Airlander boats successful test flight

All objectives of the planned flight were accomplished and the aircraft is now safely back at its masting site.

The Airlander took off at around 5.30pm.

It flew for a total of 180 minutes before landing at 8:15pm.

“It was truly amazing to be back in the air,” said chief test pilot Dave Burns.

“I loved every minute of the flight and the Airlander itself handled superbly. I am eager to get back into the cockpit and take her flying again.”

This marks the return to the skies of the world’s largest aircraft and draws a line under the heavy landing it experienced last August.

The Airlander has now flown three times in addition to a successful flight during the US Army’s Long Endurance Multi-intelligence Vehicle program in 2012. There were considerable modifications since and the Hybrid Air Vehicles team have made a number of additional modifications since last August, the main ones visible today being a new more powerful and more manoeuvrable Mobile Mooring Mast, and the additional “landing feet”.