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Adam A500
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May 30, 2012 23:52
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Nebakenezzer posted:Like most questions in life, the answer is "with an airship." I actually visited their hangar the other day (it's at St Andrews airport, where I landed my balloon.) It's pretty cool. They had the bottom end of their current airship there, though it wasn't inflated, as the envelope is in a warehouse in the city right now. Here's a quick pic:  That's the gondola that hangs under a ~140' long envelope.As a lighter-than-air pilot already, the performance you get of an airship is crazy to me. ~50knots airspeed, along with a surprising amount of lift. And the durability of a moored airship is surprising too, being able to withstand some very fast winds. They have some plans to construct some huge airships; around 600ft long to be able to lift about a semi-truck's worth of cargo. I've always had a soft spot in my heart for airships, so I'm going to keep in contact with the guy. I wish them the best, though I can see it's a long road ahead. Oh, the company's website is here. They have some pics of the airship inflated. Edit: Ow, my tables!
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Sep 12, 2012 22:29
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FrozenVent posted:Don't get me started on that loving polar icebreaker. The CBC seems to think Dassault might have a chance. I'd expect the Rafale is one of the cheaper options along with the Super Hornet, but I imagine it's still going to run in to "Buy American!" trouble.
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Jan 24, 2014 18:35
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(Cross-posting from the A/T Aviation Megathread.) I've been flying balloons in Kenya for the last couple years. I'd like to show you what some of the people here have put together. Kenya Homemade Aviation: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEmxnW7Ycnl7unD9gilz1qWdO__tlK7cf I think they've seen pictures of airplanes before.
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Oct 5, 2014 16:47
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drunkill posted:This happened this morning: That's not uncommon in Melbourne. Happens at least once a year. I have a friend who that happened to a few years ago. The flying in Melbourne is quite difficult, because it's fast winds up high and slow/calm on the surface. The balloons are supposed to land in parks, but sometimes the wind doesn't work out, and the beach is your last chance, and doesn't always work out. They usually just throw down a drop line and tow them back to shore. If you're low on fuel, see if you can unload some passengers and/or empty tanks on to the boat. priznat posted:Calling the guy who is nominally in charge of the balloon a "pilot" always seemed a bit optimistic imo Ever tried? It's a lot more of an art than flying planes. Some days that's true, and all you can do is pick a spot to land in a straight line. Some days you can steer 180+ degrees using the wind.
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May 21, 2016 17:00
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drunkill posted:4 months ago: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gstsqUIvPvY Drop line-ing that close to powerlines makes me pucker.
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May 21, 2016 18:22
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BIG HEADLINE posted:One of my 'bucket list' items is to fly in an Il-76 (with plenty of ear protection) so I could look out the navigator's window up front. There are shockingly few images of perspectives from that angle on Google Image Search. If you like the IL-76 and haven't read Outlaws Inc then you need to.
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Sep 19, 2016 01:19
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Sagebrush posted:I can't identify the plane in the video -- is it Russian? Because the video is russia.mp4, and Russian planes' propellers spin backwards, which gives them a right-turning tendency instead of left-turning like all other planes, so that would exacerbate the problem even more. Looks like an SP-30. A Russian version of the CH-701. Uses a Rotax 912 so I doubt the prop is spinning the other way. From Googling it, it was a cropduster who was attempting to take off from the road, not an emergency landing.
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Apr 9, 2018 21:06
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drunkill posted:Minimum flight regulations? pfft. balloons don't give a poo poo, they buzz all the houses every morning. The regulations for balloons are the same, but a little more liberty is taken with the "except for the purposes of takeoff and landing" because any maneuvering effects where we'll land. I've had days where I had to drag the basket through 10+ trees in order to get back to the right side of a river to be picked up (of course that was in the middle of nowhere in Kenya, people in cities get upset if you come through their trees.)
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Jun 1, 2018 14:11
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Nebakenezzer posted:Ah, thanks. Looks like an SF.260? Definitely not a Musketeer. The tip tanks make me think 260, but the area around the cockpit looks weird. But that might be a reflection.
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Jan 30, 2019 14:48
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Nebakenezzer posted:Stories from the aviation museum: today I got to say "you see Fidel Castro on a toboggan? Over there." Were you the Goon who did the RB-36 hike recently? I moved to St John's this past January, and I want to do it and have questions. I don't have PMs but I'll get it if I need them.
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Mar 20, 2019 01:07
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Nebakenezzer posted:No, that was someone else. I remember the two bits of advice they gave me, though: the actual parking lot for the hiking trail is easy to miss, and the road between Clarenville and the spot is stupendously awful. As for getting there, there's a tourist info site on the trans-Canada which should be able to guide you. I'd be up for that. I'll figure out how to get them soon. My biggest concern is if I can make it up the road in a stock Impreza, or if I need a 4wd. Thanks, I'll give a shout when I get them.
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Mar 21, 2019 01:20
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Ardeem posted:Subaru made a car that doesn't have 4wd? helno posted:That was me. Oh, I should have remembered it was you. And perfect, thanks. I'm definitely going to make the trip once it warms up. St_Ides fucked around with this message at 23:23 on Mar 21, 2019 |
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Mar 21, 2019 23:18
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Nebakenezzer posted:Y'know, three people I know lately have had terrible times flying in Canada - where simple delays turn flights multi-day. Is this a coincidence, or is the 737 MAX grounding really loving up Air Canada that badly? A few bad storms hitting on busy days, coupled with the max. Both AC and WS are down a good portion of their fleets, so a lot of routes aren't going as often as they should. Makes flying standby difficult too. I'm on a trip right now and I'm building in a 3 day buffer, even though I only have to fly 1 leg.
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May 6, 2019 01:14
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PT6A posted:I'm kind of tempted to see if I can board a plane with my "aviation document booklet" next time I fly commercially, just for shits and giggles, now that I'm thinking about it. It's federally issued photo ID so I don't see why it wouldn't work, but I'm guessing it'd throw them for a loop. You can. It's on the list of acceptable photo ID. Worst case they'll hold you there until they can look it up. To fly internationally you'll still need your passport.
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May 20, 2019 21:14
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Warbird posted:Sweet, I didn't realize they did that as well. I assume there is no reason I couldn't do both concurrently? Adsb Exchange has a pi image thaf says this: Adsb Exchange posted:We also offer a custom ADSBX feeder image with stats, dashboard, maps, US sectionals, offline vector maps, and many more features! This image will feed FA, FR24, and all other ADS-B sites if you install their feeder client. I don't know if it'll feed them simultaneously.
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Jul 18, 2019 13:18
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Nebakenezzer posted:So I was thinking of getting my LTA rating, where do I start? In Canada? Contact a balloon instructor, and go from there. You're in NL, right? I think I'm probably the only BPL on the island, but I can't instruct in Canada, nor are the weather conditions her remotely compatible with LTA flight. If you want to stay in Canada, probably London, Ontario, or Calgary are your best bets (there aren't many instructors). I can put you in contact with the right people, and if they can't do it, they find you someone who can. It's a super small community in Canada (only 200ish LTA licences exist, and most of them haven't flown in years, and/or get only a few hours/year). Conveniently, there's a balloon festival in Sussex, NB that I'm trying to get to early next month (not to work, just to meet up with some old friends). That'd be a good place to talk to some pilots, and maybe find someone more local to train you. If you're willing to travel, your best/cheapest/fastest option is to go to the US, (NM or Utah being the best areas) and go to an instructor there. Mike Bauwens did my US conversion, and is a good instructor with a good reputation. I have a few friends who have gone through him. Another option is Beth Wright-Smith, I have friends who have gone through her. I can get some other recommendations if you want them, but these are the two folks I'm most experienced with. From there you'd just convert your licence to Canadian (paperwork and an exam). If you're serious, I'm happy to talk more about it. If you're in St John's, we could grab a beer and talk more. And we I still need to do the RB-36 hike, if I ever get enough time off.
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Aug 1, 2019 16:10
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Platystemon posted:O.K. but who gets to eat the wildebeest? Nobody, game meat is illegal in Kenya. I used to live just a few KM south of that airstrip. It's not a surprise that they'd hit wildlife, but it's odd they'd be wildebeest. They're not the type to just dart out on to the runway.
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Aug 16, 2019 22:52
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Platystemon posted:So what you’re saying is that it’s lions. Too many humans for lions to bother going there right now. The Great Migration is in full force (hence the wildeys being there in the first place) so the lions are likely so full of food, they won't bother. Hyenas are possible, but they'd rather have fresh their own fresh kills during migration. Most likely the jackals and vultures will strip it, or it'll rot.
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Aug 17, 2019 11:32
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PainterofCrap posted:Can't they at least save the engines and avionics? The funny thing is how much stuff gets stolen from the balloon operations and where it shows up. Uprights (removable plastic poles that hold the burner frame above the basket) make the best Maasai rungu (a club like thing that also shows others your status in the community). We've lost entire balloon systems in the river, and we're convinced that the walls of the basket got turned in to the walls of a local house. That airstrip is far enough out of the way that there won't be random people just walking by to strip it. But I'm sure they'll have someone guarding it.
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Aug 19, 2019 14:05
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Icon Of Sin posted:Instead of an edit, let’s have a crash landing balloon instead. That's a pretty big gently caress up. Unless the video is missing a previous bounce, someone must've pulled a vent, because that envelope is not fully inflated at the beginning, and they're only on a single burner, when a balloon of that volume should have 2-3, which should be cranked. Then it gets spun and the people fall out. I would guess one of them is the pilot, it looks like he's holding a vent line, though maybe the turning vent, and not the main vent? That would explain why it spun the way it did on the first impact (balloons just don't spin like that without help) All that being said, I've had landings 75 percent as bad as that, and they made me reevaluate if I should be ballooning. But bad landings happen, especially when initially learning. The biggest issue by far is dumbfuck trying to stop the balloon by getting in front of it. That's killed 2 of my friends, and almost me. Everything visible in that video is completely preventable and could be rectified at almost any point. I can only hope that there's a big piece of the puzzle missing.
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Aug 31, 2019 15:43
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Nebakenezzer posted:Big healthy boi visits frozen small town: Was that yesterday or Saturday? I was on the trails beside the airport when it came in yesterday. I was surprised at how quiet the reverse thrust was. 
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Mar 10, 2020 21:44
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Nebakenezzer posted:And guys, got some odd flocking behavior here: Ugh, I'm down in town, I've wanted to see an IL-76 since reading Outlaws, Inc
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Apr 21, 2020 16:53
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e.pilot posted:There’s frequently one parked on the cargo ramp at IAH That's an AN-124, I managed to get lucky enough to see one of them landing a little over a month ago. Wish I could have gotten closer. IL-76 isn't as big, but I love the glass nose.
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Apr 21, 2020 17:33
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mlmp08 posted:Straddle the center console, each hand on a half-yoke. I actually used to fly like that on long cross countries in a 172. I'm a big guy, so I'd shift more to the center, one foot left side left rudder, one foot right side right rudder. Just cruisin'.
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Aug 6, 2020 18:42
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I've never actually watched a Jerry video, but Jesus, that was a dumbass thing to do. And to put video of it online is just so much worse. Does he also need 4 screens plus a full size iPad in that cockpit?
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Aug 23, 2020 18:58
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Nebakenezzer posted:These look like Bs...RAF? Or are they Marine Corps aircraft in RAF markings? Definitely Bs, we were walking the dog when the 3 of them and their tanker came approached over the town. They're ludicrously loud, they blocked out conversation from like a mile out. Cool to see though. If I knew when they were leaving I'd head to the airport.
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Nov 27, 2020 14:48
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Nebakenezzer posted:Depending on mostly covid things, we should get a goon meet going. I'd be up for it. I just bought plat, don't know how long it'll take to activate, but shoot me a dm later.
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Nov 27, 2020 22:42
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Nebakenezzer posted:
It’s a B-17b, c or d. Those are the models that had the bathtub on the bottom. Don’t know what’s up with the markings. St_Ides fucked around with this message at 16:19 on May 16, 2021 |
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May 16, 2021 16:16
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Molentik posted:Looks like a early B17, yes. Maybe one they captured on the Philippines? Apparently the Japanese reconstructed a single D in the Philippines. Could be that one. Edit: Found a winner. St_Ides fucked around with this message at 16:27 on May 16, 2021 |
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May 16, 2021 16:21
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Cojawfee posted:I'm a hot air balloon requesting vectors to runway 29L I did runway touch and gos in balloons any time the opportunity presented itself. I had a perfect one in Edmonton City Centre before it closed. There was a bizjet of some sort holding short, and I came in perpendicular to the approach, kissed the runway right in front of the bizjet, then tower called and said they were waiting for me to get out of the way so he could take off, so I cranked the heat and went up. The bizjet came back on the radio after that and said they didn't mind the wait because it was cool and they didn't know a balloon could do that. I thanked the tower for letting me use their runway. "it's really short, but boy is it wide!"
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Jun 15, 2021 12:57
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BlackMK4 posted:Is there some kind of db with a list of planes that show no reg and just a hex? https://airframes.org is what I used.
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Jun 30, 2021 12:30
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ImplicitAssembler posted:How much does a glider weigh? The glider the balloon is lifting is an L-13 Blanik. 644lb empty. Winch launches are a lot of fun in gliders. It’s such a quiet way to launch. Auto tow is cool too, I’d love to try it sometime. But the helicopter and balloon tows are just for bragging rights. That helicopter one just seems so dangerous, with the rope in the area of the tail rotor. Also the cost per launch would be stupidly high. The balloon one is pointless too. If the air is calm enough for a balloon to fly there’s the going to be any lift for the glider to use, thermal, ridge or otherwise. I didn’t have the sound on for the video but I hope the guy mentions it.
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Jul 19, 2021 21:05
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Nebakenezzer posted:How many An-124s are currently in service, and for whom do they fly? https://russianplanes.net/planelist/Antonov/An-124 Claims 19 civilian planes currently in service and has lists of who is doing it. I was onboard one this afternoon. Second one this week. And an IL-76.
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Oct 24, 2021 19:27
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PainterofCrap posted:I enjoyed tasty alcoholic beverages in the lounge bar on the upper deck of a 747. I was 14. I was told that, mid-Atlantic, there was no drinking age They may have been on a European aircraft. Germany doesn’t have a minimum drinking age if they’re with a custodial person. Many countries have similar laws.
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Feb 14, 2022 14:12
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BobHoward posted:Seems likely it's both that and the feedback to adjust height all in one. It's a useful tool for lining up the bridge with the aircraft, but in the bridges I used to drive it did not prevent you from hitting the aircraft with the bridge. There wasn't anything that would stop the bridge (at least not on the walkway part. There is a loop around the wheel below to prevent you from driving it over vehicles or rampies). I'd imagine that with the huge variety of sizes and shapes it'd be difficult to create a simple way of making a safety. It'd slow when it was close (it had a proximity sensor), but if you were super dumb you could ram the bridge in to the aircraft just fine. Once it's in position, you'd engage the auto-level (the wheel), and if you were being monitored, there's a sensor on a tether you place between the walkway floor and the aircraft door so that the door doesn't accidentally get ripped off. That was an automatic stop.
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Feb 15, 2022 16:23
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Besides the programming language, when I used to use Sabre, occasionally you’d see the raw text version of the flight info and it was an option to make it a non-smoking flight.
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Mar 4, 2022 00:09
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Sagebrush posted:Out of curiosity, how far out does the "necessary for purposes of taking off or landing" start and end? Balloon pilots exploit the poo poo out of this rule, out of necessity. Everything we do affects our landing spot, so if we need to skim rooftops to get to a safe landing spot, then it was necessary for the purpose of landing. It’s obviously something we avoid, just to avoid pissing off the general public. So the rule can be stretched pretty far, depending on the circumstances.
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Apr 30, 2022 13:38
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Sagebrush posted:Smaller turbines tend to have a more piercing sound, and older designs are definitely louder than new ones. Maybe just someone's vintage Learjet. On the FR24 app you can playback the last 7 days with their free level of account.
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May 8, 2022 22:47
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Lord Stimperor posted:About airships, my ground school materials contain some shots of tiny one person airships. But I can't find anything reliable about them. Do they actually exist outside of weird hobbyists who build their own as a stunt? Are they any good? I've only seen hot airships. I don't think any major company does significant production of them. They're pretty much just an oblong hot air balloon Jerry rigged with an engine and control surfaces. I do see one that has some rigid internal structure but it doesn't look like it is in production as the latest info is from 12 years ago. They're impractical to virtually useless. Even the one I linked above's "cruise speed" is 10mph. About 8 and half knots. When I fly a balloon I like my speed above ~250' to be 10-15kt, so it couldn't even remain stationary in good weather let alone make any significant progress upwind. Hot air balloons only fly at sunrise and sunset, the winds during the day are usually significantly higher and thermal activity is dangerous for balloons. It definitely cannot fly in weather much better than a standard balloon. And we can't/shouldn't fly in anything less than perfect conditions. You might be able to get some money for advertising but I would highly doubt that would cover much of the costs. I've never seen a solo sized gas airship. Helium is expensive - a quick google says bulk price is about $7.57 per cubic meter - so filling something I'd expect a gas airship size would be would be $4000+ and no matter how good the bladders are they are constantly leaking. Hydrogen might be a possibility to use, as modern gas balloons do use it, but they also designed specifically for hydrogen, and it's harder to design a propelled aircraft to have nothing that could ignite the gas. Beside lifting gas it'd be prohibitively expensive for any hobby use due to the cost/difficulty of a ground crew, as well as parking/protection for an airship. Unless you're a mega multi millionaire/billionaire it's not going to be possible.
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Jun 17, 2022 13:29
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