We have a market for Boom, the Supersonic passenger aircraft, and we also have a market for 60knot cargo Airships… What a time to be alive.
How long have I been telling you that I want to add airship to my commercial!!!
I know man. You’ve been saying it the last 15 years at least. As always, ahead of your time.
Damn…
Should we have an entire Blimp category here on PG, or would that be getting ahead of things? 
probably getting ahead a bit but I LOVE the concept. I want to see cargo and pax transport airships happen! Can you imagine looking up from anywhere in the midwest, and see airship after airship at 3,000AGL going overhead.
Yeah man, when I look up at the sky I think to myself… it would definitely look better with more of this:
Function over form @RobertBerger. All my favorite planes would be characterized as ugly. Its their abilities that make them attractive.
With a useful load of 23.5 tons how many passengers could it carry if optimized for passenger travel? If it super comfy, has a bar, and good food on board do I really care that it only goes 60?
@Dr.Badass That’s what I’m sayin!
At 200lbs per pax on avg, thats 235 people. So like a 757. But thats weight, not volume.
If it was 100 people but ultra opulent it could sell!
Don’t these have significant wind restrictions compared to airplanes?
I can’t say for sure but as you know, I’ve witnessed more blimp landings/dockings/moorings than most…It does seem that wind is a strong consideration for them during that phase. Probably a consideration for their enroute operations too. They’ll have to stay low to keep out of the stronger winds aloft. I’m all for it.
Now if we can just get them to cover the whole top with solar panels and have electric motors…
I would love to get my Airship rating, I actually reached out to a company that manages and flys a few of them but I never got a response.
I once heard some where that there maybe about 15-20 active pilots with a current airship rating in the US.
I actually live right by Lakehurst Naval Air station and Hangar 1 the Largest Hangar in the US which was meant to house the Hindenburg, a lot of airship history by me.
As a Kid I lived in North Jersey and used to see blimps like the Goodyear, MetLife, and a few others flying around of the Meadow Lands and Giant Stadium.
Now I can’t remember the last time I saw a blimp flying in person. But I’ll never forget the quite Hummmm of one floating over head hundreds of feet up but looking so close at the same time.
Lol I’d say ya… I seem to remember several notable airship disasters that were wind related
I’ve heard similar stuff as far as airship being the least common pilots out there… Supposedly there are more astronauts than blimp pilots!
They need to update the paint job on that big beautiful blimp so it looks more like this up in the air
@DocbritoFMF @RobertBerger that’s an amazing stat! Even if it is a bit off, it does still prove the point how exclusive the club is. I think it’s cool as hell
Ya, my understanding is earning the Airship Rating is difficult because it’s one of those rare ratings that your only getting the opportunity to earn by working your way up threw the ranks of an airship company crew from set up, to line handler and so on up the ranks to potentially one day pilot if a spot opens open when your next in line. Which is probably extremely rare.
Or if by chance your super rich and can rent the airship just for the purposes of your own training. But also the check airman for that rating are probably also rare.
There was a documentary that I can’t remember the name of some rich business man who turned out to be a scam artist that used to buy airships that somehow had various accidents resulting in total loss of the ship and insurance payouts. I believe he was either caught for something else or murdered. I’m trying to think of the name of the documentary I know it has something to do with Boy bands of the 90s