Last week, a unique sight captured attention in central Alberta, prompting questions about a 20-meter airship spotted in the sky. While the appearance of a Goodyear Blimp at a sports event is familiar to some, witnessing such a spectacle in rural Alberta is a rarity.
In this instance, a solar-powered airship, comparable in size to a school bus, was conducting trials to gather aerial survey data near Rocky Mountain House, approximately 200 kilometers southwest of Edmonton. A collaborative team from Cloudline, a South African aerospace company that manufactured the airship, and its Canadian partner, 3 Points in Space Media, conducted flight tests from the Rocky Mountain House Airport.
Sean Adams, the CEO of 3 Points in Space Media, likened the airship to a helium party balloon while overseeing a test with TC Energy to inspect pipeline corridors in the area. He highlighted the innovative aspect of combining autonomous control systems with the airship, distinguishing it from traditional blimps.
The airship’s pre-flight routine involves helium filling of the envelope, diagnostic checks, and tethered operations before calibration runs and long-distance survey flights. Classified as a remotely piloted aircraft system with automated flight controls, the airship proves valuable for data collection in remote locations, such as monitoring pipelines and infrastructure.
Despite acknowledging the limitations of airships compared to manned aircraft in harsh weather conditions, Adams emphasized the development of robust capabilities for such scenarios. TC Energy’s Joe Zhou underscored the initiative’s potential to acquire diverse data types efficiently and quietly, offering advantages over conventional aircraft.
The operation of the airship represents a modern revival of historic aviation for Michael Adams, who sees it as a chance to rejuvenate a technology that waned in popularity after the 1930s. By integrating a fabric swatch from the historic Graf Zeppelin into the payload, Adams symbolically links the past with the present, celebrating the evolution of airship technology.
Local residents in Rocky Mountain House expressed fascination at the sight of the airship, with Mayor Shane Boniface remarking on the rarity of such an occurrence. The airship’s presence generated significant interest on social media, surpassing the attention received by other local events.
While Cloudline operates airships globally, including in countries like South Africa, Namibia, and Kenya, autonomous airships are still a novelty in Canadian skies. The upcoming cold-weather testing in northern Ontario aims to prepare the airship for operations in sub-zero temperatures and Arctic conditions.