Friends, family, suppliers, staff and supporters of Appliances Online yesterday gathered on The Island, a bar which floats on Syndey Harbour, to toast the official launch of the Appliances Online Legend Blimp.
Invitations resembled boarding passes for ‘Legend Air’ and guests left with a Duty Free gift bag. Appliances Online even printed its own inflight magazine, see below.
“I’ve been flying blimps for 14 years, however blimps first took flight in the mid-1800s. The German Zeppelin Company pioneered airships in the early twentieth century, until fixed-wing aircraft eventually took over. Also known as a dirigible, a blimp is a kind of non-rigid airship. It has aircraft engines on each side, and can be steered in a similar way a yacht is steered,” Finney said.
“Similar to an airplane, we have a round-the-clock ground support crew; and stay in constant contact with Air Traffic Controllers all over the country during flights. Appliances Online’s Legend Blimp crew includes two qualified pilots, two licensed aviation mechanics, a crew chief and a clerk, while ground staff includes watch keepers and ground crew. Interestingly, today there are only thirteen active airships in the entire world.”