Last week, a remarkable sight caught the attention of onlookers in central Alberta, prompting questions about the appearance of a 20-meter airship in the sky. While the sight of a Goodyear Blimp at a sports event is not uncommon, the presence of a solar-powered airship of similar size in rural Alberta was a rare occurrence. The airship, equivalent in size to a school bus, was engaged in testing a novel method of collecting aerial survey data near Rocky Mountain House, approximately 200 kilometers southwest of Edmonton.
A collaboration between Cloudline, a South African aerospace company that designed the airship, and its Canadian affiliate, 3 Points in Space Media, conducted flight trials with the airship from the Rocky Mountain House Airport. Describing the airship as akin to a helium party balloon, Sean Adams, the founder and CEO of 3 Points in Space Media, explained that the technology, though rooted in the past, was innovative in combining control systems with the airship to create an autonomous flying vessel.
The airship undergoes pre-flight preparations that involve filling the envelope with helium and conducting diagnostic checks while tethered. Once cleared, operators release the airship for calibration runs before embarking on long-distance survey flights. Adams highlighted the utility of the airship in gathering data in remote areas for tasks such as monitoring pipelines, power lines, and infrastructure, areas traditionally covered by conventional aircraft or smaller drones.
Cloudline’s CEO, Spencer Horne, emphasized the airship’s capacity to carry heavier camera and LiDAR sensors over significant distances, surpassing the capabilities of standard drones. Although crewed aircraft may handle extreme cold and unpredictable weather better than airships, efforts are underway to enhance airship durability for such conditions.
The collaboration with TC Energy for pipeline corridor inspections demonstrated the airship’s potential to gather diverse data types in a single flight, offering a quieter alternative to conventional aircraft. The initiative represents a modern revival of historic aviation, aiming to rejuvenate an aviation technology that saw a decline in the 1930s.
The presence of the airship generated considerable interest among residents of Rocky Mountain House, with many expressing awe at the unusual sight. Plans for cold-weather testing in northern Ontario are on the horizon to prepare the airship for sub-zero operations and Arctic conditions, following its successful flights near Rocky Mountain House and Sundre, Alberta.
In conclusion, while autonomous airships remain a rare sight in Canadian airspace, the recent display in central Alberta showcased their potential for innovative data collection and aerial survey applications in remote regions.