Navy
blimp returning to Baltimore regionNovember 06, 2013|
Aircraft is continuing an aerial mapping
mission, which began in September
Though it has only
been gone a few weeks, the Navy blimp will once again make its
return to the Baltimore skies.
The 178-foot
airship, which is owned by the government and primarily used
for research, will continue a mission to test aerial mapping
sensors for the Army starting Nov. 12. The trek will begin in
Beltsville and later continue to the Baltimore region,
although a spokesman for the Naval Research Laboratory
couldn't say exactly when the blimp could be spotted in the
area.
Giant, White 'Cloud
Lab' Blimp Flying High Across Las Vegas Skies Oct 30, 2013
LAS VEGAS -- It's
billed as the world's largest airship and on Wednesday plenty of
people wanted to know why a giant white blimp was flying over
parts of Las Vegas. Several viewers wrote in on the 8 News NOW
Facebookpage wondering what was up.
Turns out, the ship is on a cross-country voyage funded by the
British Broadcasting Corporation. On board, a team of researchers
are on a mission to investigate all sorts of things, including
weather, climate change and if there really is life beyond Earth.
"The team, which includes an
entomologist, meteorologist and professional explorer, is also
hoping to shed light on the creation of clouds and the
relationship between diverse ecosystems and weather," the
BBC website said.
The program is set to air sometime
next year on the BBC. You can follow the blimp's commute across
the U.S. on Twitter here.
The "Cloud Lab" also known as Skyship
600, hovered over the skies of Salinas, Santa Cruz, and the
Monterey Bay this week to conduct an atmospheric experiment
studying things that live in clouds.
Cloud Lab
gathered data for a month-long expedition being conducted by the
British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). Onboard is a team of
British scientists studying insect life, the relationship between
trees and the air we breathe, and how hurricanes form.
The
68-foot-tall blimp is powered by a pair of turbo-boosted Porsche
engines that can push the blimp to a top speed of 57 mph.
The blimp is
equipped with instruments that will try to collect microbes,
including bacteria and fungi, that may live inside of clouds,
helping scientists search for life in them.
A blimp this
size usually accommodates two pilots and 13 passengers, but on
this expedition, it's packed with computers, experiment hardware,
and has room for only eight TV and science crew members.
Cloud Lab
wrapped up its data collection Wednesday evening and floated away
from the Central Coast. Scientists are now heading back in the
United Kingdom to begin analyzing the data they collected over one
month, eight states, 23 airfields, and two oceans.
Take In The View From
Behind The Controls Of The Horizon Blimp There
Are 56 Certified Blimp Pilots In The Country
October 14, 2013
NEW
YORK(CBSNewYork) — From the Super Bowl
and the World Series to the U.S. Open blimps have
become familiar sights, but less than 60 people in
the United States are licensed to fly them. For
the past 15 years the Horizon Blue Cross Blue
Shield blimp has become a community regular, CBS
2′s Alex Denis reported. The blimp has been seen
cruising in the sky over the Jersey Shore, but
creating a smooth path for the flying billboard
isn’t always easy.
There are only 25 blimps in
operation around the world and 10 in the U.S.
where 56 pilots are certified to fly them.
“There are more space
shuttle pilots in the world than there are blimp
pilots,” Pilot Terry Dillard told CBS 2′s Denis at
the Allaire Airport in Farmingdale, “I’m a pretty
lucky guy.” Riding in a blimp is a different
experience from being in an airplane or a
helicopter. The aircraft glides through the sky
with a light bounce and the fate of the flight is
heavily dictated by weather and the surfaces
below. The Horizon blimp holds 3 passengers and a
driver. The blimp doesn’t have a bathroom but
there are windows and a radio. From 1,000 ft. in
the air the blimp offers a spectacular view of the
sky and the ground. Wheels on either side of the
driver’s seat are used to direct the blimp up and
down and foot pedals steer the craft right and
left. The blimp is held in the air by 68,000 cubic
feet of helium and twin 80 engines which can shut
off mid-flight. Landing and lift off are the most
crucial times in a blimp flight, both involve a
coordinated dance between the pilot and the ground
crew.
'World's
largest airship' lands in Galveston for research, TV showOctober 1, 2013
A BBC-funded team of international
scientists arrived this weekend in a blimp, described by the BBC as
the world's largest airship, that they're using to conduct research as
part of an upcoming television series.
The group is in Galveston studying clouds
as a part of a coast-to-coast trip aboard the Skyship 600 as they
study the largely unknown atmosphere above our heads and just below
space itself.
Airport director Hud Hopkins said the Cloud
Lab crew has been at Scholes since Saturday afternoon doing research.
"They have a 20-person crew on the ground
monitoring things and five people inside the blimp," said Hopkins. The
team includes entomologists, weather specialists and professional
explorers.
Agencies including NASA, NOAA, JPL, and the
United States Geological Survey are all on board lending a hand to the
BBC team.
The crew is traveling from Florida to
California over a month-long stretch, according to a BBC press
release, exposing the blimp to a variety of clouds and the things that
exist in them. They are studying particles in the clouds to see what
effect they have on weather and life on the ground.
“The 100 kilometers or so of air above our
heads is all that separates us from space. It’s in every breath we
take and makes Earth habitable," said Cloud Lab series producer, James
Van Der Pool in a BBC release. "Yet for all its centrality to the
health of the planet there’s a lot we still don’t know about the
atmosphere."
They want to look into what type of air
causes rain, and figure out at what altitude life becomes impossible.
The rough weather on
Tuesday affected the group's work so it is currently docked at
Scholes, said Hopkins. It could also affect when they leave Galveston.
Depending on the weather they could back on the road by Tuesday
evening or Wednesday morning.
While the crew isn't
working, they have been staying at a hotel on the island.
Hopkins said the group has enjoyed their time
in Galveston.
Navy Airship to Conduct Operations in the DC Metro Region - See
more at:
http://www.nrl.navy.mil/media/news-releases/2013/navy-airship-to-conduct-operations-in-the-dc-metro-region#sthash.LZtMzleb.dpuf
Navy Airship to Conduct Operations in the DC Metro Region - See
more at:
http://www.nrl.navy.mil/media/news-releases/2013/navy-airship-to-conduct-operations-in-the-dc-metro-region#sthash.LZtMzleb.dpuf
Navy Airship to Conduct Operations in the DC Metro Region - See
more at:
http://www.nrl.navy.mil/media/news-releases/2013/navy-airship-to-conduct-operations-in-the-dc-metro-region#sthash.LZtMzleb.dpuf
What’s With the
Military Blimp Patrolling the Skies Near D.C.?
Navy Airship to Conduct Operations in the DC Metro Region - See
more at:
http://www.nrl.navy.mil/media/news-releases/2013/navy-airship-to-conduct-operations-in-the-dc-metro-region#sthash.LZtMzleb.dpuf
Navy Airship to Conduct Operations in the DC Metro Region - See
more at:
http://www.nrl.navy.mil/media/news-releases/2013/navy-airship-to-conduct-operations-in-the-dc-metro-region#sthash.LZtMzleb.dpuf
The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) and the Navy's sole
Science & Technology research squadron, Scientific Development
Squadron ONE (VXS-1), will operate the MZ-3A lighter-than-air
"blimp" in the regions surrounding Washington, D.C. beginning
Sept. 21.
Owned
by the U.S. Navy, the MZ-3A is stationed at Naval Air Station,
Patuxent River, Md. (PAX) and is operated under the U.S. Naval
Research Laboratory and Scientific Development Squadron ONE
(VXS-1). (Photo: U.S. Navy)
Operating under the special approval of the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) and the Transportation Security
Administration (TSA), the Navy MZ-3A will conduct aerial mapping
operations within the Washington D.C. Flight Restriction Zone
(DCA-FRZ) at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural
Research Service, (USDA-ARS) Beltsville, Md., and at U.S. Army
Fort Belvoir located in Fairfax, Va.
In addition, the MZ-3A will conduct mapping operations within
the DCA-Special Flight Restrictions Area (DCA-SFRA) and at times
will traverse the region to the north to Frederick Municipal
Airport (FDK) in Maryland and to the southwest near Culpepper,
Va., (CJR) before ending operations Oct. 5 and departing to the
Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, N.J.
During special flight operations, the FAA will issue pertinent
Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) information regarding visual and
instrument (VFR/IFR) flight plans to the region and at all times
will maintain radio communication and flight following as required
or requested on designated and approved Air Traffic Control (ATC)
radio frequencies.
The MZ-3A is government-owned and contractor-operated. The
contractor, Integrated Systems Solutions, Inc., (ISSI) employs
highly qualified commercial blimp pilots whom the Navy has
approved to command the airship. ISSI airship pilots have
completed Special Awareness Training for the Washington, D.C.
Metropolitan Area and have previously operated within the DCA
SFRA/FRZ.
Built by American Blimp Corporation, the MZ-3A is
propeller-driven by two 180 horsepower Lycoming engines producing
a top speed just under 50 knots with an operational payload
capability of up to 2,500 pounds. The manned 178-foot LTA craft
can remain aloft and nearly stationary for more than twelve hours,
performing various missions in support of technology development
for Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence,
Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) concepts.
- See more at:
http://www.nrl.navy.mil/media/news-releases/2013/navy-airship-to-conduct-operations-in-the-dc-metro-region#sthash.LZtMzleb.dpuf
Scientists scour the clouds for signs of
life 19 Sep 2013
Scientists have begun an expedition to scour the Earth’s clouds for
new species of life and to understand what role bacteria play in
helping clouds to form.
The team of researchers set off on
Wednesday morning in an airship that will fly at up to 8,000 feet
to collect air samples, which they will analyse for bacteria,
fungi and other organisms living there.
They will also collect air at 25,000 feet
during a high altitude parachute jump in an attempt to find
microbes that may survive suspended high in the Earth’s
atmosphere.
The research is part of a wider mission
being filmed by the BBC, called Cloud Lab, that is aiming to
gather new data about the formation and life of clouds in the sky.
The airship will travel around 2,000 miles
from the east coast of Florida to the west coast of California
collecting samples from clouds it passes through.
Scientists will also attempt to measure how
much water can be found in clouds and how much energy is stored by
them ahead of a lightning strike.
There was once a time when man looked to
the skies and expected to see giant balloons rather than airplanes
drifting above. TheHindenburg Disasterpromptly put an end to those dreams. But
nearly a century later, one company may have finally figured out how
to build a dirigible suitable for the 21st century. Just don't call it
a blimp.
This fully rigid
airship, dubbedthe Aeroscraft,
differs fundamentally from, say, the Goodyear blimp. Blimps, by
definition, have no internal structure and maintain their shapes only
through the pressure of the gas they contain; when the gas escapes,
they deflate like the gigantic balloons they are. Rigid airships, like
zeppelins before them, maintain their shape regardless of gas pressure
thanks to an internal skeleton structure—the Hindenburg utilized
highly flammable balsa wood, but the Aeroscraft's is made of aluminum
and carbon fiber—and maintains its buoyancy with a series of
gas-filled bladders. And unlike hybrid airships, the Aeroscraft
doesn't require forward momentum to generate lift via a set of wings.
It's all helium power.
The Aeroscraft
has been under development byAeros Corp,
the world's largest airship and blimp maker, since 1996. The project
has received over $35 million in R&D funds and the government has even
lent the company a couple of NASA boffins to help develop the
aerodynamics and control systems. And with the successful launch of
its half-scale prototype, the Pelican, last weekend, the investment
looks to have paid off. The future of lighter-than-air travel looks to
be imminently upon us.
Airship-Paris propose des vols en ballon
dirigeable
La sociétéAirship-Paris
propose des vols commerciaux à bord d’un ballon dirigeable de
type Zeppelin au départ de l’aéroport de Paris-Pontoise à Cormeilles
en Vexin.
Du 3 août jusqu’à la fin du mois d’octobre
2013, Airship-Paris vous invite à découvrir ce nouveau mode de
transport pour observer d’en haut la campagne environnante -des
paysages et châteaux du nord-ouest de la région parisienne- et tous
les trésors du Parc Naturel du Vexin français. Situé à une trentaine
de kilomètres au nord-ouest de Paris, l’aéroport de Paris-Pontoise est
accessible rapidement (RER ou A15 puis RD 915).
Aussi long qu’un avion Airbus A380
(75 m), aussi haut qu’un immeuble de cinq étages (17 m) et large comme
une autoroute à quatre voies (19 m), le ballon Airship-Paris nécessite
beaucoup d’espace que seul l’aéroport de Paris-Pontoise pouvait lui
offrir sans perturber le trafic sur le reste de la plate-forme : un
cercle de 150 m de diamètre au sol pour pouvoir pivoter lentement de
360° autour de son mât porteur !
La cabine du ballon dirigeable accueille 12
passagers. Régi par des règles identiques à celle de l’aviation
commerciale, le personnel navigant commercial (PNC) prépare les
passagers au vol et explique les règles de sécurité et de
fonctionnement du dirigeable. Le commandant de bord, qui est un de
pilote de ligne, a suivi une formation spécifique pour piloter un
ballon dirigeable. Les vols sont validés par la Direction générale de
l’aviation civile (DGAC).
Quatre trajets
sont proposés pour la période du 3 août au 30 octobre 2013 :
Le dirigeable
électrique isérois Iris Challenger 2 a vaincu la Manche !4 Septembre 2013 Une traversée en 2h 24, voilà le record
décroché par le dirigeable électrique isérois, construit par Airstar à
Champ-prés-Froges. Les deux pilotes, Pierre Chabert et Gérard Feldzer,
ont posé leur nacelle près de Folkestone
Victoire pour l'Iris Challenger 2. Le dirigeable électrique piloté par
Pierre Chabert et Gérard Feldzer vient juste de se poser sur le sol
anglais, après avoir traversé la Manche, posément, tranquillement,
au-dessus des flots.
L'étonnant ballon en forme de soucoupe volante
conçu, testé et fabriqué par Airstar, à Champ-près-Froges, en Isère,
dans la vallée du Grésivaudan, s'est envolé ce matin du cap Gris-Nez,
à 7h24 précisément, pour atterrir en face, à l'est de Folkestone,
après une traversée de 2h 24. Sans problème. Un premier record pour un
vol propulsé à la force de deux hélices, et son énergie électrique
emporté à bord de la nacelle.
Cet exploit pourrait être suivi de deux
autres : la traversée de la Méditerranée en 2015 puis de
l’Atlantique en 2017.
Nouvelle tentative de traversée de la
Manche pour l’Iris Challenger2Septembreb 2013
Le mercredi 4 septembre 2013, Pierre Chabert et Gérard Feldzer vont
tenter une nouvelle fois de traverser la Manche à l’aide d’un
dirigeable à motorisation électrique. Le décollage est prévu, dans la
matine, du Cap Gris Nez (Pas de Calais). En 2011, les deux pilotes
avaient du renoncer à cause des conditions météorologiques. Leur
nouveau ballon baptisé Iris Challenger 2 est une évolution de celui de
2011.
L’Iris
Challenger 2 lors des essais en vol près de Grenoble
L’Iris Challenger II est un dirigeable de forme
lenticulaire à propulsion électrique. Il dispose d’un aileron et est
équipé de 2 moteurs de 7kW nominaux et d’hélices de 1,30 m de
diamètre. Sa vitesse de croisière est de 15 km/h, en pointe il peut
atteindre 30km/h. Construit en textile haute ténacité et en film
polymère, l’enveloppe contient 568 m3 d’hélium lui permettant
d’embarquer 2 pilotes et du matériel pour une charge totale de 200 kg.
Une batterie lithium fournit l’énergie nécessaire. Un flotteur rempli
d’air rend le dirigeable amphibie.
Vidéo du tout premier vol du prototype VOLIRIS
V901C réalisé le 03/07/12 Ce prototype est destiné à valider le
concept d’aile enveloppe qui est en fait une architecture volante à
mi-chemin entre l’aile d’un avion et l’enveloppe d’un dirigeable. On
parle alors d’aéronef hybride. L’hybride fait appel aussi bien à la
portance aérostatique, c’est-à-dire due au gaz porteur, qu’à la
portance aérodynamique, due à la forme de l’aile. Ce prototype
préfigure un engin automatique porte container de 32 tonnes.
KIRZHACH, Vladimir Region,
August 26 (Alexey Eremenko, RIA Novosti) – The eerie sensation of
seeing something the size of a house floating in the air is something
that no photograph can capture.
That was the sight witnessed from the ground on
Sunday when the 55-meter-long AU-30 blimp, built by Russian company
Augur RosAeroSystems, soared away from the country’s sole, recently
reopened “dirigibledrome” in Russia’s central Vladimir Region for a
100-kilometer journey to Russia’s prime airshow, MAKS, which kicks off
Tuesday.
Le zeppelin fait son apparition dans le
ciel d'Ile-de-France05/08/2013 lefigaro.fr
La société Airship-Paris a
organisé dimanche son premier vol commercial en ballon dirigeable.
Le premier vol commercial et touristique
d'un ballon dirigeable zeppelin a eu lieu dimanche en France
au-dessus des paysages et châteaux du nord-ouest de la région de
Paris. «Nous volons à 300 mètres d'altitude à la vitesse de 70
km/h», a indiqué une hôtesse de l'air aux 12 passagers qui ont
pris place dans la cabine située sous le gros ballon d'hélium.
«C'est un vol très tranquille. On peut
avoir les fenêtres ouvertes, regarder le paysage, et même voir
quelqu'un vous saluer du sol», selon la pilote, l'Anglaise
Katharine Board, aux commandes derrière le tableau de bord où
figure la jauge de l'hélium. Elle fait partie de la dizaine de
personnes actuellement qualifiées pour piloter ce type d'appareil.
«En Allemagne, les zeppelins volent autour
du lac de Constance et sont très populaires», explique Isabelle,
hôtesse de l'air allemande, originaire de Friedrichshafen (Sud),
où sont construits les dirigeables. «J'ai trouvé ça super! C'est
très doux, il y a une visibilité extraordinaire et on n'entend
presque aucun bruit», confie une passagère, Michèle, 59 ans, qui
habite à Pontoise au nord de Paris.
L'aéronef est long comme un Airbus A380 (75
m), mais pèse seulement 8 tonnes. Seulement trois appareils de ce
type volent actuellement dans le monde, selon Franck Glaser,
directeur commercial d'Airship-Paris. Quatre parcours sont prévus:
Vexin, château de Chantilly, Boucles de la Seine et Versailles.
Les prix oscillent entre 250 et 650 euros, selon la durée des
parcours (de 30 minutes à 1h30), avec une moyenne de sept vols par
jour jusqu'à fin octobre.
The Budweiser Designate a Driver blimp is
traveling through Ohio, with stops planned in Columbus and Akron.
The 130-foot airship is tooling around Columbus this week and
weekend for the Ohio State Fair and is expected in Akron on Aug.
3-4 when the Bridgestone Invitational comes to Firestone Country
Club.
"The Budweiser Designate a Driver blimp
gives us a unique opportunity to reach adults at outdoor events
while they’re enjoying our beers," Kathy Casso, vice president of
corporate social responsibility for Anheuser-Busch, said in a
prepared statement. "Our message is simple: However you get home,
designate a driver."
The blimp can reach a top speed of 50 mph
but typically cruises between 30 and 35 mph at an altitude of
1,000 feet. It requires more than 69,000 cubic feet of helium to
fully inflate the American-made blimp, and it takes a crew of 13,
including a pilot, to operate and transport the airship. About 5
million 12-ounce Budweiser cans could fit inside the airship’s
envelope, the brewer said.
“It’s been more than 10 years since a
Budweiser blimp has taken flight, so when adults see our Designate
a Driver blimp, we hope they’ll take our message to heart and
either volunteer to be or use a designated driver,” Casso said.
Consumers who take a pledge at
BudBlimp.com not to drink and
drive also will be entered to win a trip for two to the Budweiser Made In America music
festival(Aug. 31-Sept. 1).
The winner will receive a blimp ride (weather-permitting) over the
festival grounds.
The blimp will end its 25-city tour
in St. Louis on Sept. 20 to commemorate Global Be(er) Responsible
Day, an annual Anheuser-Busch event dedicated to promoting
responsible drinking.
Surveillance automatisée de la mer
Méditerranée par les équipes du CrossMed 19/07/2013
Le Cross Méditerranée (CrossMed) teste
un programme européen intitulé I2C (prononcer eye to see) qui
devrait permettre une meilleure surveillance maritime. Un
"oeil pour voir", tel... Big Brother.
Pour que ce système automatique de
détection d'activités illégales fonctionne, de gros moyens ont été
mis en place. Un logiciel a été créé tout spécialement pour
traquer les activités illégales. Il analyse les données envoyées
par les opérations de contrôle et les sémaphores installés
entre l'Espagne et l'Italie. Actuellement un Zeppelin survole les
côtes du Var pour surveiller le trafic maritime. A son bord, du
matériel haute fréquence capable de voir jusqu'à la Sardaigne. Si un navire est suspect un bateau drone
peut être envoyé. Commandé à distance il est suréquipé avec caméra
très haute résolution et infra-rouge.
Ce projet européenà 16 millions d'Euros emploie depuis
2010 près de 100 personnes au CrossMed de Toulon.
Suveillance automatisée de la mer Méditerranée par les
équipes du Cross Med
Interviews : Michel Morel, Coordinateur de recherches
du projet I2C; Cdt Eric Lefebvre, Directeur du CROSS
Méditerranée
prenez le zeppelin dès le 4 août Publié le 17.07.2013
Survoler les châteaux de Versailles de
Chantilly et de la Roche Guyon en zeppelin ? A partir du 4 août, c'est
possible. La société Airship commercialise des vols dans cet aéronef
blanc au-dessus de l'Ile-de-France, un privilège rare pour les
touristes alors qu'il n'existe que trois dirigeables de ce type.
«Après cinq années
d'efforts, on y arrive enfin !», s'enthousiasme Eric Lopez, président
d'Airship, société implantée à Neuilly-sur-Seine. Son idée de
commercialiser des vols de dirigeable en France est venue d'une
rencontre avec le directeur de la société Zeppelin et d'un coup de
cœur pour ces «paquebots volants» qui séduisent de nombreux touristes
en Allemagne autour du lac de Constance.
«Quand j'ai
découvert cet appareil magique, cette nouvelle forme de vol unique,
innovante, sans bruit, sa grande sécurité et sa maitrise
technologique, je me suis dit pourquoi pas autour de Paris, première
destination touristique mondiale», explique l'entrepreneur, qui a
travaillé pendant 20 ans pour des compagnies aériennes.
Un engin
géant mais silencieux
D'une longueur de 75
m, le zeppelin est doté de trois moteurs qui sont éloignés de la
cabine, ce qui fait que le dirigeable «fait moins de bruit qu'un
lave-vaisselle». L'engin volera à 300 m de haut, avec douze passagers
à bord, à une vitesse moyenne de 80 km/h.
Au départ de
l'aérodrome de Pontoise - Cormeilles-en-Vexin, quatre parcours sont
ainsi prévus : Vexin, château de Chantilly, boucles de la Seine et
Versailles. Les prix oscillent entre 250 et 650 euros, selon la durée
des parcours (de 30 min à 1h30), avec une moyenne de 7 vols par jour
jusqu'à fin octobre.
Côté sécurité, «les
zeppelins, comme les avions et les hélicoptères, répondent à des
exigences réglementaires fixées par l'EASA en Europe qui visent à
assurer la sécurité des passagers et des surfaces survolées» indique
Dominique Fouda, porte-parole de l'Agence européenne de sécurité
aérienne (EASA). En effet, l'hélium, un gaz inerte et ininflammable, a
remplacé l'hydrogène, à l'origine de la catastrophe de «Hindenburg» en
1937. Le zeppelin allemand LZ 129, le plus grand aéronef jamais
construit, avait pris feu lors de son atterrisasage à Lakehurst, dans
le New Jersey (Etats-Unis). Cet accident avait sonné le glas de l'âge
d'or de ces machines volantes.
La Direction
générale de l'aviation civile a également donné son feu vert,
soulignant que «toutes les autorisations de survol ont été délivrées»,
a déclarév son porte-parole Eric Héraud.
Aujourd'hui,
seulement trois zeppelins, construits à Friedrichshafen
(Baden-Württemberg), existent dans le monde.
VIDEO. Eric Lopez, président
d'Airship, présente l'événement
L’étonnant
retour du ZeppelinLe Parisien
Publié le 26 juin 2013
Une société va
commercialiser à partir d’août des vols en dirigeable au départ du
Val-d’Oise. Les billets sont disponibles sur Internet.
Dans leur bureau
de Neuilly-sur-Seine (Hauts-de-Seine), les dirigeants d’Airship
comptent les jours. Il faut dire qu’ils l’ont attendu, ce 3 août, date
programmée du premier vol commercial de leur dirigeable, depuis
l’aérodrome de Pontoise-Cormeilles (Val-d’Oise). Près de cinq ans se
sont écoulés depuis qu’Eric Lopez, le président de la société, a lancé
ce projet.
Présentation
de trois appareils aux concepts et caractéristiques originaux.
Airship, le
drone de ballon dirigeable
Mais c'est
quoi? L'aéronef ne ressemble à rien de connu. Il s'agit d'un
ballon dirigeable drone (sans pilote) à tête de catamaran! Cet
appareil troposphérique, gonflé à l'hélium, est destiné à mener
des missions d'observation du climat dans l'atmosphère et de
surveillance de l'Arctique. Il pourrait aussi être employé dans le
cadre d'opérations de sauvetage car il est capable d'enlever
jusqu'à 7 tonnes et de les transporter en volant à 1000 mètres
d'altitude. «Sa vocation est civile et scientifique. C'est un
ballon d'observation», résume Jean Botti, directeur technologie d'EADS,
maison mère d'Airbus.
Une maquette
de plus de deux mètres est exposée sur le stand d'EADS. Mais les
mensurations réelles de l'engin seront bien plus imposantes: 90
mètres de long, 60 mètres de large et 8 mètres de hauteur.
Construit avec 100% de matériaux composites, il est doté d'une
structure mince et rigide. Il est équipé de deux moteurs de
poussée alimentés en biocarburant.
Pour le
moment, Airship est un concept qui cherche des fonds publics pour
devenir un démonstrateur. EADS travaille déjà avec plusieurs
universités et cherchent à nouer des accords de coopérations. Il
se dit qu'Arnaud Montebourg, le ministre du redressement
productif, s'intéresse de près à ce projet.
Boulder firm lands several instruments on British blimp 10/06/2013
'Cloud Lab' crossing country in atmospheric study for BBC
documentary
Four instruments from a Boulder company
specializing in cutting-edge technology for airborne measurements of
aerosol and cloud particles are included in a group of devices along
for a slow trip across America on board what is billed as the world's
largest airship.
The project is a venture sponsored by BBC Two,
a blimp ferrying a team of British scientists across the United States
from Orlando, Fla., to Big Sur, Calif. For a 2014 documentary with the
working title of "Cloud Lab," the researchers are spending a month
studying how hurricanes form, insect life, bats and the relationship
between diverse ecosystems and weather.
The blimp, limited to no more than about 1,000
feet in altitude, must track well south of the higher peaks of the
Rocky Mountains. It is therefore floating across the southern tier of
the United States, on a trajectory that should take it over Las
Cruces, N.M., and Flagstaff, Ariz., before hitting California. Late
this week, the blimp was passing over Texas.
"Just as we finish investigating hurricanes in
the Gulf onboard @BBCCloudLab, Tropical Storm Karen arrives," read one
of its most recent tweets.
Boulder's Droplet Measurement Technologies has
provided four instruments that are currently flying on the Cloud Lab
blimp. Because the blimp can accommodate only a limited payload, just
a few instruments were offered a spot on board.
"This is a unique opportunity to deploy our
instruments," Greg Kok, DMT's research and development director, wrote
in an email. "It is exciting for us to see our customers collect data,
but this is an opportunity where we can really make measurements and
also work with some of the data."
The four DMT instruments on Cloud Lab are its
Cloud Droplet Probe 2, which measures small cloud droplets, the PAX
and SP2, which measure black carbon -- a major contributor to global
warming -- and its Wideband Integrated Bioaerosol Sensor 4A, which
detects bioaerosols such as mold, fungi and pollens.
Google blimps
will carry wireless signal across Africa26 May 13
Search giant Google
is intending to build huge wireless
networks across Africa and Asia, using high-altitude balloons and
blimps.
The company is intending
to finance, build and help operate networks from sub-Saharan Africa to
Southeast Asia, with the aim of connecting around a billion people to
the web. To help enable the campaign, Google has been putting together
an ecosystem of low-cost smartphones running Android on low-power
microprocessors. Rather than traditional infrastructure, Google's
signal will be carried by high-altitude platforms - balloons and
blimps - that can transmit to areas of hundreds of square kilometres.
Google has also considered using satellites
to achieve the same goal. "There's not going to be one technology that
will be the silver bullet," an unnamed source told the Wall St
Journal. A Google spokesperson declined to comment. Meanwhile, back on
the ground, Google lobbyists are targeting regulators across
developing countries to allow them to use airwaves currently reserved
for television broadcasts - which operate at lower frequencies and can
therefore penetrate buildings and travel longer distances than current
WiFi technology. Small-scale trials are underway in
Cape Town, South Africa, where a base station is broadcasting signals
to wireless access boxes in high schools over several kilometres.
Software detects which areas of the spectrum aren't being used for TV
broadcast and can be used for the network at any given time.
Budweiser 'Designate A Driver' Blimp Takes Flight This Summer
ST. LOUIS, May 20, 2013
/PRNewswire/ -- On May 22, Budweiser's first-ever responsible-drinking
blimp will begin its official maiden voyage. The airship, which
carries the "Designate a Driver" message, will embark on a 17-week
tour across much of the country, following a send-off in
St. Louis. The blimp's flight
plan includes 25 stops, many of which coincide with major festivals,
outdoor celebrations and sporting events in tour cities.
"With summer on
the horizon, we're all finding more reasons to celebrate," said Kathy Casso,
vice president of Corporate Social Responsibility for
Anheuser-Busch. "The Budweiser Designate
a Driver blimp gives us a unique opportunity to reach adults at
outdoor events while they're enjoying our beers. Our message is
simple: However you get home, designate a driver."
Consumers 21 and
older can follow the Budweiser Designate a Driver blimp on Twitter
with
@budblimp throughout the tour and tweet
photos of the vessel in their city using the hash tag
#ddblimp. Adults can also log on to
www.budblimp.com to pledge to drink
responsibly and always designate a driver, and then share their pledge
through Facebook to encourage friends to do the same.
The 130-foot airship can
reach a top speed of 50 miles per hour but typically cruises at
between 30 and 35 miles per hour at an altitude of 1,000 feet. It
requires more than 69,000 cubic feet of helium to fully inflate the
American-made blimp, and it takes a crew of 13, including a pilot, to
operate and transport the airship throughout the tour. Approximately 5
million 12-ounce cans of Budweiser beer could fit inside the airship's
envelope.
"It's been more than 10
years since a Budweiser blimp has taken flight, so when adults see our
Designate a Driver blimp, we hope they'll take our message to heart
and either volunteer to be or use a designated driver," Casso
added.
Consumers who take
the pledge at BudBlimp.com will also be entered to win** a trip for
two to the Budweiser Made In America music festival
(August 31-September 1), which includes a blimp ride
(weather-permitting) over the festival grounds.
The Budweiser
Designate a Driver airship will end its tour in
St. Louis on September 20 to
commemorate Global Be(er) Responsible Day, an annual Anheuser-Busch
event dedicated to promoting responsible drinking – including the use
of designated drivers.
About
Anheuser-Busch Anheuser-Busch and its employees build on a
legacy of corporate social responsibility by focusing on three key
areas: promoting alcohol responsibility, preserving and protecting the
environment and supporting local communities. In the past three
decades, Anheuser-Busch and its wholesalers have committed more than
$980 million in national advertising campaigns and community-based
programs to encourage responsible drinking and prevent underage
drinking and drunk driving. Anheuser-Busch reduced total water use at
its breweries by 40 percent in the last five years and the company has
been a leading aluminum recycler for more than 30 years. Since 1997,
Anheuser-Busch and its Foundation have invested in local communities
through donations of nearly $515 million to charitable
organizations. The company also has provided more than 72 million cans
of drinking water to people impacted by natural and other disasters
since 1988. Based in
St. Louis, Anheuser-Busch, the
leading American brewer, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of
Anheuser-Busch InBev, the leading global brewer, and continues to
operate under the Anheuser-Busch name and logo. For more information,
visit
www.anheuser-busch.com.
Skyship
Services Inc. to launch largest Skyship in May 12 Mai
2013
ORLANDO, FLA. - Skyship Services Inc.,
owner of the Type Certificates for the largest certified non-rigid
airships in the world, announced the signing of a contract that
will launch the first of a new era of Skyships.
This 200 foot majestic flying machine is being assembled at a
hangar facility near Elizabeth City, NC that was originally used
as a US Navy airship base. The Skyship will be ready to commence
operations in May 2013 and will then begin a tour that will bring
it to Florida before it flies from the East Coast to the WestCoast.
Julian Benscher,
president of Skyship Services Inc. stated that "...most people think of airships as
representative of a bygone era but in fact they provide the
world's most stable flying aerial platform with unparalleled
endurance capabilities."
Skyship Services Inc de lancer la plus
grande Skyship12 May 2013
ORLANDO, Floride. - Skyship Services
Inc, propriétaire des plus grands dirigeables souples certifiés dans
le monde, a annoncé la signature d'un contrat qui va lancer le premier
d'une nouvelle ère des aérostats. Cette machine de 200 pieds est
assemblé dans un hangar près d'Elizabeth City, Caroline du Nord qui a
été initialement utilisé comme une base américaine dirigeable Marine.
Le Skyship sera prêt à commencer ses activités en mai 2013 et
commencera alors une tournée qui l'amènera en Floride avant de voler
de la côte Est à la côte Ouest.
Julian Benscher,
président de Services Skyship Inc a déclaré que «... la plupart des
gens pensent des dirigeables en tant que représentant d'une époque
révolue mais en fait ils fournissent le plus stable du monde
plate-forme volante aérienne avec incomparables capacités
d'endurance."
How the airship is going from
propaganda war machine to something that could change the
world.
They were billed as the future of
transportation, the pinnacle of long-distance luxury travel.
Forget planes, trains, or boats. Airships were the new gold
standard – “lighter-than-air” – an incredible convergence of
human industry and science fiction. Eyes widened, mouths gaped
– the world stood captivated. After years of development, a
utopian vision of aviation was suddenly realized. The future
looked bright.
But on May
6, 1937, the era of airships came to a terrible end as the
German-made Hindenburg
horrifically perished over American soil. It took years to
perfect, but only moments to come crashing down. To this day,
the legacy of an engulfed Hindenburg
still haunts the aviation world, an everlasting reminder of
unimaginable tragedy.
It doesn’t sound like a particularly
magnetic history worth re-exploring, yet WorldWide Aeros is
toiling away on a completely new prototype airship that has
the potential to change flight forever.
On a long journey: an airship with
the Bayer cross and mission statement in large lettering was
heading for destinations in many parts of the world in 2013. It
has been seen for the first time at the Financial News Conference.
The Bayer Airship has visited some of the world's greatest cities
in the company's anniversary year, for instance: Sydney, New York,
Barcelona and Johannesburg.
World Tour of the Bayer Airship
"Bayer: Science For A Better
Life" to enthusiastic spectators around the world. On
the way, it took to the skies over major cities and
many famous landmarks. All of them are now brought
together in one video showing some of the highlights
of a memorable tour.
From the plains of South Africa to the
Statue of Liberty in New York, from the foot of Mount Fuji to
the Sugarloaf Mountain in Rio de Janeiro: On its travels, the
airship carried the company mission "Bayer: Science For A
Better Life" to enthusiastic spectators around the world. On
the way, it took to the skies over major cities and many
famous landmarks. All of them are now brought together in one
video showing some of the highlights of a memorable tour.
