PRL Logistics Teams With Straightline Aviation

Hybrid Enterprises, the exclusive reseller of Lockheed Martin's Hybrid Airships, has formed a strategic partnership between PRL Logistics Inc. and UK-based Hybrid Airship owner and operator, Straightline Aviation. This partnership will introduce the world's first heavy-lift Hybrid Airship – the LMH-1.

Developed and built by Lockheed Martin, the LMH-1 has the ability to land on virtually any surface including snow, ice, gravel and even water. These football field sized airships will provide low cost and environmentally friendly solutions for moving freight and personnel to the most isolated regions of Alaska and Northern Canada.

"Lockheed Martin would be proud to have its Hybrid Airships operating in Alaska," said Rob Weiss, executive vice president and general manager, Lockheed Martin Advanced Development Programs (Skunk Works). "Alaska is an ideal location for the Hybrid Airship to operate. The airship enables access to Alaska's most isolated regions, and is designed to protect the sensitive ecological environment."

Hybrid Airships combine the technology of lighter than air aircraft with airplanes, helicopters and hovercraft.  Helium provides 80 percent of the lift, and the remaining lift comes from the aerodynamic shape of the aircraft and its four thrust vectoring engines. The airship also features a unique hovercraft-like Air Cushion Landing System that facilitates taxiing and holds the craft firmly on the ground.

PRL Logistics is founded, owned and operated in Alaska, offering a variety of project services and comprehensive logistics solutions including: project management, project planning, modeling, safety, procurement and field execution. PRL serves a broad range of projects and clients in the oil and gas, mining, defense, industrial, construction and environmental industries.

"PRL's understanding of the complexities of working in Alaska's extremely remote site and our partnership with Straightline Aviation, whose airship operating experience is unparalleled, means this will be a true game changer. It affordably opens up many projects currently inaccessible without the development of the costly infrastructure required by traditional modes of transportation." said Ron Hyde, PRL CEO.

"Alaska is a storehouse of immense natural resource wealth. This combination of technology and innovation will enable access to resources and provide needed benefits to our infrastructure," said U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK), also a former Commissioner for the Alaska Department of Natural Resources. "It is an example of a company operating to provide a transportation solution to meet Alaska's unique challenges."

For Alaska, airship operations will be based at the PRL Logistics Operations Center in Kenai, Alaska and supported by other PRL locations throughout the state. PRL's premier Kenai Facility has overland, marine, and aviation access and will also be the base operations center for the Hybrid Airship.

The first aircraft are to be delivered in 2019 and will carry up to 22 tons of freight, along with 18 passengers plus crew.

(Image provided with Hybrid Enterprises news release)

FMI: http://hybridhe.com