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After receiving permission from the Federal Aviation Administration, Telford Aviation Inc. has begun test-flying at the former Loring Air Force Base an unmanned airship that could aid homeland security efforts.
Telford, an aviation maintenance and repair company based at Bangor International Airport, has been working with a technology development firm to create a large unmanned airship – the first of its kind.
“This is brand new technology that we are developing, not off-the-shelf technology,” said Bob Ziegelaar, president of Telford.
Ziegelaar said Telford has been working for the last three years with Virginia-based Science Applications International to produce an 80,000-cubic-foot unmanned airship, also known as a blimp. He said the 130-foot-long, 35-foot-wide craft could reach altitudes of 8,000 to 10,000 feet. It has been designed to travel at about 17 mph and stay in the air for up to 48 hours.
According to plans, the airship will be controlled either from a remote location or by pre-programming a flight plan.
Funding for the development project was procured from the Department of Defense with the aid of U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine.
“We couldn’t have done this without Senator Collins,” Ziegelaar said. “She was able to find the funding.”
Ziegelaar said that over the past three years, Collins has had a hand in securing about $4 million in federal research and development funding for Telford Aviation.
The federal money has benefited not only the Maine company, but also the Limestone region.
Telford is using the former Loring Air Force Base in Limestone as a home for its test flights and hopes to develop the location into an established unmanned aircraft test center.
“We like it up there. There is a lot of room and the people are great,” Ziegelaar said. “We would love to see Loring developing as a test facility for all unmanned test flights.”
Carl Flora, chief executive officer of the Loring Development Authority, echoed Ziegelaar’s sentiments.
“Our hope is to develop a niche in the unmanned aircraft testing world,” Flora said in a telephone interview. “We hope to be a place where people can bring their unmanned vehicles as a test center already designed and set up to accommodate them.”
Flora said Telford’s airship is a large aircraft, but that Loring is equipped to house it.
“It occupies a unique building. We have an immense, voluminous space that the craft fits right inside,” Flora said.
According to Flora and Limestone Town Manager Donna Bernier, the former Loring base has been able to attract more civilian jobs now than it had when the base was open.
“We have about 1,500 employees now, and we had about 1,100 then,” Flora said.The base was officially closed in 1994.
Bernier was hopeful about what Telford could bring to the area.
“If Telford is able to develop and expand and end up hiring people, that would be welcomed,” Bernier said.
According to Ziegelaar, Telford currently has five day-to-day employees at the former Loring base, but up to 12 employees when test flights are occurring. That number would only increase if things continue to go well, Ziegelaar said.
“If we go into full-fledged production, I could see 50 people being hired up there,” he said.
Ziegelaar said expansion will depend on the level of interest in the unmanned airships.
But Ziegelaar also said he is optimistic that the craft, with a projected price of $1 million, will have applications for both the government and the private sector.
While the airship has been designed to act as a surveillance device, Ziegelaar pointed out there were other applications.
“For instance, during Hurricane Katrina, one of the biggest problems was that all the cell phone towers were taken out. Using our airship you could have carried a cell phone relay station above the area and instantly returned cell phone communications,” Ziegelaar said.
Ziegelaar said the Department of Homeland Security has shown interest in the airship for port and border surveillance. He also said the drone could be used in wildlife management and to monitor sports events.
“We are believers in airships – we think they will make a comeback,” Ziegelaar said in an interview Thursday. “Others have been slow and cumbersome, but with the new technology, they will be much more attractive.”
Currently, airships do not fly higher than about 2,000 feet because they are made for advertising, and none fly unmanned.
Ziegelaar said receiving the FAA’s certificate for experimental unmanned flights has been encouraging.
“The FAA is very strict. Everything in the air is of concern for them,” he said.
But the FAA should have no concerns, as things seem to be moving along smoothly, according to Ziegelaar.
He said the 30,000-cubic-foot prototype flew at about 700 feet for 45 minutes during its first test flight about two weeks ago.
Ziegelaar said test flights were used to tweak the control mechanics and ensure there was proper communication with the airship.
The FAA requires 50 hours of incident-free test-flying before Telford can apply for full certification, according to Ziegelaar.
Ziegelaar said Telford hopes to complete the FAA requirements this summer and be ready to begin commercial production sometime this fall.
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