Frequently Asked Questions

Lighter-than-Air technology (LTA) has both a rich history and promising future.

However, despite its successful use in the early 1900s, it remains one of the most contested technologies talked about today.

This page answers many of the questions asked by both enthusiasts and critics alike.

What is this project's main objective and why?

  • Our goal is not only the revival of Lighter-than-Air technology, also known as LTA, but also its acceptance and use globally as a more efficient alternative to today’s transportation technologies
  • To this end, we have dedicated nearly a decade to the research and study of the German Zeppelin airship program, the only successful LTA program in history, to gain an in-depth understanding of their most advanced design as well as operational procedures.
  • LTA possesses inherent efficiency advantages not shared by today’s transportation technologies and has the potential to transform the transportation industry as we know it today.
  • To our knowledge, no one else has taken this path.
  • For a deeper dive into our goal and philosophy, visit “Our Project & Philosophy” webpage.

When you talk about Lighter-than-Air technology (LTA), what specifically do we mean, and what is an airship?

  • Today, there are 4 classes of lighter-than-air aircraft, hot air balloons, blimps, prototypes and airships.
  • When talking about LTA in the context of marketability, we are referring to lighter-than-air aircraft of the airship class because it’s the only class with real marketable capabilities.
  • LTA is a transportation technology, just as trucking, rail, ocean-going vessels, and fixed-wing aircraft are distinct transportation technologies.
  • In general, to be considered a member of the airship class, a lighter-than-air aircraft must have the capacity to carry passengers and/or cargo thousands of miles nonstop in all types of weather day or night.
  • This bar was set in the early 1900s by the German Zeppelin Company, the only successful LTA program in history.
  • For a deeper dive, see our “The German Zeppelin LTA Program” webpage.

It’s been nearly 90 years since the Hindenburg disaster; why bother with LTA?

  • LTA possesses inherent efficiency advantages not shared by today’s transportation technologies such as Weightless Cargo and Direct Path Access to name a few.
  • For this reason, LTA will not only fill the gap between today’s shipping by vessel and airfreight transportation technologies but will also establish its own domain in the global cargo industry in the same manner that trucking, shipping by vessel, and rail have carved out their respectful places.
  • For a deeper dive, see our “LTA Efficiency Stats”, “Gravity..”, and “4 Laws of LTA” webpages.

As the largest aircraft ever built, didn’t the Hindenburg consume a lot of fuel?

  • On average, the Hindenburg consumed 163 gallons of diesel fuel per flight hour at a cruising speed of 75 mph.
  • Compare that to today’s most popular airfreight aircraft, the Boeing 757-200, which consumes 1500 gallons of fuel per flight hour at a cruising speed of 500 mph.
  • Because today’s transportation technologies, i.e., trucking, rail, vessel, and airplane, travel at different speeds, consume different volumes of fuel, and have varying load capacities, a better metric is needed for a more accurate comparison between the technologies.
  • The ton-mile per gallon metric encompasses all 3 metrics: fuel, speed, and load capacity.
  • As displayed by its ton-mile per gallon metrics, which are available on our “LTA Efficiency Stats” webpage, LTA easily outperforms all transportation technologies today.
  • For a deeper dive, see our “LTA Efficiency Stats”, “Gravity..”, and “4 Laws of LTA” webpages.

Besides its inherent efficiency superiority, what other advantages does LTA have with respect to shipping by vessel, rail, trucking, or airplane?

  • Unlike shipping by vessel, there are no coastlines with LTA.
  • Unlike trucking and rail, there are no grades with LTA, which can easily be argued is the root cause for at least 50% of their fuel consumption.
  • Unlike today’s airfreight, LTA does not require costly ground infrastructure such as runways, taxiways, and large tarmacs.
  • For a deeper dive, see our “LTA Efficiency Stats”, “Gravity..”, and “4 Laws of LTA” webpages.

Because it must be very big to carry any weight, wouldn’t LTA be too large and too slow to compete with today’s transportation technologies?

  • The Hindenburg’s cruise speed was 75 mph.
  • Compare that to the cruising speed of the OOCL Hong Kong, one of the world’s largest container ships, at 17 mph.
  • Although the Hindenburg carried a much smaller payload in comparison to the OOCL Hong Kong, its ton-mile per gallon efficiency was far superior.
  • Additionally, shipping by vessel requires offloading the freight onto a less efficient technology like trucking or rail before reaching its final destination.
  • There are no coastlines with LTA, meaning it can deliver its payload directly from the manufacturer to the retailer, eliminating all the middle costs.
  • In addition, the larger you build LTA, the better its ton-mile per gallon rating.
  • These are a few of the many reasons why LTA will prove itself the most profitable form of transportation in the 21st century.
  • For a deeper dive, see our “LTA Efficiency Stats”, “Gravity..”, and “4 Laws of LTA” webpages.

With helium running out, isn’t LTA’s revival already doomed?

  • While the media in the West is promoting the myth that helium is scarce and in danger of running out, at least 5 other countries, like Russia, Qatar, Algeria, China, and Canada, are stockpiling the natural resource.
  • Adding to the deception, the US exports nearly all the helium it produces, forcing its domestic market to consume its reserves or purchase from imports.
  • The net effect of this is that the mainstream media can then point to their shrinking reserves as justification for the “we’re running out” narrative.
  • Why create a false picture of helium?
  • Creating a mindset of scarcity allows the commodity market to pump the price and increase profits.
  • For a deeper dive, see our video presentation “The Future of Helium” on our “Pitch Deck” webpage.

I’ve heard it’s a fair-weather technology; can LTA fly in the wind and rain?

  • During their sorties over England and her allies in WWI, the Germans flew their airships in all types of weather day and night.
  • Some of the most threatening conditions were known as “thundersnow,” where driving wind and rain would morph into snow, then sleet, and ultimately hail with accompanying lightning and thunder.
  • While passing through these storms, it was not uncommon for the airships to be struck by lightning, and although filled with hydrogen, a very flammable lift gas, they would suffer little to no damage owing to their superior construction.
  • Airships of the Hindenburg class were designed to withstand extreme conditions, having a cruising speed of 75 mph and a top speed of 85 mph; wind velocities at these speeds were equal to that of a category 1 hurricane.
  • For a deeper dive, see our “Myths of LTA” and “The Wind” video presentations on our “Pitch Deck” webpage.

I’ve heard it would cost $1 billion to build the Hindenburg today; is that true?

  • While working on this project over the years, I’ve had many conversations with enthusiasts and non-enthusiasts alike, and one of the myths that often gets promoted is the idea that it would be prohibitively expensive to build the Hindenburg today.
  • Their cost estimates have ranged from $100 million to $1 billion.
  • The impetus behind this myth is to promote the idea that LTA would be too expensive to be profitable today.
  • The reality is the Hindenburg’s build cost was approximately $2.6 million in the 1930s. which, adjusted for inflation, is nearly $60 million today.
  • Compare that to $120 million for a Boeing 757-200 (2026 cost), which can only carry 70,000 lbs. max.
  • Due to the materials that were available in the 1930s, nearly 80% of the Hindenburg’s build cost was attributed to labor.
  • We estimate that at least 50% of the labor used in building the Hindenburg could be eliminated using today’s superior build materials, advanced 3D design, and modern manufacturing, resulting in a stronger, lighter, more profitable aircraft.
  • For a deeper dive, see our “Myths of LTA” video presentation on our “Pitch Deck” webpage.

Can LTA compete with today’s transportation technologies, and if so, how?

  • LTA possesses inherent efficiency advantages not shared by today’s transportation technologies.
  • Advantages such as Weightless Cargo, Direct Path Access, and the use of a superior maintenance-free transportation infrastructure, to name a few.
  • Because of these advantages, LTA will easily outperform today’s transportation technologies in fuel and time economy.
  • For a deeper dive, see our “LTA Efficiency Stats”, “Gravity..”, and “4 Laws of LTA” webpages.

There have been several failed LTA programs in the past; how will you succeed where others have failed?

  • Interestingly, all failed LTA programs of the past have 3 things in common:
    • Poor design
    • Lack of experience with LTA
    • Limited market vision
  • We will succeed where others have failed because we recognize the German Zeppelin Airship program was the only successful LTA program in history.
  • For this reason, we have spent several years researching and studying their design and operational procedures.
  • We have also researched all the failed LTA programs to determine where they went wrong.
  • Unlike our predecessors, we have chosen to learn from the professionals and have adopted a different philosophy of reviving, not reinventing, LTA.
  • Consequently, our design closely mimics the Hindenburg, which was the German Zeppelin Company’s most advanced airship design.
  • Simply put, we are bringing the Hindenburg design into the 21st century using modern build materials, 3D design, and contemporary manufacturing, resulting in a lighter, stronger, more capable airship.
  • This is the most logical and economical path to the successful revival of LTA.
  • For a deeper dive, see our “The German Zeppelin LTA Program” webpage.

All previous airship programs only name 2 markets LTA can impact; is that all there is?

  • All failed airship programs have 3 things in common:
    • Defective design
    • Lack of experience with the technology
    • Limited market vision
  • Limited market vision is why our predecessors consistently name humanitarian aid and wind turbine blade transport as the only 2 viable markets for LTA.
  • Because LTA uses a superior transportation infrastructure, the Earth’s atmosphere, which does not impose size, weight, or speed limitations, it has the capability to transport anything from anywhere to any destination, nonstop.
  • No other transportation technology shares this advantage.
  • For this reason, there is no limitation to the markets that LTA will serve.
  • On our website we name 6 markets but have identified more than 60 that LTA will positively impact.
  • For a deeper dive, see our “Markets” webpage.

What are the project’s next major goals, and how long will it take?

  • The next major goals include completing the conversion of the 2-dimensional drawings into a 3D model, followed by raising money for the build, and finally, building our first airship.
  • We estimate it will take 12 months to complete the conversion to the 3D model and one year to complete the build process.
  • For a deeper dive, see our “Timeline and ROI” webpage.

The Germans perfected LTA; didn’t they give up on the technology?

  • The answer is a resounding no!
  • In Germany today are at least 2 prominent museums dedicated to Count von Zeppelin and his airship program.
  • These museums see thousands of visitors each year, with the bulk being from Germany, as their general educational system ensures its students are taught about their great innovator and his technology and the many industries it spawned.
  • Additionally, the German Zeppelin Company of the 1900s still exists today and owns many manufacturing subsidiaries, such as ZF, the second-largest automobile parts manufacturer in the world.
  • And lastly, the Zeppelin NT Company operates 3 prototype airships that provide regular tours of the German countryside.
  • All of these are supported by the German people, their government, and education system.
  • For a deeper dive, see our ”German Zeppelin LTA Program” webpage and “LTA Today” video presentation on our “Pitch Deck” webpage.

I saw a documentary about the Hindenburg fire; wouldn’t people be too afraid to fly on LTA today?

  • In the 1900s, the Germans had to use hydrogen, a very flammable lift gas, in their airships because they did not have any other options.
  • Despite this hazard, the German Zeppelin Company enjoyed a perfect passenger safety record spanning 40 years until the Hindenburg disaster. Today, we have ample access to helium, a nonflammable lift gas.
  • Additionally, LTA is a much safer transportation technology than today’s commercial aviation or travel by automobile.
  • For a deeper dive, see our “Safety and Survivability” webpage.

People are in a hurry today; isn’t LTA too slow?

  • Today’s passengers are in a hurry because travel on commercial aircraft is a big inconvenience.
  • Unless you’re in business class, it’s nearly impossible to be productive. For the entire flight you’re confined to a small seat with no view and no control over who sits next to you.
  • So people pay high prices for fast travel on a very inefficient transportation technology.
  • On an airship, however, you’re free to move about the passenger areas and converse with whomever you desire while enjoying the view of the world outside from the large windows on the promenade decks.
  • If you need to work, there are private areas equipped with desks, power, and internet access via Wi-Fi, and unlike today’s commercial air travel, you will not experience claustrophobia, motion, or air sickness.
  • On an airship, you don’t have to put your life on hold while traveling from departure to destination.
  • For a deeper dive, see our “Passenger Flight Ops” video presentation on our “Pitch Deck” webpage.

Helium is just too expensive; how can LTA be profitable while releasing its lift gas into the atmosphere every time it needs to land?

  • During their flight operations in the 1900s, the Germans would often release hydrogen into the atmosphere if their airship became too light or needed to descend rapidly.
  • For better efficiency and to reduce operating costs, today’s LTA must reduce the consumption of its more expensive, nonflammable lift gas, helium.
  • For this reason, today’s LTA must have an adequate buoyancy management system that can compress and store excess lift gas when additional buoyancy is no longer needed.
  • We have developed a simple yet effective method of buoyancy management that we call the Buoyancy Control System, or BCS.
  • For a deeper dive, see our “New Design” webpage.

Because LTA is a fair-weather aircraft, wouldn’t you have to build large hangars at every stop?

  • During their sorties over England and her allies in WWI, the Germans flew their airships in all types of weather day and night, so it’s safe to say airships of the Zeppelin design were not fair-weather aircraft.
  • Additionally, today’s build materials are far more resilient, especially regarding the sun’s UV rays.
  • We also have reliable weather prediction capabilities, which were not available in the 1900s.
  • For these reasons, exposure to the weather isn’t a problem.
  • The requirement for extensive ground infrastructure used in storing and servicing LTA is one of the myths propagated about the technology.
  • Like today’s commercial aviation, the key to profitability is mobility.
  • This is why they keep their aircraft flying with the only hangar time being for major inspections and repairs.
  • Because our design accommodates loading and unloading without the use of a hangar or mooring tower, it will significantly increase operational time and, therefore, profitability.
  • For a deeper dive, see our “New Design” webpage.