Co-Founder and President of Airship Ventures Brian Hall
Orlando is the second stop on the Farmers Airship Covering Communities tour, a six-month cross-country journey that will mark the first time a Zeppelin airship has ever barnstormed acrossthe nation. In total, the Farmers Airship will sail in the skies of nearly half of the nation’s states and two dozen communities,including Orlando, are expected to host the Zeppelin for extended stays.
We attended the landing of the zeppelin in Orlando Friday afternoon at the Executive Airport and have some fun up close and personal shots. It truly is a sight. And funny enough, this is now our second run-in with an airship-type adventure. Photo Credit: Mark Baratelli and Amanda Chadwick
Public Flying Tours: Tours aboard the Farmers Airship will be offered from Orlando Executive Airport May 7-8 and 11-12. Tours will range from 45-minutes to 90-minutes in duration and circle the Orlando area, offering bird’s-eye views of the region, including amusement areas. Private charters and custom routes may also be arranged. Price: $375-$750/person. To Book: 650-969-8100 x 111 or reservations@airshipventures.com.
Interact: Follow them on Twitter (use #farmersairship) and Facebook, Track it's progress, Live Pilot's-Eye-View of Orlando, Behind The Scenes, Submit Photos & Stories
An airship is an aircraft where most or all of the lift comes from a lighter than air gas, rather than from the movement of a wing or rotor. Airships have a fascinating history in both general and military aviation, including a number of 'firsts' such as circumnavigating the globe by air. The historic ships that made these journeys were filled with volatile hydrogen for lift; modern airships use non-flammable helium. Externally Zeppelins and blimps look quite alike, and it’s not uncommon to hear people talking about Zeppelins when they mean blimps, but there is a significant difference.
Zeppelins have a rigid internal frame. The Farmers Airship’s frame is a light, rigid metal and carbon fiber
framework that is covered with a synthetic canvas hull, inside of which is helium. This framework allows the engines to be located where they operate most efficiently - on the sides of the hull and at the tail end of the airship, far from the gondola - providing a quiet, vibration-free ride.
A blimp does not have an internal rigid frame. They maintain their internal shape due to the internal pressure from their lifting gas. Because there is no framework above the gondola, the engines have to be mounted directly to the sides of passenger cabin, creating noise and vibration.
