It is expected that the movement on the 101 highway in Mountain View, California, will deteriorate in the coming days or weeks, since motorists will slow down to observe the launch of the 124-meter air ship Pathfinder 1, owned by Google co-founder Sergei Brin.
According to a report by IEEE Spectrum, LTA Research, founded by Brin in 2015 with the goal of developing air ships for humanitarian and freight transportation, has received a special certificate of flight fit for a helium air ship in early September. This document allows the largest aircraft to start flying tests at the Moffett Field airfield in Silicon Valley.
The certificate permits LTA to fly the Pathfinder 1 within the territory of Moffett Field and the neighboring Palo-Alto airport at a height of up to 460 meters. This will enable the air ship to fly over the southern part of the San Francisco bay without interfering with commercial aircraft.
Initially, the Pathfinder 1 will undergo ground-based testing while attached to a mobile mast, before conducting approximately 25 low altitude flights with a total duration of 50 hours. Despite its design resemblance to air ships of the early 20th century, the Pathfinder 1 boasts unique features not seen in previous aircraft.
LTA air ships are constructed using lightweight titanium and carbon fiber materials. Equipped with twelve electric motors and four rudders, the air ship is capable of vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) at speeds of up to 120 km/h.
Although the Pathfinder 1 is designed for single-pilot operation, it is outfitted with dual controls and will have a second pilot on board “for the initial flight tests until the workload of the pilot is evaluated,” according to a letter from LTA to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Following extensive flight tests in California, the Pathfinder 1 will be relocated to the former Goodyear Airdock in Akron, Ohio, which has been acquired by LTA as a future production site. Additionally, LTA is developing an even larger air ship, the Pathfinder 3, measuring 180 meters.
In the long run, LTA plans to utilize its air ships for humanitarian missions, delivering cargo and personnel to areas inaccessible by road.
The flight fit certificate for the Pathfinder 1 is valid for one year, but LTA has informed the FAA in their application letter that they anticipate completing the test program within 180 days.