SkyShip blimp takes to the air

A white oval-shaped blimp outfitted with infrared gyroscopic cameras which can pick out the number plates of cars 500 metres below, and record perfectly conversations on mobile phones, was yesterday sent out to certain parts of the country to test its capabilities. The floating “spyship”  purchased by the Ministry of National Security, to carry out air surveillance at hot spot crime areas throughout Trinidad and Tobago, was sent out for testing from Piarco Airport yesterday. The surveillance unit called “Skyship” was launched yesterday from the Piarco Airport by Minister of National Security Martin Joseph.

Contacted yesterday, Minister Joseph told Sunday Newsday that the equipment called “Skyship” is part of the equipment purchased by the Government. Minister Joseph added that the blimp was sent out for testing yesterday and he refused to divulge any further information. Police Commissioner Trevor Paul said that it was the first that he was hearing of the launch of the blimp. Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday when contacted about the launch of the spyship said that the Government has been failing to deal with the crime situation, and he can only wish them well, and hope that the blimp will assist in decreasing crime.

Sunday Newsday learned that members of the public who saw the blimp thought it was a UFO and soon  word began spreading that a UFO was in the country. People in Port-of-Spain, St Joseph, Tunapuna, and Valencia claimed to have seen the blimp. The UFO claim was soon dispelled by Minister Joseph. Sunday Newsday learned that Minister Joseph got approval from Cabinet to purchase the “Skyship.” Some blimps can carry a crew of 12, including specially trained police officers. The blimp can patrol the skies for about 16 hours per day. The use of the airship is an attempt to prevent terrorist attacks and it is mounted with dome-shaped sensors, including “sniffers” to guard against chemical attacks, and ultra-high resolution cameras, capable of providing detailed images of people and objects on the ground.

The infrared gyroscopic cameras can track suspicious vehicles day and night, however bad the weather. The blimp’s microphones are very sensitive and the airship must meet the same stringent safety and maintenance prerequisites as every other aircraft. It is filled with non-combustible helium, stored at low pressure, so even if it were to come under attack from conventional firearms, bullets would do very little damage. A Skycruise technician said that it would probably take a missile to shoot it down. Most blimps last 11 to 13 years. Government purchased three “Sky-Watch” units recently as part of the anti-crime initiatives, but those units have proven to be of no use in the fight against crime.

About the blimp

Blimp is an informal term typically applied to non-rigid airships. These airships differ from rigid airships (eg, Zeppelins) in that they have no rigid structure that holds the airbag in shape. Rather, blimps rely on a higher pressure of the gas (usually helium) inside the envelope. The term “blimp” is reportedly onomatopoeic, the sound the airship makes when one taps the envelope (balloon) with a finger. Although there is some disagreement among historians, credit for coining the term is usually given to Lt AD Conningham of the British Royal Navy in 1915.

There is an often repeated, but false, alternative explanation for the term. The erroneous story is that at some time in the early 20th century, the United States military had two classes for airships: Type A-rigid and Type B-limp, hence “blimp.” Blimps maintain their form by internal overpressure. Typically, the only solid parts are the passenger car (gondola) and the tail fins. A blimp that uses heated air instead of a light gas as lifting medium is sometimes called a hotship.

Blimps have been popularised by several companies, including Goodyear, Budweiser, and Fujifilm, which use them for advertising, and as platforms to provide aerial shots of sporting events. During World War I and World War II, blimps assisted the United States military in aerial reconnaissance along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. The USGS uses unmanned blimps to carry equipment to places where conventional aircraft cannot go, such as above an erupting volcano. Blimps are ideal as they can hover, and are less likely to be damaged by volcanic ash than a helicopter.