February 12, 2000
On 12 February 2000 the American Blimp Corporation fleet of airships accumulated more than 100,000 flight hours. It might have been an A-60+ flying in Australia or Brazil, an A-150 carrying passengers in Las Vegas or an A-60+ providing "blimp" shots of a golf tournament in California, as it is not known which specific airship notched the fleet mark past 100,000. It was 10 years ago in November 1989 that A-60 Lightship -01 had its first flight. Now the fleet consists of 13 A-60+ Lightships, 4 of the ten seat A-150 Lightships, and is accumulating approximately 2000 hours per month. Three A-60+ blimps have passed the 10,000-hour mark.
During these past ten years, ABC airships have accomplished a number of "firsts": first airships to fly in Mexico City and Denver Colorado, first commercial blimp to fly an extended overwater mission - Florida to Puerto Rico, and the first to achieve FAA IFR certification which in the case of ABC airships is approved with a single pilot.
Excluding the pre-W.W.II rigid airships, the ABC fleet has been the first in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Israel, Malaysia, Poland, Slovakia, South Africa, and Turkey.
In addition to the traditional roles they have played as the camera platform for Olympic Games, Super Bowls, and World Cup events, ABC airships have also provided airborne security for the G7 summit, the EU Council of Ministers and the Commonwealth Heads of Government. The fleet has, or is, operating on every continent except Antarctica.
American Blimp Corporation, a privately held company, will celebrate its thirteenth anniversary this year. Since its founding in 1987, it has become the pre-eminent company engaged in the design of airships, and is the only airship manufacturer in the world delivering on a scheduled production basis. Its headquarters are in Hillsboro, OR where the airships are designed and constructed in a 25,000 sq. ft facility. The final assembly and flight test is accomplished at an appropriate site near the customer's location. A marketing office for airship applications in government missions and civil aid is located in Severna Park, MD, near Washington, DC. Today the ABC airships in operation total more than those of all other manufacturers combined and thirteen of these airships are operated by The Lightship Group in 22 countries world wide.For additional information please contact:
E. Judson Brandreth, Jr.
Vice President, Marketing
American Blimp Corporation
302 Ritchie Highway
Severna Park, MD 21146-1910
Phone: (410) 544-6507
Fax: (410) 544-6509
Home Page: www.americanblimp.com
E-Mail: Jud4Blimps@aol.com
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