Blimp flying

[LostComm]

I was passing through Florida last week and saw the Metlife airship overhead. Got me wondering, does anyone know where you might go for blimp training?

Getting hired by a company would be maybe the easiest way to pull off an airship rating, but what if you just wanted it for ego/fun purposes? Sort of like/how many people get seaplane ratings.

Thanks in advance!

-Lostcomm

PS Hopefully in the US

[meritflyer]

Originally Posted by LostComm

I was passing through Florida last week and saw the Metlife airship overhead. Got me wondering, does anyone know where you might go for blimp training?

Getting hired by a company would be maybe the easiest way to pull off an airship rating, but what if you just wanted it for ego/fun purposes? Sort of like/how many people get seaplane ratings.

Thanks in advance!

-Lostcomm

PS Hopefully in the US

I dont know where to get training but there was an article in AOPA about a year ago discussing airship pilots. It spotlighted a gal who had 3000+ hours as an airship captain. The best part of the article discussed that there are only about 100 licensed airship pilots in the US so the job security was really good.

[BobDDuck]

I have a friend that worked for these guys for a while. Picture shooting an ILS at 20mph.

http://www.lightships.com/

Possess a current FAA or CAA Commercial Pilot Certificate with
- Instrument Rating
- Instructor Rating
- Minimum of 1250 Flight Hours
- Possess Current 2nd Class Medical
- Possess Current Driving License and have good Driving Record

[Chris_Ford]

Blimpin' ain't easy

[bLizZuE]

It's hard out here for a blimp.

[CapnJim]

Originally Posted by Chris_Ford

Blimpin' ain't easy

Classic.

[SoFlo]

I watched the Goodyear Blimp "Stars and Stripes" go down in Coral Springs, FL about a year ago. That was the same one that I flew in. RIP Stars and Stripes. The blimp is based out of Pompano Beach Airpark and I'm out of FXE, which is right next to it. I get to see him all the time. The blimp rocks

[BCTAv8r]

Originally Posted by SoFlo

I watched the Goodyear Blimp "Stars and Stripes" go down in Coral Springs, FL about a year ago. That was the same one that I flew in. RIP Stars and Stripes. The blimp is based out of Pompano Beach Airpark and I'm out of FXE, which is right next to it. I get to see him all the time. The blimp rocks

I know the pilot's friend that was in it when it crashed. Maybe you know him as well? He owns a C172K at FXE.

[SoFlo]

Originally Posted by BCTAv8r

I know the pilot's friend that was in it when it crashed. Maybe you know him as well? He owns a C172K at FXE.

I think we are talking about the same person... Goodyear paid a lot of money to keep that whole incident hush hush. The blimb was never supposed to be flying that day.

[BCTAv8r]

Originally Posted by SoFlo

I think we are talking about the same person... Goodyear paid a lot of money to keep that whole incident hush hush. The blimb was never supposed to be flying that day.

His name is Chuck.

[TheFlyingTurkey]

Originally Posted by BCTAv8r

His name is Chuck.

Yeager?

[DCApilot2006]

This is a very exclusive club to belong to. The instructors just won't help "anyone" into thier own wierd little world. Want an airship ticket? Start with buying the blimp, then you stand a chance.

[Killtron2000]

how do you crash a blimp? I don't know anything about them but I know helium is pretty expensive so I would guess they wouldn't want to vent that but I could be wrong.

[blimpguy]

If I may throw in my two cents...

I don't know about it being an exclusive club, but thanks for the compliment. As for excluding anyone, that really isn't the case. When I've tried to hire pilots, I usually got piles of resumes. The easiest way to slog my way through them was to mention our travel schedule. "You don't mind living in hotels 365 nights a year do you?" That eliminated 99% of the applicants. Blimps aren't really a stepping stone to any other realm of flying, another issue with many pilots.

The flying is a blast, blimps are far more capable than most people give them credit. And they can be far more challenging than you may expect. The workload is probably not what you expect, either. There is a very demanding schedule involving millions of dollars of expenses and benefits for your clients. With the return on very substantial annual investment a client will make dependant on the relatively few seconds of exposure the ship will get during a televised sporting event, weather days take on a huge significance. Try to imagine keeping to a printed schedule traveling cross-country (often literally across the country) at 35 knots. I used to say, an on-time arrival is +/- two days. You will have limited weather capabilities and far more limiting weather criteria and will even have to monitor the weather when the ship isn't flying. It is vulnerable 24/7. This is an incredibly fun means of flight but the lifestyle is what usually keeps people from pursuing it. If you can handle the lifestyle, go for it. You will find it easier to get into than you imagine. The opportunities are out there. You will also earn more money than most regional airline captains.

If you are truly interested in the work, make the effort to track down the pilots when you see a ship flying in your area. You will probably find them to be very interested in sharing some insight into their work.

As was stated in a previous post, The Lightship Group is a good place to start looking. I have never worked for this company, though they are the largest operator of airships in the world. I assume they have the most opportunities. I worked for a smaller company that flies the same equipment, American Blimp Corporation A-60s. Want to fly for Goodyear? Not my particular choice, but many of their pilots were first trained by the company for which I flew, not TLG.

As to my qualifications to comment, my avitar is a photo of me standing in front of the Goodyear blimp in 1971. I guess I didn't have any choice but to go into blimps. I have crossed the United states a number of times at 35 knots and after 3300 hours, it simply wore me out. I'm flying checks now, because I am oddly short on fixed wing time, but I'm amazed that I have had the opportunity to fly these ships. There is truly nothing else like it. Go for it.

If you are interested, I would be happy to give you some pointers. Let me know.

[SoFlo]

Thanks for all the info BlimpGuy. The Goodyear Blimp showed everyone what it could do today at the Air and Sea Show in Ft. Lauderdale. I think it impressed everyone, letting them know its not only good for a 35kt cruise across the US. Im still waiting to hear what Goodyear is going to do about their blimp. As I said before it went down in a severe storm about a year ago. They claimed that they where waiting to get a new one. For now the one flying (N3A) is said to be old and brought out of the crates till time passes for the new one. Any info on that?

[ComplexHiAv8r]

Originally Posted by SoFlo

Im still waiting to hear what Goodyear is going to do about their blimp. As I said before it went down in a severe storm about a year ago. They claimed that they where waiting to get a new one.

Goodyear launch a new one a few months ago and have a naming contest going on currently. I actually flew over it Friday on my way back to CAK as it was landing at Blimp Base 1. Not sure where it will be based long term.

[blimpguy]

I don't know much about what Goodyear is doing. I don't really keep in touch with that operation as I never flew for them. I'm glad to hear from the rumors above that they appear interested in rebuilding. The last I had heard was that they were going to get out of the blimp operation. Essentially, they had planned on operating each ship until it had a mishap. That happens more often than the public is probably aware...and they seem to happen in threes.

As for crashing a blimp, I know of only a few airship pilots that have not crashed one. They are incredible vulnerable to unexpected wind and weather. Most of the damage to a ship occurs when the ship is caught by weather on the ground. There's not much you can do at that point but make it light on the mast by removing balast and hoping that it doesn't get slammed around too much. Every operation has had ships damaged in this way. Unfortunately it is very expensive. It takes over $10,000 worth of helium just to fill the little A-60 airships (Outback Steakhouse, MetLife). Goodyear and Fuji have nearly three times that volume. And that is nothing compared to the half million dollar envelope and other damage to the gondola, engines, props, etc. The passengers and pilot inside the ship during a crash are usually completely safe, but the ground crew can be injured or killed by a suddenly shifting ship. These are ships that weigh right around the same as the air that they are displacing, but they still have several tons of inertia. Their only brakes are those brave guys out front. They have saved my butt several times.

When you go to talk to the pilots, you will most likely run into the ground crewmembers first. Please don't blow these guys off, they are the most important and the least thanked part of the industry. The ship can literally not even leave the mast without them. Plus, if you get hired, guess where you will start your training.

[Chris_Ford]

Originally Posted by ComplexHiAv8r

Blimp Base 1.

And we have a new name for the sororities on campus at Purdue.

Thank you!

[SoFlo]

Damn Chris! That was a good one.

Goodyear has a big facility/blimp base at KPMP(Pompano Beach). After the crash I asked a few people what will happen now. They said that Goodyear will most def have another ship going in there eventually. I sure hope so.

I thought I had heard that there was another crash in the Carolina's a few years back. Someone did not "tie" the blimp down (or how ever the ground crew does it ) properly. Supposedly the blimp was nailed in a strong gust and crashed or was dragged through a field. No one was hurt, except the blimp.

[PoeMan]

I remember reading about the Kings renting the Fuji Blimp to get their licenses. Took a few weeks if I recall correctly.

Sure would be fun though.