Anyone here ever piloted an airship?

[Jim Logajan]

Just curious if anyone reading this group has ever piloted an airship.

[Gig 601XL Builder]

Jim Logajan wrote:
> Just curious if anyone reading this group has ever piloted an airship.

No but when I was 9 or 10 I got to stand right behind the pilots of the
Goddyear blimp while they were covering a Cowboys game.

[Mortimer Schnerd, RN[_2_]]

Jim Logajan wrote:
> Just curious if anyone reading this group has ever piloted an airship.


No, but I applied for a job with an airship company back when I was finishing up
my recovery from a plane crash. I figured if I crashed an airship, it would be
slower and not hurt as much.

For some reason I didn't get the job. I ended up flying cancelled checks all
over creation. Is this a great country or what?

FWIW, it was out of Elizabeth City, NC. They flew the smaller airships you'd
see at NFL games... not the big Goodyear blimps.




--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN
mschnerdatcarolina.rr.com

[Steve Foley[_2_]]

"Mortimer Schnerd, RN" <mschnerdatcarolina.rr.com> wrote in message news:a->
> For some reason I didn't get the job. I ended up flying cancelled checks
> all over creation. Is this a great country or what?

I friend of mine flew checks (Epps?). He said he always wondered why they
checked weather, because no matter what they said, they were flying.

[Mortimer Schnerd, RN[_2_]]

Steve Foley wrote:
>> For some reason I didn't get the job. I ended up flying cancelled checks
>> all over creation. Is this a great country or what?
>
> I friend of mine flew checks (Epps?). He said he always wondered why they
> checked weather, because no matter what they said, they were flying.


There was an Epps Flying Service (I think it was called) down around Atlanta.
As for your comment about the weather, it was so we'd know how many changes of
underwear to bring. We were expected to fly.

As an aside, I can't count the number of times where every airliner missed the
approach while at the same time every freight dog got in. You learn a lot about
real world IFR flying from doing a stint as a courier for a year or two.



--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN
mschnerdatcarolina.rr.com

[Steve Foley[_2_]]

"Mortimer Schnerd, RN" <mschnerdatcarolina.rr.com> wrote in message
...

> There was an Epps Flying Service (I think it was called) down around
> Atlanta.

Bill flew out of Bradley (KBDL) in CT.


> As an aside, I can't count the number of times where every airliner missed
> the approach while at the same time every freight dog got in. You learn a
> lot about real world IFR flying from doing a stint as a courier for a year
> or two.

Keeping in mind that I can count all the approaches I've flown on one
finger.......

Is it becuase the airlines are trying to keep the pax comfortable, and don't
want to bounce all over the sky on an approach, or are freight dogs better?

[Kyle Boatright]

"Steve Foley" > wrote in message
...
> "Mortimer Schnerd, RN" <mschnerdatcarolina.rr.com> wrote in message
> ...
>
>> There was an Epps Flying Service (I think it was called) down around
>> Atlanta.
>
> Bill flew out of Bradley (KBDL) in CT.
>
>
>> As an aside, I can't count the number of times where every airliner
>> missed the approach while at the same time every freight dog got in. You
>> learn a lot about real world IFR flying from doing a stint as a courier
>> for a year or two.
>
> Keeping in mind that I can count all the approaches I've flown on one
> finger.......
>
> Is it becuase the airlines are trying to keep the pax comfortable, and
> don't want to bounce all over the sky on an approach, or are freight dogs
> better?

The freight dogs may be better, but they often push the limits a bit farther
knowing that they won't be taking 100 people with 'em if they make a
mistake.

The freight pilots I talk with (particularly the guys who fly smaller
aircraft) have some incredible stories to tell. Yikes...

KB

[Lee K. Gleason]

"Jim Logajan" > wrote in message
.. .
> Just curious if anyone reading this group has ever piloted an airship.

I've piloted airships for 1000's of hours, in all weather, all over the
world. I once landed the Norge at the base of Mt. Erebus in a white out
blizzard. Many are the hours I've plied a dirigible over the placid blue
waters of the Mediteranean, dolphins leaping beneath the bow. How well I
remember navigating through the Grand Canyon. Once I even flew the Goodyear
Blimp under the Golden Gate Bridge, and landed it on the USS Hornet while it
was at anchor in Alameda. Of course, it was all in Microsoft Flight
Simulator, but that's really the same thing (maybe even better) than doing
it in the 3-D real world. If you have any questions, let me know - someone
as experienced at airship operations as I am can pretty much answer any
questions you have. Glad to be able to help!


(and for the humor impaired - it's a joke, son - Ya supposed ta laff!)
--
Lee K. Gleason N5ZMR
Control-G Consultants

[Mortimer Schnerd, RN[_2_]]

Steve Foley wrote:
> Is it becuase the airlines are trying to keep the pax comfortable, and don't
> want to bounce all over the sky on an approach, or are freight dogs better?


The airliners fly the approach... they want in just as bad as anybody else. I
don't think the freight dogs were necessarily any better either. We just pushed
it a little harder. I never had another crewman sitting next to me to tell me I
popped a DH, not that I would ever do such a thing. But it would be an amazing
thing. I'd shoot an approach to minimums in Charlotte and land, then watch
airliner after airliner fly down the runway only to climb out into the slag
again, interspaced with freighter after freighter taxiing up to the FBO.

I heard a theory it was because we sat closer to the ground that it was just
enough difference for us to see the runway compared to somebody sitting in a big
airliner cockpit. But I suspect it was just that we pushed it.

The boss didn't want to hear excuses; he wanted to hear the airplane taxiing up.
So we did.



--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN
mschnerdatcarolina.rr.com

[Jim Logajan]

"Lee K. Gleason" > wrote:
> I've piloted airships for 1000's of hours, in all weather, all over the
> world. I once landed the Norge
....
> (and for the humor impaired - it's a joke, son - Ya supposed ta laff!)

As soon as I read the name Norge I knew immediately you were joking (or
mighty damn old! So, what was Roald Amundsen really like? ;-))

Yes, I have read a bit on the history of airships and the Norge is justly
famous in the annals of that history.

[James Sleeman]

On Feb 14, 10:37 am, Jim Logajan > wrote:
> Just curious if anyone reading this group has ever piloted an airship.

Can't say as I have but there was an interesting Airships documentaty
on Discovery or Nat Geo here a while back.

On the one hand, they look like a really neat thing to fly, on the
other it seems like a complete pain in the ass to get them on and off
the ground.

[Ash Wyllie]

Mortimer Schnerd, RN opined

>Steve Foley wrote:
>> Is it becuase the airlines are trying to keep the pax comfortable, and
>> don't want to bounce all over the sky on an approach, or are freight dogs
>> better?


>The airliners fly the approach... they want in just as bad as anybody else.
>I don't think the freight dogs were necessarily any better either. We just
>pushed it a little harder. I never had another crewman sitting next to me
>to tell me I popped a DH, not that I would ever do such a thing. But it
>would be an amazing thing. I'd shoot an approach to minimums in Charlotte
>and land, then watch airliner after airliner fly down the runway only to
>climb out into the slag again, interspaced with freighter after freighter
>taxiing up to the FBO.

>I heard a theory it was because we sat closer to the ground that it was just
>enough difference for us to see the runway compared to somebody sitting in a
>big airliner cockpit.

Great theory. I love it.

>But I suspect it was just that we pushed it.

I'm shocked, SHOCKED, that anyone would consider descending under minimums
without sight of the runway.

>The boss didn't want to hear excuses; he wanted to hear the airplane taxiing
>up. So we did.



>--
>Mortimer Schnerd, RN
>mschnerdatcarolina.rr.com




-ash
Cthulhu in 2007!
Why wait for nature?

[Mortimer Schnerd, RN[_2_]]

Ash Wyllie wrote:
>> But I suspect it was just that we pushed it.
>
> I'm shocked, SHOCKED, that anyone would consider descending under minimums
> without sight of the runway.


Well, none of us would do that. Of course we saw it first. <G> (I'm pretty
sure it was down there anyway.)

You know, there is always a certain percentage of pilots out there who turn
there noses up at the thought of doing anything like that. "Why didn't you
quit?", "No job is worth that", etc. Sometimes I think folks who didn't or
don't fly for a living on the lowest level ever understand how difficult those
jobs are to find. They pay really poorly... I can remember one year grossing
$13K. And yet they were the path to the airlines where life was much better.

I did quit my courier job (which at least was steady) over a disagreement about
flying into known icing in a Lance. I ended up trying to sell cars for three
months before I found a freight job locally flying C-402s. That job lasted less
than 2 months before the company collapsed. I worked construction for a while.
Then an outfit out of Atlanta held a massive interview session looking for folks
to fly their Aerostars. I knew something was up when the woman asked me what my
attitude was toward flying no-flap approaches in the Aerostar (there was some
sort of AD out at the time). This didn't sound good. They didn't offer me the
job as it turned out. However about three weeks later, they wanted me after
all. That means their first choice took a look and didn't like the situation.
Why the hell would I? I didn't take it... ended up getting into nursing school
instead. Never flew for money again. Never dug forms again at a construction
site either. <G>

But the point is that those jobs don't grow on trees. And unless you learned
how to fly in the military, your access to the airlines and the good life is
limited without passing through their clutches, at least for a while.



--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN
mschnerdatcarolina.rr.com

[Ron Natalie]

Mortimer Schnerd, RN wrote:
> Jim Logajan wrote:
>> Just curious if anyone reading this group has ever piloted an airship.
>
>
> No, but I applied for a job with an airship company back when I was finishing up
> my recovery from a plane crash. I figured if I crashed an airship, it would be
> slower and not hurt as much.
>
If you told them that, it could be the reason you didn't get the job.

Also making references to the Hindenburg (Oh the humanity) doesn't earn
you any points either :-)

[Montblack]

("Ron Natalie" wrote)
> If you told them that, it could be the reason you didn't get the job.
>
> Also making references to the Hindenburg (Oh the humanity) doesn't earn
> you any points either :-)


"Favorite movie?"

"Black Sunday." ....(1977)

"Next!"


Montblack

[B A R R Y[_2_]]

Anybody remember the beer ad from the mid-90's? Win a ride in the blimp?

"35 MPH! That's as fast as it goes!" <G>

[Gary[_2_]]

On Feb 14, 3:20 am, "James Sleeman" > wrote:
> On Feb 14, 10:37 am, Jim Logajan > wrote:
>
> > Just curious if anyone reading this group has ever piloted an airship.
>
> Can't say as I have but there was an interesting Airships documentaty
> on Discovery or Nat Geo here a while back.
>
> On the one hand, they look like a really neat thing to fly, on the
> other it seems like a complete pain in the ass to get them on and off
> the ground.

I've not had the chance, but three guys in the radio-control aircraft
club I belonged to (before getting all tangled up in full-scale) got a
gig flying a radio-control Metlife blimp around the local hockey arena
during games. Small pay, but huge fun. That lead to an invitation to
go for a ride on the real Metlife blimp, which was based nearby at
Solberg NJ. The guy who drew right seat was given a chance to fly
it. He had a great time.

[B A R R Y[_2_]]

Gary wrote:
>
> I've not had the chance, but three guys in the radio-control aircraft
> club I belonged to (before getting all tangled up in full-scale) got a
> gig flying a radio-control Metlife blimp around the local hockey arena
> during games.

Was that in Hartford?

There was an r/c blimp at Whalers games during the 90's.

[Gary[_2_]]

On Feb 16, 10:14 am, B A R R Y > wrote:
> Gary wrote:
>
> > I've not had the chance, but three guys in the radio-control aircraft
> > club I belonged to (before getting all tangled up in full-scale) got a
> > gig flying a radio-control Metlife blimp around the local hockey arena
> > during games.
>
> Was that in Hartford?
>
> There was an r/c blimp at Whalers games during the 90's.

No, this was for the Trenton Titans, an ECHL team playing in Trenton,
NJ.