Not GPS But Too Good To Miss
As regular readers know I can seldom pass up anything to do with the Lighter Than Air (LTA) world. There are many LTA current activities where GPS plays an important role, but this isn’t one of them … at least as of yet.
Hot air balloons are a great eye pleasure, and interesting hobby for some and even a source of aviation business revenue for a few lucky companies who make a permanent or occassional business out of offerring people an introduction to the world of flight by floating on the wind. Hot ir balloon, the most common LTA aircraft are very simple in operation, relatievly inexspensive and quite foolproof when flown well. They ahve a distinct disadvanage to some, though … they only go where the wind takes them. It’s also quite simple to get a haot air balloon emdorsement on a pilot’s icense.
Blimps, more specifically “semi-rigid airships” are widely seen at sporting events where their power to stay aloft for long periods at very low airspeeds yet travel where the pilot wills them to go be means of motors are the next step up the LTA ladder. But blmps are quite a bit more complex, very uch more exspensive to buy and operate and currently require a specifc “airship” rating for the pilot, which isn’t easy … there aren’t many flight schools that give instruction and certification tests in blimps.
Enter Alberto the “personal blimp”. A hot air balloon with an engine to allow it to manuever where the pilot tells it to, and, if developer Dan Nachbar, has his way, able to be fown with a conventilal hot air free balloon pilot’s rating.
It’s the weekend, so you don’t have to keep your nose to the grindstone. Go visit thie site of the Experimental Light Than Air XLTA Web site and learn that all the fasciantation and the fun haven’t yet gone from the world of aviation.
Have a great weekend!