Hot- air airships are like powered, steerable hot- air balloons with the ability to hover over a defined area. Market leader in this field is the German company GEFA-FLUG with more than 30 years of experience. GEFA- FLUG hot- air airships have been successfully proved for their great flight characteristics as maneuverability and flight speed. They combine the fascination for flying with a cost effective and attractive way of aerial advertising.

In the first half of the last century Germany's rigid airships introduced by "Count Zeppelin" have been world famous and still are. A regular passenger service existed between Germany and America, including a world around trip in 1929 and a polar expedition in 1931. With great success the US Navy used 200 so called pressure airships for coast patrol duties until the early 60s.

Another German Airship Story started

Since the mid 70s GEFA-FLUG based in Aachen, Germany, has been designing airships. After time of development and operation of remote controlled airships, GEFA-FLUG worked on manned systems in the 80s. The first twin-seater was built in 1990 using a Thunder & Colt gondola with an envelope entirely designed and built by GEFA-FLUG. This envelope type is more streamlined than existing hot- air airships and has been certified as a four- seater for passenger operation in 1999. Highlight of GEFA-FLUG's scientific research 2005 to 2010 was the certification of a six- seater hot- air airship with a volume of 5,000 m3.

GEFA-FLUG improved the general maneuverability. Pitch control is possible with the help of a V-form twin burner arrangement and the resulting heat distribution in the envelope fore and aft. Additionally, flight characteristics are considerably improved. With a max. flight speed of 22 mph it is faster than traditional hot- air airships.

Aerial advertising with hot- air airships attract plenty of views "The main market for hot- air airships is aerial advertising", tells Karl Ludwig Busemeyer, managing director and owner of GEFA-FLUG. " There is a good market in visiting fairs, exhibitions, open air and sporting events, etc. in the evenings. Patrolling flights are another possible application. Hot-air airships fly over highways during traffic jams in the early morning and the evening. In wintertime, hot-air airships can be operated over ski resorts and big winter games. Combined with aerial advertising, passenger flying with hot-air airships is a viable submarket making them even more attractive."

Great advantage of hot-air airships: They are easy to handle GEFA-FLUG has successfully used various hot-air airship systems in around 25 countries for various purposes. The German airships have proved for more then 25 years that they are cost effective for environmental survey projects as well as for aerial advertising. They take off and land vertically; they only need small launch fields which can always be found close to the flying area.

In contrast to helium airships, hot-air airships are carried to their place of operation; whereas helium airships have to fly there which is very expensive depending on the distance. Hot- air airships, however, travel on the road including their three to six crew members. Crew size of helium airships varies from 10 – 20 depending on type and size of ship. The big advantage over hot- air balloons is the engine and the ability to hover over a defined area.