Airship To Patrol South Florida Straits
If you're planning to take Jimmy
Buffett's advice and head for the Florida Keys this summer, pilots
are advised to keep their eyes out for new traffic along their
route.
The United States Navy, in coordination with the Coast Guard and
the recently created National Office of Global Maritime Situational
Awareness (OGMSA), will conduct a six-week-long series of
evaluations off Florida's southern coast of an airship in a
maritime surveillance role this summer. The demonstration is an
effort to test the utility and potential cost effectiveness of
airships in this role.
The lighter-than-air platform will fly patrols for up to 8 hours
to test both the systems and crew mission loading and fatigue
factors. The airship, a Skyship 600, which is owned and operated by
Airship Management Services, Inc. (AMS) and leased by NAVAIR
PMA-262, Patuxent River, MD, was configured for this mission with
the assistance of the Naval Research Laboratory, Washington,
DC.
It is manned by a three-person crew, including two pilots and a
crew member. They will receive operational, technical and
administrative support from both Coast Guard Sector Key West and
Naval Air Station Key West.
The Skyship 600 is a 6,797 cubic
meter (240,000 cubic feet), helium-filled airship. Capable of
persistent surveillance, communications relay, data-gathering,
scientific monitoring and sampling, or test and evaluation of new
equipment, the long endurance of the airship allows it to remain on
station far longer than helicopters while providing a solid,
vibration free platform for equipment.
The Coast Guard believes the airship is also a very
cost-effective airborne platform for sensor applications. The
ability to deploy to an area of operation, lift a sizeable payload
and provide a stable platform for sensors with long endurance is
unique among most airborne vehicles.
Boasting a large cabin, which incorporates a lavatory, the
Skyship 600 can carry a wide range of equipment and its operators
(or up to 12 passengers). It has been demonstrated that the ship
can provide endurance for up to 52 hours without refueling.
Furthermore, the use of safe, non-flammable helium keeps fuel
consumption very low and the airship environmentally friendly.
The Skyship 600 is operated by a crew of 20 personnel consisting
of two pilots, three engineers and 15 ground crew who bear
responsibility for all aspects of the safe and effective operation
of the airship. While on the ground, the ship's systems are
monitored by a watchman located at the airship at all times.