Last week, a unique aerial sight captivated onlookers in central Alberta, sparking curiosity about the appearance of a 20-meter blimp. While many have witnessed Goodyear Blimps at sporting events, the presence of such an airship in rural Alberta is a rare occurrence.
In this instance, a solar-powered airship, comparable in size to a school bus, was undergoing testing to revolutionize aerial survey data collection near Rocky Mountain House, approximately 200 kilometers southwest of Edmonton. A collaborative team from Cloudline, a South African aerospace company that designed the airship, and its Canadian operational associate, 3 Points in Space Media, conducted flight trials at the Rocky Mountain House Airport.
Describing the technology as akin to a helium party balloon, Sean Adams, the founder and CEO of 3 Points in Space Media, highlighted the innovative approach of integrating control systems with the airship, rendering it an autonomous aerial vehicle. The crew engaged in a trial with TC Energy to inspect pipeline corridors in the area, emphasizing the novelty of this particular technology.
Pre-flight preparations involved filling the airship’s envelope with helium and performing diagnostic tests while the airship was tethered. Once cleared, operators released the aircraft for calibration runs before embarking on long-distance survey flights, covering a recent 100-kilometer route as part of the system’s classification as a remotely piloted aircraft system with automated flight controls.
Cloudline’s CEO, Spencer Horne, emphasized the airship’s 40-kilogram payload capacity, enabling it to transport heavier camera and LiDAR sensors over significantly longer distances compared to standard drones. The technology aims to provide a quieter and more efficient alternative for monitoring pipelines, power lines, and infrastructure in remote areas, a task traditionally conducted using conventional aircraft or smaller drones.
While acknowledging the limitations of airships in severe weather conditions, Adams expressed plans to enhance the technology’s resilience for broader applications. TC Energy’s Joe Zhou highlighted the research initiative’s potential for gathering diverse data types in a single flight, underscoring the comparative quietness of the approach in contrast to conventional aircraft.
Operating the airship represents an opportunity for Michael Adams, vice-president of research and development at 3 Points in Space Media, to modernize a historic aviation technology that waned in popularity following the Hindenburg disaster in the 1930s. By incorporating a swatch of fabric from the Graf Zeppelin, a renowned airship from the past, into the payload, Adams symbolizes the fusion of old and new aviation technologies.
The presence of the airship in the Rocky Mountain House area generated significant local interest and excitement. Residents marveled at the rare sight, with Mayor Shane Boniface noting its novelty compared to other events. Despite Cloudline’s international operations, autonomous airships remain uncommon in Canadian airspace, with plans for cold-weather testing in northern Ontario underway to prepare for sub-zero conditions and Arctic environments.