Getting your pilot's license is just the start of a life in the world of aviation that can literally take you anywhere. While there is a lot you can do with just a Private pilot's certificate, it is always the starting point to flying helicopters, freight, charter or eventually becoming a pilot for a regional airline or even a major airline like Delta, United, or UPS.
But one specialized aviation job, that you may or may not have thought of, is flying the blimps that you see over stadiums during ball games or over big events like parades. But who is flying the blimps and how did they get that job? Somebody has to fly those blimps and your pilot's license is a good starting point into what could become a very fascinating job that is unlike anything else in aviation.
Steady As She Goes
Flying a blimp is not a fast-paced job in terms of the flying. Most of the time a blimp travels very slowly because, obviously, a blimp is large and cumbersome and it really cannot maneuver that quickly. It is designed to hover and move slowly over a ball game or racing event, so that a camera can cover the action from a "bird's-eye" perspective. The top speed you may reach in the air might be thirty-five miles per hour but don't think it is easy. You will still have to deal with the weather and the winds and that can be just as challenging as flying a big, fast airplane.
Another big difference when flying a blimp is that you will hover the craft fairly close to the ground compared to a faster moving airplane that flies thousands of feet above the earth. This takes a delicate touch and concentration. Sometimes you will fly as low as 1,000 to 1,500 feet above the ground which means at that height you have to be very careful of towers, powerlines, etc.
Showmanship and Promotion
Since blimps are used almost entirely for promotional or recreational purposes, your role as the pilot of a blimp almost puts you into show business. You are a good-will ambassador for your company, the event, and aviation. You are practically a celebrity. You will have a lot of interaction with people who come to see the blimp so you will enjoy far more socialization than you might as a airline pilot. Personally, as a pilot for a regional airline, I really enjoy greeting my passengers when they board and then again when they leave, but as a blimp pilot, you will probably face the public on many different occasions, at numerous events, and have to answer an endless stream of questions and pose for thousands of pictures.
Travel, Travel, Travel
By the very nature of why companies keep blimps and why events want their presence, a blimp's travel schedule from one event to another is virtually nonstop. So be sure you really enjoy seeing the world and that this kind of travel is what you are looking for. It's a great job if want to have an adventure and do something unique.
Where Do You Start?
If you wish to make becoming a blimp pilot a real objective, take your existing pilot's license and get your "lighter-than-air" rating as well. It won't be that much more added work and it positions you perfectly to fly a blimp later. Then you have to hit the streets, find the right company that is staffing for that job, start talking to their pilots and their chief pilot, and get your foot in the door. As you wait for the chance to work with the few organizations that do operate blimps, you can go ahead and get your advanced pilot certificates and ratings and log some quality flight time as a certificated flight instructor (CFI), charter pilot, bush pilot, etc., so you have a solid flying resume when you are ready to specialize in flying blimps.
Your Hired! Now What?
The "big break" you will be looking for is to get in on the ground floor with a company that owns and operates a blimp. You may have to serve your time as part of the ground crew of the blimp but that by itself can be a fascinating job. This is when you will learn the technical aspects of maintaining a blimp and the safety issues that go into keeping a big vehicle like that aloft.
Eventually, your prior flight experience and dedication to the blimp team will put you in line for a co-pilot position when it becomes available. And if the company decides to add a blimp or needs a whole new crew including a pilot, having been an experienced ground crew member with flight time, you will be in an ideal position to fill that vacancy.
Unfortunately the pay of a blimp pilot is not going to make you rich, so you are really going to have to want the job but you will see the world and you will have one of the most unique aviation jobs available today. And if you get to fly over the Super Bowl and have a birds-eye view of the biggest game of the year, well that's just another one of the great perks of being a blimp pilot.
Jeffrey is a captain at regional airline and is based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He flies the CRJ200, CRJ700, and CRJ900. He holds an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate, a CL-65 (CRJ200) type rating, a Gold Seal Certificated Flight Instructor (CFI) rating and Advanced Ground Instructor certificate. He has over 4000 hours total flight time.
He writes the blog "Almost the Speed of Sound" ( http://www.flycrj.com ) which is about his experiences, insights, and thoughts about being a pilot, a flight instructor, and an airline captain. He is also the author of "The CRJ200 Quicknotes Study Guide" which is available at http://www.flycrj.com/order.html
