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Aviator, June 2002
Orni Who? - Odd and Unusual: The Rarest Aircraft in Canada
By Christopher Read
(Note: this is an excerpt.)
Born in Sweden, 58-year-old Colting was a world renowned balloonist before he began designing and building unique spherical airships at 21st Century Airships headquarters in Newmarket, Ontario.
Colting's airships are not unique just because they're spherical, but because they are much easier to steer than traditional cigar-shaped airships.
"We can fly circles around regular airships," says Colting.
The secret to the Colting airship's maneuverability is in thrust from side mounted engines that control the direction of flight.
Colting came up with the basic idea several years ago after being taken for a ride in a Goodyear airship and noticing how difficult it was to steer at speeds less than 10 mph. By using directional thrust instead of a rudder, Colting is able to control his airship at low speeds.
"I hear people all the time saying ' Oh that's easy, you just take a couple of engines and put them on a balloon.' But it's deceptive. It's a whole lot more than what meets the eye," says Colting.
Colting has been researching and developing his airships since 1988 and only just recently made his first sale. A Swiss company has ordered two of Colting's airships for $3.2 million each. They'll be used for advertising, a purpose Colting says his airships are uniquely suited for.
"We can rotate on a dime," he says, "We can hover over stadiums."
During the 1995 World Series in Atlanta, Colting flew over the stadium in an airship made to look like a giant baseball.
Colting's airships are able to take off and land in water because passengers are seated inside the actual sphere of the balloon. clear panels made of Lexan glass provide a see-through floor, making Colting's airships ideal for sightseeing as well.
Colting says flying his airships, like building them, is more difficult than it looks.
"It takes coordination to get it all to work," he says. "I can teach anyone to fly at 1000 feet in five minutes. It's the takeoffs and landings of course that are the critical parts."
Colting is the only airship pilot in Canada, and the only spherical airship pilot in the world.
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