Billboard flighting is the work of putting a printed skin onto a billboard face and, when the campaign ends, taking it off and installing the next one. It sounds simple, but a skin that is badly tensioned, wrongly aligned or fixed with the wrong hardware will wrinkle, flap or tear within days.
Billboards Africa flights skins on static faces of many types and sizes, as a standalone service for agencies and media owners, and as part of our campaign and package work. We bring the crew, the access equipment and the fixing know-how, and we work to your campaign calendar.
What flighting involves
A flighting job starts before anyone climbs a structure. We confirm the face dimensions, the fixing system and the material of the skin so that what arrives on site fits. On the day, the old skin is removed, the frame is checked for damage, and the new skin is hung, aligned and tensioned evenly from the centre outwards.
Alignment matters because a skin that sits a few centimetres out will show a gap or crop the message. Tensioning matters because a loose skin catches the wind and wears at the eyelets, while an over-tight skin can tear.
- Pre-job check of face size, fixing system and skin material
- Removal and disposal of the previous skin where required
- Inspection of the frame, fixings and walkways before the new skin goes up
- Hanging, alignment and tensioning of the new skin
- Photographic record of the finished face for the client
Skin materials and fixing
The material you choose changes how the skin is flighted. PVC/flex is the usual choice for front-lit faces and is fixed with a tension system around the frame. Mesh skins are lighter and let wind through, which makes them the sensible choice for exposed sites. Backlit material is fitted into illuminated boxes and needs careful handling so it stays clean and evenly lit.
We advise on the material when we quote, and can also supply the printing through billboard skin printing so the skin and the flighting come from one team.
Access and safety
Billboards are high, and flighting is work at height. The access method depends on the structure: a unipole with a catwalk is approached differently from a wall-mounted face or a rooftop sign. Where ladders or lifts cannot reach, we can use rope access, and where heavy components must be positioned, mobile crane solutions.
Rope access and lifting work follows the applicable health and safety requirements. We also check structures for visible damage as we work, and report anything that needs a proper inspection or repair.
Keeping a record helps both sides. Photographs before and after each job show the condition of the face and confirm what was installed.
Multi-site campaigns and changeovers
Campaigns that rotate creative between sites, or that change several faces on the same day, need tight scheduling. We plan the route, stage the skins in the right order and label each one by site and face so nothing is hung on the wrong structure.
Changeovers are scheduled against your campaign dates and the conditions on the day. Strong wind, heavy rain and lightning can delay work at height, and we will tell you if a changeover has to move. For larger programmes, billboard campaign management keeps the schedule and records together.
Before you book a flighting
Send us the site list, the face sizes, the skin material and your preferred dates. If the skins are being printed elsewhere, tell us who is delivering them and when, and let us know the fixing system on each face. Where fixings or frames need work first, we flag it in the quotation instead of discovering it on site.
We offer flighting across Gauteng and all South African provinces, and in Southern and wider Africa. Outside Gauteng and outside South Africa, work is done by our teams travelling or through approved local partners, confirmed at quotation.
At a glance
Billboard flighting is the installation, alignment, tensioning and changing of printed skins on a billboard face, and Billboards Africa carries it out on static structures of many types, including unipoles, double-sided billboards, rooftop faces and wall-mounted signs. We flight PVC/flex, mesh and backlit skins, check frames and fixings as we work, and schedule changeovers to match your campaign calendar, whether you have one face or a rotation across several sites.
Our billboard flighting teams work at height using the access method the structure requires, from catwalks and lifts to rope access and cranes, following the applicable health and safety requirements. We flight skins we have printed and skins supplied by agencies and media owners, and we serve Johannesburg, Sandton, Pretoria, Cape Town, Durban and every other province, with travelling teams or approved local partners elsewhere in Africa. Tell us your site list, face sizes and dates through the quote form and we will confirm the flighting plan on your quotation. Photographic records are supplied after each job, so you can see what was installed and in what condition the face was left.
Common questions
What is the difference between flighting and printing?
Printing produces the skin; flighting installs it on the billboard and changes it later. We offer both, together or separately.
Can you flight skins that were printed by someone else?
Yes, provided the skin is the right size, material and finish for the face. We check dimensions and fixing details before the job.
How quickly can a skin be changed?
Timing depends on the site, the access method, the weather and how many faces are in the programme. It is confirmed on your quotation.
What happens if the weather is bad on the day?
Work at height may be postponed in strong wind, heavy rain or lightning. We will inform you and reschedule as soon as conditions allow.
Do you flight digital billboards?
Digital faces do not use printed skins. Content is loaded and scheduled through our digital content management service.
Do you flight outside Gauteng?
Yes, in all provinces and into Southern Africa, through our travelling teams or approved local partners, confirmed at quotation.
