Airship over Surat

Surat: Diamond city will witness an American airship over its skies from May 2 for two days. The airship will shower petals on the city and lucky citizens will get to see the horizon from it.
In a first of its kind show, which also coincides with the golden jubilee of the statehood of Gujarat, a private cellphone operator has brought the airship to hover over the city skies after permission from the authorities concerned.
"The airship has landed at the city airport after obtaining permissions from DGCA, Airport Authority of India and security agencies including local police and district collectorate," Surat airport sources said.
It can attain a speed of 85 km per hour depending on wind conditions, but will fly at a maximum speed of 20 nautical miles over the city. The ship is A60 Plus type of vehicle with two propeller engines. Its tank has a capacity for 2,000 cubic metres of Helium gas. It is 40 metre long, 15 metre high and 13 metre wide and can fly four passengers apart from the pilot.
The private cellphone operator, which is running a promotional campaign, wanted to fly the airship during Swarnim Gujarat on May 1, but has been permitted only to fly over the city skies on May 2 and 3.
30/04/10 Himanshu Bhatt/Times of India

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Categories: Foreign May 2010, New May 2010