Airship Books Airship Technology Available from Amazon, price £106.28 Read More N4 Down Available from amazon, price £11.17 Read More When Giants Ruled the Sky Available from amazon, price £20.61 Read More Helium Available from Amazon, price £19.90 Read More Hindenburg Available from amazon, price £46.95 Read More Principles of Aerostatics Available from Amazon, price £21.50 Read More Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company Available on amazon, price £44.68 Read More Airships - Designed for Greatness Currently out of print Read More Here is a selection of some of the best airship-related books we have reviewed in the pages of the AIRSHIP Journal, together with a copy of our review.

Airship Association International Conference 2024 Join Us for an Unforgettable Experience | 25-26 October ​ Kapitän-Lehmannstr. 2, 63263 Neu-Isenburg/Zeppelinheim, Germany NOTIFY ME Register your interest - Programme, Tickets & Partner Hotels to be announced soon Airships in a fast changing world We look forward to welcoming you to the Airship Association International Conference 2024, a premier gathering for thinkers, leaders, and enthusiasts in LTA community. Hosted at the iconic Zeppelin Museum Zeppelinheim, this event promises two days filled with inspiring papers, dynamic panel discussions, and exciting networking opportunities. Event Highlights Welcome Drinks Reception: Kick off the event in style with our Welcome Drinks Reception. Mingle with fellow attendees, speakers, and visionaries in a casual and welcoming atmosphere. 2-Day Conference Programme: Embark on a journey of discovery with our carefully curated conference programme. Explore innovative research, engage in thought-provoking discussions, and gain insights from leading experts and enthusiasts from the LTA community. Papers & Panel Discussions: Delve deeper into the topics that matter most to you with our wide range of papers and panel discussions. Whether you're looking to challenge your perspectives or broaden your knowledge, there's something for everyone. Gala Dinner (26th October): Conclude your journey with a gala dinner in association with the Zeppelin Museum Zeppelinheim. Enjoy an evening of fine dining, entertainment, and conversation in a stunning setting. Why Join Us? The Association's Annual Conference is more than a simple gathering; it's a unique chance to be together in person and share a journey of discovery and fun. You'll meet people who share your interests, dive into discussions that spark your curiosity, and come away feeling inspired. Whether you're deeply knowledgeable in this area or just looking to explore something new, this event promises something for everyone, offering a space to explore diverse topics and experiences together. In Association With In association with the Zeppelin Museum Zeppelinheim, The Airship Association International Conference 2024 is set to be an event that uniquely combines the past, present, and future.

Welcome The Airship Association believes that Lighter Than Air Vehicles (LTAVs) have the potential to provide viable, cost-effective and environmentally friendly solutions for many roles currently undertaken by more conventional forms of aviation, and their unique capabilities make them particularly suited to specific roles like persistent surveillance, eco-tourism and point to point cargo delivery. ​ The Airship Association aims to promote the science, practice and consideration of all matters relating to airships and to disseminate information about airships through its magazine, web-site, seminars and conference programme. ​ We invite you to explore the information, resources and links on our web-site to learn more about these extraordinary vehicles and, if you would like to be kept up to date with all the latest developments, to consider joining the Association. Just hit the Join Now button. Join Now "We need to transform aviation and we're going to do so through Airships" Carl-Oscar Lawaczek CEO Ocean Sky Cruises “We fully embrace The Airship Association’s new focus on the future of lighter than air as Airlander's story is about pioneering the future of flight. While we honour the valuable lessons of the past, our vision is to create a sustainable mode of travel that is versatile, efficient, and environmentally friendly, by building upon the principles of buoyant lift allied to aerodynamic lift and vectored thrust." Mike Durham CTO Hybrid Air Vehicles

Uses for Airships There have been many uses proposed for Lighter-Than-Air Vehicles (LTAV), some eminently practical, and some which are the stuff of fantasy. While the advances of technologies, techniques and materials may continue to expand the capabilities of LTAV, they will remain a marginal technology until the key decision makers in government and industry can see the clear benefits of using LTAV in a given role. The politics of economics also plays a major part in the broad acceptance of LTA vehicles. While the design and construction of conventional aircraft can support tens of thousands of jobs across the economy, the comparative simplicity and small range of roles that LTA vehicles can currently undertake, will probably only support a small industry. However, the drive for low- and then zero-emission aviation, and the need for low-energy aviation solutions as the world transitions away from fossil fuels and onto renewable energy, has bought airships back into sharp focus. Their use of free-lift from their lifting gas, together with their internal space and low energy requirements, make airships a good platform for early deployment of hybrid engines, fully electric propulsors, and ultimately hydrogen fuel-cell. Airships have the capability of being zero-emission long before conventional Heavier-Than-Air aviation. ​ In the opinion of the Airship Association, the following roles can be best fulfilled by LTAV which are currently in production, or are in the design phase from reputable/proven manufacturers or engineering houses. ​ Surveillance related tasks, using manned, optionally manned or unmanned vehicles, include: Persistent Surveillance: Conventional Airships have proven cost effective in this role particularly in the maritime environment, although it was also used with some success in Northern Ireland in the mid 1990's. This past success has been due to a number of factors: the long endurance of LTAV when compared to other aerial platforms; the low vibration environment; fuel economy. Use of tethered Aerostats in Iraq, Afghanistan and along the southern border of the USA has also raised the comparative economy of LTA platforms as an airborne platform for area surveillance Security Surveillance (event security such as the Olympics) Maritime Surveillance: although there are no LTAV currently flying that can match the multi-day endurance of the US Navy Airships of the 1959's and 1960's, the concept of increasing the horizon of a naval task force that has no access to carrier or land-borne aircraft, with a low-cost force-multiplier should be fairly attractive in certain areas. For example, the radar of a frigate at 30m above sea level can cover some 21.6 KM to its horizon, giving it a coverage of @ 1,464 sq km. A radar at 1660m above sea level, would have a horizon at 148km and a coverage of some 68841sq km. Conservation Work: whether complimenting the work of anti-poaching patrols in the world’s nature reserves, or working with the authorities to stop illegal logging operations in the Amazon rain forrest, or illegal strip mining in Africa, airships are uniquely positioned to make a difference in this critical area by using their long endurance and ability to carry sophisticated sensor loads. ​ Point to Point Heavy Lift Transport. The current crop of Hybrid designs seems to hold a great deal of promise to overcome many of the weaknesses of earlier generations of LTAV. In particular some of the ground-handling and load-exchange problems that have dogged LTA designs over the decades have been addressed. Some of the hybrid designs are claimed to be capable of transporting up to 200 tons over a range of 3200 miles, with a trade-off between increasing range and reducing the disposable payload. ​ Humanitarian Relief Operations. Some of the newer designs for heavy-lift airships such as the Airlander 50, Pathfinder-3, Flying Whales and ATLANT vehicle lend themselves to carrying emergency relief supplies into disaster areas because of their ability to land in unprepared landing sites close to the point of need, or, if circumstances dictate otherwise, to hover while they off-load cargoes. In this role they combine the heavy-lift capabilities for the ubiquitous C130 Hercules with the versatility of a helicopter. One company wants to go further and equip their heavy-lift cargo airships with a fully fitted emergency clinic an trauma centre (complete with staff) that can be flown directly to the point of need. ​ Eco-Tourism. There are many beautiful areas of the world where increasing levels of tourism are damaging the environment, or where it is simply not possible to build the kind of infrastructure needed to support tourism, where the airship's zero-emissions and ability to operate without infrastructure, offer viable alternatives. The adage that visitors should ’take nothing but pictures and leave nothing but footprints’ is fully realised by airship-enable tourism. Whether observing the wild-life in Africa whilst flying almost silently over them at 400’, or visiting previously inaccessible places like the arctic or antartic, eco-tourism is now likely to be one of the first commercial roles for airships.

< Back Currently out of print Airships - Designed for Greatness Every so often a new book comes along that, by virtue of the quality of the writing, depth of research or detail of its illustrations, sets the new ‘gold standard’ for that field. So it is with AIRSHIPS: Designed for Greatness - The Illustrated History by Max Pinucci and a team of international experts. If you already have a copy then you will know what I mean, but if you don’t, and if you are at all interested in the history and development of airships, then this is a book that you will want to own. Printed hard covers, and 114 beautifully illustrated pages on ‘art quality’ paper give the book a pleasing weight of over 2kg, but the layout of those pages is what sets the book apart. Each individual page is 45 x 28cm but when you open the book you will find that they been combined into the most amazing double page spreads which, at almost 1 metre wide, lend themselves perfectly to their subject material. And these ‘infographic plates’, as Prof. Pinucci calls them, are the heart of this book because they tell the story of airships from 1900 - 2010 through meticulously illustrated timelines, range charts, size comparisons, routes and, at the core of the book, a series of elegant double page spreads describing 25 of the most famous airships. Each of these 25 airships, from the French ‘Lebaudy Le Jaune’ of 1902 to the German Zeppelin NT of 2003, is illustrated with a finely detailed pen and ink drawing on one page and a brief history and specification panel on the facing page. Along the way, there are cutaway diagrams, close-up illustrations of particular points of interest, and maps to help tell the story. And the list of airships given this treatment is a roll-call through history including the R33, the Norge, the Shenandoah, The Graf Zeppelin, the R100 and R101, the Akron and Macon and the Hindenburg. Ask yourself if your airship bookshelf needs a copy of this book. I think you’ll find it does, especially as Max has just announced a revised version which includes 16 new pages on the history of the polar flights.

Airship Types Non-rigid Airships Semi-rigid Airships Rigid Airships Hybrid Airships Metal-clad Airships Non-rigid Airships The non-rigid airship in its simplest form is a streamlined envelope, containing the lifting gas, with a gondola suspended below it containing the crew accommodation, propulsion and fuel. Most gas airships today are non-rigids because of their comparative simplicity and sturdiness. The modern non-rigid or pressure airship maintains its shape solely by the pressure of the helium in the envelope, supplemented by an adjustable volume of air within internal ballonets. A non-rigid airship, sometimes called a blimp, consists of: ​ the envelope - the primary structure containing the helium gas and the ballonets. the ballonets - air bags inside the envelope which regulate the internal pressure, shape and trim. Air is squeezed out of the ballonets as the gas expands with increasing altitude and forced back in again as the helium contracts when the airship descends. the gondola is the airship's cabin containing the cockpit, engine compartment and facilities for crew, passengers and cargo. It is suspended from cables attached either to an internal load curtain or externally to the envelope sides. propulsion is provided by airscrew engines and may include vectored thrust to assist take-off, landing and holding stationary flight. the empennage - fins, rudders and elevators provide dynamic stability and steerage. Source: 'An introduction to the Airship' - Edwin Mowforth

< Back Available on amazon, price £44.68 Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company This beautifully curated, 260 page photo history covers the broad sweep of Goodyear’s history from it’s founding in 1898 through to 1951, but while there is much that is of only passing interest to the airship enthusiast, two chapters, and one in particular, stand out. Chapter 4 ( Up, Up and Away , 46 pages) covers Goodyear’s balloons from their early barrage and observation balloons to their specialist stratosphere balloons, and includes 37 b&w photos. Chapter 3 ( Gentle Giants , 39 pages) is probably of more interest to the airship aficionado though. Starting with the original Akron (1912) there are some 30 b&w pictures covering every major class of blimp, patrol craft and rigid airship that Goodyear put its name to, including the Shenandoah and the Los Angeles. It is not a cheap book, and the ePub and ePDF versions offer no savings over the cover price which is a shame, but it is undoubtedly a book of great historical interest.

Privacy Policy About this Policy This policy explains when and why the Airship Association collects personal information about our members and how we use it, keep it secure and club member’s rights in relation to it. The Association will collect, use and store personal data, as described in this Privacy Policy when people engage in activities within the Association. Normally this will be through some level of membership. We reserve the right to amend this Privacy Policy from time to time without prior notice. You are advised to check the Association’s web-site (www.airship-association.org) and/or e-mail news service for any amendments. We will only share your personal data with any third parties as outlined below. We will always comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) when dealing with your personal data. Further details on the GDPR can be found at the website for the Information Commissioner (www.ico.gov.uk ). Responsible person For the purposes of the GDPR, the Membership Secretary will be the “controller” of all personal data we hold about club members and others. The Membership Secretary is responsible for making sure the club complies with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which applies from 25 May 2018. The Association will review its compliance with GDPR on a regular basis. Member’s rights You have rights under the GDPR: • To access your personal data • To be provided with information about how your personal data is processed • To have your personal data corrected • To have your personal data erased in certain circumstances • To object to or restrict how your personal data is processed in certain circumstances For more details, please address any questions, comments and requests regarding our data processing practices to the Membership secretary (membership@airship-association.org ). The Lawful reasons for processing your data. We have two lawful reasons for processing your data, which is: (a) processing of your data is necessary for the administration of your membership contract (b) processing of your data is necessary to manage the delivery of the printed AIRSHIP Journal and electronic LTA News service. The table below gives further explanation of which lawful reason applies to which data, why we collect it and who we may be required to share it with. The Association will make every effort to ensure data is only shared with organisations that are GDPR compliant. What Information we collect, why we collect it, and who we share it with In addition to the reasons stated below, the Association may have to disclose your data where we have an inescapable legal obligation, and the Association will also capture, and temporarily keep, minimal personal data about non-members who are attending conferences, webinars and other events. ​ ​ Enquiries and other communications with the Association When enquiring about the Association we may hold your details for a period of time to deal with the enquiry. Any e-mails and other communications with the Association will only be retained for a period of time appropriate to the content or request. Association e-mails will be purged on a regular basis. How we protect your personal data The Data Controller will process membership information electronically and hold all information on a database using the Membermojo system. An electronic backup of this information will be managed by Membermojo as part of their service delivery to the Association. A Mailing List will be generated from the database for each edition of AIRSHIP and provided electronically to the Association’s appointed Distributor. An e-mail List will be generated from the database for each LTA News mail-shot and provided to the Association’s Editor. Paper copes of data will be not be held anywhere. If it is necessary to transport data it will be via secured storage media. Any on-line payments we take from members will use a recognised online secure payment system (STRIPE). In the unlikely event of a breach of the security of data we will notify members promptly and we will never sell or pass on your personal data. Request to see your personal information If you wish to know what personal data the Association holds please login to the Membermojo system and view your personal record, or email the Membership Secretary (membership@airshipassociation.org ) and he/she will respond within 14 days of the request. Accuracy and retention of data Individual members are responsible for informing the Association of any changes to their personal data (e.g. address or telephone number changes) and can do this by logging on to the Membermojo system and making the changes to their membership record directly. If you do not wish to do this, it is possible to e-mail any changes to the Membership Secretary (membership@airship-association.org ) and the Secretary will make the change for you. Members will be asked to check and confirm their personal data at each renewal date. All data is kept electronically in the Association’s membership database managed by Membermojo. Your personal data will be kept for the duration of your membership of the Association, and for a period of 3 years after your membership lapses, or is terminated by you, in case you should wish to re-join at a later date. You may, of course, request this data to be deleted sooner. Some data may be unavoidably kept for longer periods in backup copies of the database. In some circumstances, data may be kept for a longer period for reasons of legal and civil action, or other ongoing case management. ​ Policy Review This Privacy Policy was last reviewed in July 2023.

Links Please use the links on this page to explore other airship-related web-sites and You Tube content. These include the Airship Heritage Trust (covering the history of British Airships), it’s American counterpart the Naval Airship Association, Pete Lobner’s extensive library of posts about modern airships, and a number of links to useful You Tube documentaries and presentations. Airship Heritage Trust Our sister organisation covers t he history of all the British Airships from 1900 to the present day and includes notes, photographs and diagrams (where available) for all major British airships, together with an extensive library of links to other resources. The Trust publishes its own quarterly magazine called Dirigible. www.airshipsonlin e.com Naval Airship Association The Naval Airship Association promotes the history , education, applicati ons and technolo gy of lighter-than-air (LTA) vehicles including balloons, blimps, dirigibles, zeppelins an d other airships. The Association publishes its own quarterly magazine called The Noon Balloon. https://www.naval-airships.org/the-noon-balloon ​ Modern Airships The Lyncean Group of San Diego (Lynceans) consists of retired and semi- retired technical professionals who meet regularly to discuss subjects associated with science and technology, to learn from one another, to share thoughts and ideas, and to enjoy a mutual interest in science, technology and related fields. One of their regular contributors is Pete Lobner (he is also a member of the Airship association) and he has developed an extensive library of posts about modern airships in three parts which you can find here: Modern Airships Part 1 - www.lynceans.org/all-posts/modern-airships-part-1/ Modern Airships Part 2 - www.lynceans.org/all-posts/modern-airships-part-2/ Modern Airships Part 3 - www.lynceans.org/all-posts/modern-airships-part-3/ Welcome Aboard the R-100 Produced by the Airship Heritage Trust, this excellent You Tube presentation uses a 3D model to take a tour of the inside of the R-100, and see what it was like to travel in the giant airships of the 1920’s. There is a companion presentation for the ill-fated R-101 airship ( www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEDa1dnBLWk ). www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-4P-6b3lFI Skyship stories Episode 1 This is the first episode of an 8 part series looking at Airship industries’ pioneering airship of the 1980s. This first episode looks at how to become a Skyship pilot whilst other entries in the series cover flying, landing, ground handling and operations. www.youtube.com/watch?v=FumgT9RSO2w What it Takes to Fly the Goodye ar Blimp This is one of several excellent You Tube videos about the latest Goodyear ‘blimps’ and provides a great introduction to flying and operating modern airships. www.youtube.com/watch ?v=xDd-weQE0UM ​ ISO Polar Airships Encouraging the development of airship technology for sustainable transportation and logistics applications in northern latitudes. Home of the Airships to the Arctic Conference. Their 'All About Airships' page links to a number of good resources. https://isopolar.com/

Membership Benefits The Airship Association believes that Lighter Than Air Vehicles (LTAVs) have the potential to provide viable, cost-effective and environmentally friendly solutions for many roles currently undertaken by more conventional forms of aviation, and their unique capabilities make them particularly suited to specific roles like persistent surveillance, eco-tourism and point to point cargo delivery. ​ The Airship Association aims to promote the science, practice and consideration of all matters relating to airships and to disseminate information about airships through its magazine, e-mail news alerts, web-site, webinars and conference programme. ​ O ur full colour journal, AIRSHIP, is published quarterly and is free to members. In addition, the editorial team will send out regular e-mail News Alerts to members with links to all the latest updates, videos and webinars about LTA aviation. ​ The Association also hosts an Annual Dinner with guest speakers which is open to all members. ​ If you would like to know more about the benefits of membership, and the different grades of membership on offer, please scroll down this page. ​ Join us and be part of the journey. Join/Renew/Edit Membership managed by Membermojo.co.uk Membership Types & Benefits 1 Corporate Member Corporate Membership is aimed at companies and organisations operating in the LTA sector who wish to get more involved in the Association's work. In addition to the normal membership benefits listed below, Corporate Members will receive 6 printed copies of AIRSHIP each quarter and two free tickets to the Annual Dinner. Corporate members may also be invited to provide speakers, join working groups and help the Association promote LTA aviation. Join Now 2 Gold Member Gold Membership is aimed at the industry experts and visionaries who don't wish to become corporate members. In addition to the normal membership benefits listed below, Gold Members will also receive one free ticket to the Annual Dinner. Gold members may also be invited to be speakers, join working groups and help the Association promote LTA aviation. Join Now 3 Member This the core membership type and is aimed at LTA professionals, academics and other interetsted parties. Members receive a printed copy of the AIRSHIP Journal every quarter, regular updates in the form of our e-mail News Alerts, and e-mail invitations to all Association events including the Annual Dinner and any webinars or conferences. Some of these events, such as the Annual Dinner, will be chargeable and members will be advised of the cost in the invitation. Join Now 4 Senior Member Senior Members enjoy exactly the same benefits as ordinary members, but at a concessioanry rate. This membership is only open to those aged 65 and older. Join Now 5 Associate Member Associate Membership is aimed at students and apprentices. Associate Members do not receive printed copies of the AIRSHIP journal (all communications, including AIRSHIP, are via e-mail and PDF to minimise our operating costs), nor may they vote at Association meetings, but they may participate in any of our webinars and conferences. Join Now 6 Discounted Memberships Most memberships runs for 12 months from 1st September each year, but there are discounted 3-year membership options for both Members and Gold Members. Join Now

< Back Available from Amazon, price £21.50 Principles of Aerostatics Principles of Aerostatics presents the complete theory of static lift for airships, aerostats and balloons. Concepts are laid out, and building on the derivation of temperature, pressure, density and humidity in the atmosphere and the gas laws, formulas for static lift are derived. The variation of lift with atmospheric and airship parameters, climb and descent, and flight above pressure height are then explored. Both SI and United States Customary Units are employed throughout, and worked examples and calculator programs are provided. The mathematical processes can followed by a reader with an understanding of high school algebra. "This is an excellent and unique work bringing the strands of basic theory together and rendering them into a workable series of mathematical expressions which can be used by any individual with a hand held scientific calculator. It is a most significant contribution to the LTA industry."

< Back Available from Amazon, price £106.28 Airship Technology Airship Technology is one of the definitive text books about airships, and this second edition includes a lot of new material. I have a copy of the original 1999 edition and it breaks down into into 18 chapters (each written by a subject matter expert) covering every topic from Basic Principles and Aerodynamics through to Piloting, Performance and Roles and Economic Considerations. It’s not a book you read from cover to cover (unless you’re really keen) but it is a valuable reference book that will become ‘well thumbed’ from taking it down to look something up. This new edition (2012) keeps almost all of the original 18 chapters and then adds several new ones covering topics like the Zeppelin NT, Heavy Lift Airships and Disaster & Humanitarian Relief. It is, without doubt, a comprehensive guide to modern airship design and operation. It’s not cheap but with Christmas coming up it may be the perfect time to add a copy to your bookshelf.