Airship in NZ???

[Dave Homewood]

I have just read in NZ Wings dated April 1987, that:

"Airship Ventures, the company importing an Airship Industries 600 from the United Kingdom later this year, is headed by Ossie James as chairman with Auckland marketing executive Fred Dobbs as chief executive. The $4.7 million, 14 passenger airship is to be based in Auckland and used for sightseeing and advertising. Capable of 48 hours aloft, the Skyship 500 [sic] has a 55 knot cruise and a 2.8 tonne payload capability."

So, did this arrive? If so, where was it based? What becme of it? is it still in NZ?

Did they ever use this as a camera platform at sports events as done overseas with airships and blimps?

That price seemed good and the stats impressive.

[Peter Lewis]

It never got here.
The last airship operated here was, I understand, the Colt AS-105 HA Airship imported from the UK for Lion Breweries in 1987. It was not successful as NZ is frankly far too windy for such a beast. It operated infequently on advertising flights until it was sold in 1997 and faded away.

When I was in Singapore some years ago Branson's Virgin operation had a 'Lightship' ( an airship that could be illuminated from the interior to display advertising slogans) that used to make quite frequent flights around the city in the early evening. It looked quite impressive. Apparently even that did not last particularly long, as it wasn't around the last time I went back.

[Dave Homewood]

Thanks Peter. I'd never considered the wind factor here. I know Pat Monk who was designing for Wren Skyships of Isle of Man was trying to sell our government some big airships for both Cook Strait ferry crossings and also for transport of workers and goods between land and our oild rigs. The Govt was interested but I think it was canned when 'Think Big' National was booted out by 'Roger-everyone-nomics' Labour in 1984. I guess an airship ride across the strait on a rough day may have been worse than by sea.

I heard last year a recording played on National Radio. It was done in the 1960's and the reporter was commentating the first balloon ride in Wellington attempted in over 50 years. He was clearly terrified as they'd given up ballooning there due to the wind. In the end he landed safely but many miles up the coast from where they'd planned to land!! I wonder if it's been attempted again since?

[beagle]

The Pictonberg

[Bruce]

Well the Zepplin company is building semi-rigid airships again - see www.zeppelin-nt.de/index_e.htm

[Dave Homewood]

"The Pictonberg "

;D ;D ;D