the sky

A method for displaying a message from an aircraft, comprising:

• providing a fluid or gas to each of a plurality of valves;
• controlling the valves with a controller to produce a plurality of plumes from a plurality of nozzles, wherein each nozzle is associated with a respective valve, and wherein the plurality of nozzles are distributed along a span of a wing of the aircraft;
• and
• causing indicia to be displayed on the plurality of plumes from the plurality of nozzles by projecting light from a light source incident on the plurality of plumes, wherein the light source is attached to the aircraft by an arm, and wherein the light source is suspended at a position above or below the aircraft.

An apparatus for communicating a message from an aircraft, comprising processing circuitry and at least one non-transitory memory including computer program code instructions, the computer program code instructions configured to, when executed, cause the apparatus to at least:

• receive an indication of the message to be conveyed from the aircraft;
• actuate at least one of a plurality of valves to emit from a respective at least one nozzle a plume to be suspended in air, wherein a plurality of nozzles, each corresponding to a respective valve and including the respective at least one nozzle, are distributed along a span of a wing of the aircraft;
• and
• cause a light source to illuminate at least a portion of the at least one plume to display the message to be conveyed, wherein the light source is attached to the aircraft and positioned at an elevated position relative to the wing of the aircraft.

A system for communicating a message from an aircraft comprising:

• a plurality of valves;
• a tank in fluid communication with each of the plurality of valves, wherein the tank contains water;
• a plurality of nozzles, wherein each nozzle is associated with a corresponding valve, and wherein the plurality of nozzles are distributed along a span of a wing of the aircraft;
• a controller configured to control each of the plurality of valves wherein the controller is configured to actuate the plurality of valves to generate, from contents of the tank received at each nozzle, a plume to be suspended in air to form a plurality of plumes, wherein the plume from each nozzle comprises a frozen water vapor plume comprising ice crystals;
• and
• a light source configured to project indicia on the plurality of plumes, wherein the light source projects indicia on the plurality of plumes by producing a wavelength of light absorbed by the ice crystals to melt selected areas of ice crystals of the plurality of plumes to form indicia from voids in the plurality of plumes.

A system for communicating a message from an aircraft comprising:

• a plurality of valves;
• a tank in fluid communication with each of the plurality of valves, wherein the tank contains oil;
• a plurality of nozzles, wherein each nozzle is associated with a corresponding valve, wherein the plurality of nozzles are distributed along a span of a wing of the aircraft, wherein each nozzle is associated with a heater, and wherein the plume from each nozzle is a plume of smoke generated by the oil passing through the heater associated with the respective nozzle;
• a controller configured to control each of the plurality of valves wherein the controller is configured to actuate the plurality of valves to generate, from contents of the tank received at each nozzle, a plume to be suspended in air to form a plurality of plumes;
• and
• a light source configured to project indicia on the plurality of plumes.