Blimp working hard off coast of Florida
As previously reported, the US Coast Guard is in a 6 week trial run of using a blimp to monitor the coast of Florida.
The blimp, which only burns 10 gallons of fuel an hour, is an attempt by authorities to find cheaper ways of monitoring the coast for drug and human smugglers.
The project, which kicked off on July 4, has yielded positive results, according to Coast Guard officials at Naval Air Station Key West, the blimp’s home for the duration of the six-week program testing its efficacy in surveying the seas.
“So far we are very happy with the results we are getting,” said Coast Guard spokesman Ensign Matthew Meinhold, noting the blimp has been in the air almost every day since its initial launch.
Meinhold noted one of the advantages of using a blimp to scan the ocean as opposed to conventional fixed-wing airships or helicopters is the extended amount of time a blimp can remain in the air.
The Skyship 600 can fly 16-hour missions at 3,000 feet (914 meters) while burning only 10 gallons (38 liters) of fuel per hour. However missions usually last about eight hours, said the ensign.
Meanwhile, the Navy’s P3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft, commonly used in the straits, burns between 600 and 700 gallons (2,270 and 2,650 liters) of fuel per hour and flies significantly shorter missions.
The blimp has already been credited with an apprehension of a human smuggling boat.
The blimp’s powerful cameras can monitor activity on ships with large decks or open cockpits and even read the names of some of the larger vessels.
So far, the blimp has helped track down at least one vessel used for smuggling migrants from Cuba. According to Coast Guard officials, 26 Cuban migrants were found at sea July 12 with help of the airship.
The boatpeople were interdicted by the Coast Guard after being alerted by their new overhead surveillance partner and eventually repatriated to Cuba.
Human smuggling is a $10 billion market.
