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.

FMI: www.uscg.mil