Is it a plane? Is it a bird? It's a blimp!
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (325854)
Rockingham, Australia
October 14, 2017 6:17pm CST
While travelling in France and somewhere near Mont-Saint-Michel we saw this blimp. It was advertising L’Archange Crêperie Restaurant.
A blimp is an airship or dirigible which does not have an internal framework of a keel. Airships are powered, sterrable aircraft which are inflated with a lighter-than-air gas. Other types of dirigibles are semi-rigid and rigid airships. Blimps rely on the pressure of a gas, usually helium, to maintain their shape and to lift them from the ground.
Blimps are probably best known as advertising vehicles – like the one in the photo. From the 1920s through to the 1950s, blimps were used in the armed forces of many countries often in reconnaissance roles.
Zeppelins are technically airships built by the Zeppelin company. One example of the use of these rigid airships was during World War I when German airships conducted bombing raids.
This discussion is now long enough but perhaps I’ll write about the Hinderberg airline and its airships later.
14 people like this
7 responses
@JohnRoberts (109857)
• Los Angeles, California
15 Oct 17
The Goodyear blimp used to be a common sight over LA.
5 people like this
@moffittjc (118459)
• Gainesville, Florida
15 Oct 17
Several years ago, I actually had the opportunity to ride on the Goodyear blimp in south Florida. I was the winning bid in a fundraising auction, and we got a 1-hour ride in the blimp cruising up and down the Atlantic coast of south Florida. It was such a fun experience, and it was amazing getting to see places like Miami and Ft. Lauderdale from above!
4 people like this
@moffittjc (118459)
• Gainesville, Florida
16 Oct 17
@JudyEv It was a non-rigid blimp, filled with low-pressure helium. The cockpit where we sat was extremely tiny...I felt like I barely fit inside it! lol
3 people like this
@JudyEv (325854)
• Rockingham, Australia
15 Oct 17
@moffittjc How cool is that? So I guess that had a rigid framework of some kind - or was it more like a bouncy castle? 
3 people like this
@vandana7 (98834)
• India
15 Oct 17
I used to find them amusing. Kind of who is going to look up. Normally people travel and eye levels are all that we can see. From distance, billboards are visible till that "least distance for distinct vision" phenomenon takes over. I still find it funny that they use such things because it hardly serves the purpose!
4 people like this
@allen0187 (58444)
• Philippines
15 Oct 17
Haven't seen a blimp in person. I'd love to ride one but the closest I'll probably get is in a hot air balloon.
3 people like this
@allen0187 (58444)
• Philippines
17 Oct 17
@JudyEv yes. Haven't been in an accident and haven't seen one in person but I've read about some scary stuff that that might occur.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (325854)
• Rockingham, Australia
20 Oct 17
@allen0187 Rough landings sometimes cause broken limbs. I've read about that happening from time to time.
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@ramapo17 (30441)
• Melbourne, Florida
17 Oct 17
@RubyHawk I was never in the hot air balloons but I was on a team that set the whole balloon up so it could take people up in it. That was an amazing day. I walked inside the balloon before it was totally blown up. It took a long time and a lot of muscle and energy to get the balloon ready for people to fly in it.
2 people like this
@andriaperry (116860)
• Anniston, Alabama
15 Oct 17
I do see a blimp now and then around here.
2 people like this
