Blimp Pilots ?

[bafanguy]

Recently had occasion to apply for an advertised blimp pilot job...didn't get it, but that's OK, I'm kinda getting to where I enjoy the rejection. But, it occurred to me that I don't know where blimp pilots come from. The military doesn't fly them anymore and commercial ops are a bit limited in the overall scheme of aviation.
So, are there any blimp pilots on here who can tell how they became blimp pilots. It looks like fun...it it true you don't sweat the minimums but just say, " **CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED** the minimums...pass more gas ? "

 

[Mooseflyer]

I went to a Zeppelin museum in Germany last month, maybe I should apply? Maybe they're just hiring folks with recent stays at Holiday Inn Express.

 

[91100 100 set]

I would have to think that is a very small group of people in our big crazy aviation world. I'm not about to go looking for a blimp job myself, but it does kinda interest me too. I'm sure it's an entirely different kind of flying, altogether. (movie reference...)

 

[bafanguy]

Take a look at www.skycruisergroup.com to see what they do. It's more than just circling football games in the Fuji blimp. Very interesting stuff. But, where do blimp pilots come from ? This group was actually advertising for them a few months ago and apparently found all they needed.

 

[AcroChik]

Great Book

A wonderful book about lighter~than~air, aviation adventures, inventive engineering and just plain old creative flying is "The Deltoid Pumpkin Seed," by John McPhee.

Everything in the book has the virtue of being true, and being written by one of the greatest living prose stylists.

Strongly recommended.

 

[Flying Illini]

Lane Wallace just wrote about her experience taking a blimp across the Alps to Greece for the Olympic Games. It was an interesting article but it would have been nice to have more pics.

 

[Wang Chung]

I met a couple Akron-based Goodyear pilots in the pilot lounge at CPS last year (doing some local promotional flights). My memory is a little hazy, but I seem to remember that one guy had a CFI background at a University aviation program before he was hired into the blimp, and I believe he was a Akron-Canton area local. Might have known somebody. The other guy was a former Army helo driver who took a job at the Goodyear plant in a non-aviation position, and was hired into the blimp when a position came open.

 

[bafanguy]

Ahhhh sooo, Wang Chung...the old "who you know" thing again. I've heard of that...don't know anybody, but I've heard of that...

It was just interesting that this company actually went public on a jobs website looking for pilots. You'd think they could find all the pilots they need by the route you described.

 

[BankAccount=0$]

Blimps???

Back in 1998 when I was a Comm. student at Comair Academy there was a CP for Airship Operations out of Kississimmie, (sp) Florida who came to the academy trying to recruit a blimp pilot. Apparently nobody was interested in flying a blimp at the school that was promising jobs in a RJ upon graduation. I on the other hand thought that it would be sorta interesting to find out more. From what I remember, the CP told me that all blimp pilots are trained on the road ferrying the blimp from location to location. He said that it takes about a year untill you are put on the line as a full fledged pilot who works the events and PR rides. The money they were offering was great, and they picked up your apartment and had full benefits as well. I actually had to turn down the job, the academy didn't live up to their promise to have me done with my comm. in time to accept the job (anybody who was there would understand the shortage of flyable aircraft that followed the China Eastern program through the fleet). The biggest down side was that you live out on the road 7+ months a year, and the other thing I remember was a 1 year training contract(prorated) and the fact that the CP said that once you start flying the blimp you'll never want to leave it. It sounded like a pretty interesting thing to do, I'd actually consider it even after all of these years if I ran across the opportunity again.

 

[bafanguy]

Bank,


A great story...thanks for the info. But, now I feel even worse about all this than I did before. Wait a minute !! I LOVE rejection...yes, I do.

 

[atrdriver]

I got to ride in Goodyear's America about 10 years ago and it looked like it would be a blast. AS long as you don't wan tto get anywhere in a hurry. There was a 30 kt wind the day I got my ride, and I probably could ahve walked faster than it was flying upwind.

 

[bafanguy]

atr,


Yea, it's got to be fun...it's so different. I guess that's what peaked my interest when I saw the job posting. Plus, I'm retired so I'm not in a hurry to get anywhere !!

 

[wwiiguy]

Blimp Pilots, hah!

Speaking of blimp pilots, I've got a good one to tell....about a month ago, we had a blimp advertising Ameriquest Home Financing, working its way south along the east coast of Florida. My student and I were taking off to log another couple hours of DT (Death Time, aka flight instruction) on what promised to be a beautiful Saturday morning. Two and a half hours later, this same blimp is just hovering around our airport in what appeared to be a holding pattern with about 50' outbound legs. I later heard the poor guy was lost...I found it hard to believe, but of course, I've seen dumber guys than that with their license. How on earth can you get lost in a blimp? You're going so slow you could practically redraw the map yourself by the time you get to your destination. I'm thinking he must've just needed more time to brief the approach plate....

On a more creative note, I couldn't help but think how much fun it would have been to fly up above him and drop bags of flour or spit goobers on him. Seeing one in real life like that, it just invites harrassment. Besides, the FARs say it's okay to drop objects from an aircraft, right??? Oohh, or even better, drop a giant box of tacks, needles, pins, and nails. hmmm....

 

[laser]

Blimp in San Diego - No Markings

I read an article on the Goodyear operation some years ago. They hired Commercial MEL pilots and trained in-house for the airship rating.

Somewhat related.......I saw an all white blimp moored at San Diego Brown field over the weekend. It had no corporate markings on it at all. Does anybody know anything about it?

 

[bafanguy]

... or spit goobers on him. Seeing one in real life like that, it just invites harrassment. Besides, the FARs say it's okay to drop objects from an aircraft, right??? Oohh, or even better, drop a giant box of tacks, needles, pins, and nails. hmmm....

wwiiguy,

LOL !! Great minds must think alike...

laser,

I think that airship mgmt company does aerial surveillance/security work too. Maybe that was it...

 

[hydroflyer]

I e-mailed a Goodyear pilot and talked on the phone to a Fuji pilot a few years ago for a college paper. They basically said the same thing from what I remember of where you needed a Commercial Mulit-engine land with instrument ratings to technically qualify. A CFI was preferred since at Goodyear most of their pilots on the line were also rated as instructors and did all of the training in house. Drawbacks were definately the amount of time spent on the road travelling around. Not a job if you want a family life.

 

[bafanguy]

hydro,


Yes, the job posting I saw made it clear extensive travel was part of the deal. That'd be OK...

 

[Daveman]

Bafan,
I've seen Goodyear @ PMP (Pompano Bch, FL) a number of times. Not sure if it's a base. Nice place to be stationed.
Also, a friend was ground support for an advertising airship company out of Orlando. He traveled the U.S. and Canada. He quit before they went to S.A.
I'll dig around for some current info if you're interested.

 

[Wang Chung]

"I think that airship mgmt company does aerial surveillance/security work too. Maybe that was it..."


I've heard about this. There was a white blimp moored at Huntsville a couple months ago, and apparently it was a Budweiser blimp (with the Bud markings removed) doing some government contract support work or something at Redstone.

 

[bafanguy]

Bafan,

I'll dig around for some current info if you're interested.

Daveman,

I'm always interested, Bro. I've dug as deep as I know how. The people at airshipman.com were nice but, ultimately, found me unworthy. Of course, they had to take a number for that one.

Thanks.