According to a report from IEEE Spectrum, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a special airworthiness certificate to LTA Research, a company founded by Google's co-founder Sergey Brin, permitting them to conduct flight tests of their 400-foot-long hybrid-electric airship, known as Pathfinder 1, at Moffett Field near San Francisco. LTA Research has been working on this massive aircraft, which is the largest of its kind since the Hindenburg, since 2015. Additionally, the company is in the process of constructing a second, even larger airship, measuring almost 600 feet in length. When Brin established the company, he stated the primary purpose of these airships would be for humanitarian aid missions to remote areas.
The test airship features a lightweight welded titanium frame, allowing it to use helium as the lifting gas, instead of the more temperamental hydrogen. It is equipped with a gondola capable of accommodating 14 passengers and is designed for single-pilot operations, although it is equipped with dual controls. Power is supplied by two 150-kilowatt generators, which in turn drive 24 electric motors distributed across the airframe. Following initial tethered tests, the airship will be flown within a restricted area, at altitudes not exceeding 1,500 feet above San Francisco Bay. Brin has also acquired Goodyear’s Airdock in Akron, Ohio, with plans to use it as a manufacturing site for these airships.