Bring back blimps!

Mark Frauenfelder 8:12 pm Thu Apr 22, 2010

The New York Times asked me and three other people the following question: "The Icelandic volcano that disrupted global air travel last week raised a concern: should we be thinking of alternative ways to move masses of people and goods?" My answer: bring back blimps (and dirigibles).

Their large surface area and inherent buoyancy mean they can be run with solar-powered motors, making them eco-friendly. They can take off and land without a runway, which means they can load and unload passengers almost anywhere (no more airports!).

They even ran a photo of me piloting the Fujifilm blimp back in ought-four.

The New Age of Travel: Blimps and Beyond

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