The technique was relatively simple. Engine-heated paraffin oil mixed with exhaust to produce fluffy streams of white smoke that pilots loop-de-looped into letters on the sky's canvas. (Pilots today are able to fly at a level altitude while skywriting.) The result was unlike anything people had ever seen.

What is skywriting smoke made of?

Description. The typical smoke generator consists of a pressurized container of viscosity oil, such as Chevron/Texaco "Canopus 13" (formerly "Corvus Oil"). The oil is injected into the hot exhaust manifold, vaporizing it into a huge volume of dense white smoke. Relatively few pilots have the skills to skywrite legibly.

How do airplanes make smoke?

How Do Stunt Planes Make Smoke? Aerobatic planes make smoke through smoke systems that pump paraffin-based smoke oil from a tank through injectors into the exhaust system or fumes of a plane. These smoke oil tanks come in a variety of sizes and are installed and mounted differently based on the aircraft.