We have a blimp?

[Pags]

How did THAT get in there? That was supposed to be a no-press-allowed conference! That's what I get for not reading the Tester!

I guess The Tester's reporting staff is not too be under-estimated.

 

[HeyJoe]

100712-G-2210R-081 MOBILE, Ala. (July 12, 2010) A U.S. Navy MZ-3A manned airship, Advanced Airship Flying Laboratory, derived from the commercial A-170 series blimp is in Mobile, Alabama Downtown Airport prior to take-off en route assisting U.S. Coast Guard with the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Gina Routi/Released)

 

[Cron]

Why no big US Navy markings on the airbag? Because it's contractor operated?

Anyway, seems like a missed recruiting opportunity. :icon_tong

 

[dirtydog]

Why no big US Navy markings on the airbag? Because it's contractor operated?

Anyway, seems like a missed recruiting opportunity. :icon_tong

Not even a recruiting opportunity. A pride opportunity. I want a USN-stamped zeppelin!

 

[Cron]

Not even a recruiting opportunity. A pride opportunity. I want a USN-stamped zeppelin!

Well that was a bit tongue-in-cheek. I'm not expecting blimps to be showing up in Navy commercials anytime soon ("Accelerate Your Life...Kinda"), but goshdarnit the markings would look good and it's tradition.

 

[Uncle Fester]

"Accelerate your life...vertically, repeatedly, and rapidly, first thunderstorm you hit."

I've heard a lot of bullshit about how LTA is making a comeback. It's not like we got rid of them in the first place because they're too stable and useful. See: USS Akron, USS Macon, USS Shenandoah, USS Los Angeles.

 

[nittany03]

To be fair, none of the above had a handy little gadget called radar.

 

[Uncle Fester]

Radar's worth fuck-all if you can't climb over and/or run away from a thunderbumper. It'd be handy for quantifying exactly how fucked you are, I guess.

 

[Floppy_D]

I was just out for a run along the seawall on P-cola, and saw the beast. That is, unless there are more than one of those floatin' around. Pretty cool.

It'd be handy for quantifying exactly how fucked you are, I guess.

I wish I could do that.

 

[Uncle Fester]

I can see the value of tethered aerostats in AEW/Surveillance. Put a nice ISAR, phased-array or FLIR on it, whatever the mission requires, let it hang up above your strike group or FOB on a long string, make that string out of fiber optic cable to overcome bandwidth issues. Reel it in when the weather gets iffy; worst case, it crashes and you're out a balloon with sensor package, nobody gets killed.

Manned free-flying blimps, though? No thanks.

 

[Jim123]

Here is a gem from the Naval Heritage and History Command website (their facebook group sent an alert that tipped me off):

Today in U.S. Naval History:

July 18
1943 - German submarine shoots down K-47, the only U.S. airship lost during WW II.​

http://www.history.navy.mil/nan/backissues/1990s/1997/ma97/blimp.pdf

 

[yak52driver]

I can see the value of tethered aerostats in AEW/Surveillance. Put a nice ISAR, phased-array or FLIR on it, whatever the mission requires, let it hang up above your strike group or FOB on a long string, make that string out of fiber optic cable to overcome bandwidth issues. Reel it in when the weather gets iffy; worst case, it crashes and you're out a balloon with sensor package, nobody gets killed.

Manned free-flying blimps, though? No thanks.

A couple of years ago the (then) Outback Steakhouse blimp stayed at my airport a couple of weeks. I got a ride in it, way different from an airplane. It was more like a boat sort of rolling/swaying along. They just force it down to the ground on landing and the ground crew grabs the tether lines to keep it under control. The pilots had some amazing stories about how winds would occasionally break it away from it's mooring and they would have to chase after it until it landed on its own. The most incredible part was the blimp is IFR capable. They said shooting a approach takes forever depending on the the type of approach. For IFR they were most worried about icing conditions, if they too much ice on top of the envelope it can weigh more than the gondola and flip it over. Can't even imagine what a thunderstorm would do.

 

[HeyJoe]

A couple of years ago the (then) Outback Steakhouse blimp stayed at my airport a couple of weeks. I got a ride in it, way different from an airplane. It was more like a boat sort of rolling/swaying along. They just force it down to the ground on landing and the ground crew grabs the tether lines to keep it under control.

So there I was several weeks ago sitting in the MZ-3A at YPG...when I mentioned the flight, the Captain with appropriate Brtish accent informed me that the proper term was voyage so your analogy is on target.

While on tether as we were discussing topics du jour, the ground crew of ~ 6 guys were just below us under control of their team lead who kept a keen eye on the windsock. We were deep into discussion while gently floating in our impromptu conference room, but periodically we'd hear a barked command and hear 6 sets of feet shuffling as they kept tension during the weathercocking of the bag. Definitely a memorable and unique experience.

 

[Pags]

While on tether as we were discussing topics du jour, the ground crew of ~ 6 guys were just below us under control of their team lead who kept a keen eye on the windsock.

 

[HeyJoe]

LOL. +1 I remembered that exact image and asked how they made sure it didn't happen!