This Old Blog

Step 1: Get everybody lined up Step 2: Decouple the nose from the mooring mast Step 3: Pull 'er waaaayyyyy back Step 4; Rev up the engines, let 'er go, and let 'er fly Finding a sufficiently large blimp, plenty of helium, a well trained staff, and airport facilities to do all this is left as an exercise for the reader. NOTE: This is BBC's science team in Orlando. More information here: http://www.blimpinfo.com/uncategorized/bbc-announces-cloud-lab/

Snoopy came back to Orlando in late January and was still hanging out near the 408 on Friday 1 February when I drove past him on the way home. Snoopy's Metlife blimp is something of a regular visitor to these parts, showing up around January every year. On that way home I pulled off to try my hand at some late evening photography with the E-M5. The sun had already pretty well set. The blimp's internal light was already on (you can begin to see it shining through the lower gasbag skin). Because the sun was well below the horizon I didn't have a lot of time to take very many photos, but I didn't let that bother me so much because of the fast lenses I was using combined with the E-M5 (and to a lesser extent the other Pens I had with me). The E-M5 and the fast primes have given back to me what I used to take for granted in the ancient days of film; low-light photography with little concern. Perhaps this is what the Canons and Nikons with their expensive full-frame...

All this time I've been photographing airships, they've been pretty much moored on the ground or flying high in the sky. I've never seen one come in for a landing until today. Whoever was at the controls made it look as easy as can be, although I'm sure that it's not, especially if you have no training at the controls. Final approach Nearly down Crew capture Link-up to the mooring mast Technical All of these were taken with the Olympus M.Zuiko 40-150mm 'R' zoom lens on the E-P2. While I was very pleased with the results of this lens in Atlanta, I noticed with these photographs that the resolution was not nearly as great as the Zuiko Digital 50-200mm SWD. This is particularly true with the lines in the photos. If you're wondering why the top photo has the airship looking more brown, it's because there's currently a layer of smog over Orlando, through which the airship was passing down through the lower boundary above the ground.

The DirecTV blimp returned to Orlando this week and moored in the big empty field at Excutive Airport next to the 408. The blimp and crew are here for a couple of Christmas basketball games, then they're heading on to other cities around Florida and up the east coast. This year the DirecTV's skin had been completely refurbished with all-new decaling over the outer surface. When I last saw this blimp, it's nearly-five-year-old former surface was peeling badly, especially around the bow. This new covering, while using the same basic color scheme, is simpler, with the mid-blue continuously covering both sides and across the dorsal side of the blimp. The ventral is now a solid darker blue, with cyan areas on the lower bow and stern. This is fundamentally a reverse of the earlier color scheme. The cleaner design along with the new livery makes for a handsome looking aircraft. I was met by Airship Bill again, and it turns out he's actually part of the airport staff. H...

After my sleep study Friday night, I headed over to the local airport to photograph the forth airship to grace Orlando so far, the Farmer's Insurance Group airship. I'd spotted her heading into the airport over the 408 while I was driving home Friday afternoon. I'd have pulled off to watch her land, but I needed to head home and couldn't tarry. My loss. According to the lone tech at the site, this airship is the largest in the world. Since I'm no expert in these matters, I'll take his word for it. I will admit it's certainly the largest I've ever seen. The tech said the airship was in Orlando for the next six days. Airship Ventures , the owners and operators of the airship, had the area around the airship set up to sell flights on her. I don't know how much it costs for a single flight, but based on what I've seen on the website, prices range from hundreds to thousands of dollars, which is a bit rich for my pocketbook. The Farmer's d...

The MetLife blimp returned to Orlando this week to be a part of the Arnold Palmer 2011 Invitational  being held at Bay Hill (right across Apopka/Vineland from Sandlake Hills, where I live). While I have absolutely no use for golf, I was certainly happy to see the MetLife blimp return. MetLife Blimp, March 2011 Olympus E-3 with Zuiko Digital 50-200mm 1/1000s, f/5, ISO 100, 83mm, manual MetLife Blinp, January 2011 I wrote about the MetLife blimp last January . As you can see from the second photo, the little MetLife had a complete livery change, up in Tennessee. While I will miss Flying Snoopy, I certainly think the new livery is better, certainly brighter and more cheerful. With white being the predominant color, it will certainly stand out while in flight. I'm curious about the flight characteristics of the blimp now that the sides are mostly white, instead of mostly dark blue. White absorbs far less heat than dark blue. Will it take more helium to achieve the same bu...

"Ghost Ship" Olympus E-3 with Zuiko Digital 50-200mm 1/2500s, f/4.5, ISO 200, 64mm, +0.3 EV I came across my third blimp of the year at the Executive Airport today. It was white (or a lighter shade of pale), and except for standard aircraft markings in small letters on the lower dorsal fin, there were nothing on the body at all to indicate who owned and/or ran the airship. At least, not from the expressway. What added to today's interest, besides the nondescript body, was the large ground crew gathered about the blimp; it was being prepared for flight when I stopped by this afternoon to take some photographs. "Ready to Detach" Olympus E-3 with Zuiko Digital 50-200mm 1/2000s, f/5, ISO 200 I tried to walk closer to the blimp, but was quickly intercepted by one of the ground crew before I barely walked onto the grassy surround where the blimp was attached to its mooring. While I walked he came running. He asked, politely but firmly, for me to head b...

"Helium Source" Olympus E-P2 with Zuiko Digital 9-18mm + DMW-MA1 1/500s, f/5.6, ISO 200, 9mm The DirecTV blimp returned to Orlando this morning. I saw it while driving to work. And for a brief instance, I saw it and the MetLife blimp moored side-by-side on the open field next to the Orlando Executive Airport. I should have exited the 408 right then and there and gone over to capture that moment, but I thought they'd both be there when I drove home after work. Unfortunately, MetLife left both airfield and Orlando not long after I'd driven past. Yet again, another of Life's Lessons: act quickly when the opportunity presents itself. "Helium Source" was one of the last group of photos taken before I finished for the afternoon. The helium to the left is being fed, through the long orange hose snaking across the field, to the blimp. "Mooring Mast and Blimp" Olympus E-P2 with Zuiko Digital 9-18mm + DMW-MA1 1/400s, f/6.3, ISO 200, 9mm ...

"MetLife Blimp Mooring Shot" Olympus E-3 with ZD 50-200mm 1/640, f/4, ISO 100, 92mm Today, I had the opportunity to get up close and personal to a blimp. This is the second blimp I've seen at Orlando Executive Airport; the first was advertising DirecTV . I spotted this one on Monday on the way into work. When today rolled around I made sure to come better prepared, so I had the E-3 with the ZD 50-200mm and the E-P2 in the car. I made sure to leave as early as I could to catch a bit more light before sundown. On the way home I pulled off the 408 and made my way to the same spot I'd used for the DirecTV blimp. As I was taking my first few photographs, a truck drove up and parked next to where I had parked. Oh no, I thought. I'm going to get yelled at for taking pictures. That's what I've come to expect in this post-9/11 world. Instead, the first words out of the drivers mouth was "Would you like to get closer?" He had to ask me again before ...