ALL ABOUT BLIMPS

Is it a bird? Is it a spaceship? No... it's a non-rigid airship

- AILSA HARVEY

Blimps look like futuristic hot-air balloons. However, they're deep-rooted in the culture and technology of the early 20th century and are now relatively rare in our skies. Cruising at 70 to 85 miles per hour, these aircraft are a type of airship in the LTA category of vehicles, which stands for 'lighter than air'. The aircraft use gases to generate lift, but are also equipped with engines to power their own flight path.

Their trajectory is controlled by a pilot, usually seated in a separate cabin below the giant balloon. There's no set size for these aircraft, but modern blimps are around 75 metres in length. The use of airships such as blimps was far more common during World War I. They were used for observation, to launch weapons from and as barrage balloons to protect harbours and cities from low-flying enemy aircraft.