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Updated: September 12, 2008
The Lighter-Than-Air Society is a not-for-profit organization whose members are devoted to the study of the history, science, and techniques of all forms of "buoyant flight." Please join us while we develop more pages answering your questions about this exciting form of aerial transportation.
If you live in or are visiting Akron, Ohio, USA, you are welcome to attend one of our free local meetings.
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The Lighter-Than-Air Society is a not-for-profit organization whose members are devoted to the study of the history, science, and techniques of all forms of buoyant flight. Individually and as a group, members believe in the advantages that lighter-than-air vehicles (balloons and airships) have in many transportation, promotional, sport, scientific and defense applications. The L-T-A Society began in 1952 as a employee activity of the Goodyear firm. Over the years, membership grew beyond the company, and the L-T-A society incorporated as a separate entity in 1975. Today, with membership open to the public, nearly 1000 members of all ages share their common interest in lighter-than-air flight. Membership in the L-T-A Society is not only educational - it's fun! To participate, visit our Membership Application page. |
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Akron Airship Historical Center The Akron Airship Historical Center will be a contemporary public museum that will use interactive teaching exhibits, historic artifacts, photographs, books, periodicals and documents to support the mission of the center. Once inside, visitors will use several hands-on exhibits. Visitors will be able to examine the many video and living history audio displays, follow the timeline walls for an historic journey, and witness the evolution of lighter-than-air flight. There will also be display cases throughout the center that will contain unique objects from the history of buoyant flight. There will be a large collection of photographs and transparencies depicting historic events. Other artifacts, such as airship models, actual preserved parts of old airships, instruments, gauges, frames, fuel tanks, etc., will be displayed throughout the museum. The exhibits will change periodically to allow the center to display its large inventory of items, and to keep the museum fresh for repeat visitors. As you exit the museum you will be greeted by a gift shop, dedicated to the oldest of all flight endeavors, buoyant flight. |
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Next LTAS meeting will be:
The Lighter-Than-Air Society
57th Annual Dinner
Saturday, October 3, 2009
6 pm Social Hour with Cash Bar
7 pm Dinner
8 pm Program
The Martin University Center
105 Fir Hill
on The University of Akron Campus
Free
Parking _ _ _ Program
to include:
Audio-visual
presentation by Brian
Steinkerchner,
Engineering Program Manager for the Lockheed Martin
Persistent
Threat Detection Systems (PTDS) "
_ _ _
BANQUET RESERVATIONS: Please
fill out and mail the reservation form.
SPECIAL
OVERNIGHT HOTEL
ACCOMMODATIONS:
The Quaker Square Inn at The University of Akron (135 South Broadway) is
offering a substantially reduced rate for those attending the LTAS
banquet. The Inn provides unique round rooms in the cluster of old
Quaker Oats silos. The special rate for LTAS attendees is $89 plus tax
(includes a complimentary hot breakfast buffet). For reservations please
contact the hotel by September 30 at 330-253-5970 or www.quakersquareakron.com
and tell them you are with LTAS. AUTO
TOURS:
A. Goodyear Hanger at Wingfoot Lake inside and out. Visit the Akron Airport to view the Air Dock, the Daniel Guggenheim Institute, and the Akron Airport Terminal Building. Saturday (10-3-09), 9:00 am to 3:00 pm; Sunday (10-4-09) 9:30 am to 3:00 pm.
B. Akron History Exhibit at Lock 3 (downtown Akron); a major portion of the exhibit relates to LTA flight. Saturday (10-3-09), 2:00 pm to 4:30 pm; Sunday (10-4-09), 10:00 am to 1:00 pm.
C. Ava, Ohio: Tour the three crash sites of the Shenandoah and the private Museum. Monday (10-5-09), 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.
Everyone is encouraged to bring Airship artifacts to display and discuss.
**The
Lighter-Than-Air Society is not responsible for damages or loss**
* * *
TO VIEW OUR PRIOR MEETINGS:
LTA Society Newsletter Highlights
Issue #3 July 2009
In April, The LTAS Society held a free movie that featured blimps in war. Everyone enjoyed "This Man's Navy" as a 60th anniversary memorial to the star of the show, Wallace Beery the veteran actor who died on April 15, 1949. He portrayed the chief pilot of a Navy Blimp in World War II.
An article on the recovery of a post WWII Magirus Ladder from the scrap heap. It is now in the LTAS collection and is currently in the process of being refurbished. Older, wooden versions of this ladder design were used in the construction of the Akron and Macon in the Goodyear Zeppelin Airdock. Like its wooden predecessor this steel and aluminum extension ladder can reach 80 feet when fully extended.
Tom Riley returns with a caricature of Mike Nerandzic, Goodyear Pilot. Tom tells tales of blimp flights in Europe and Australia during the '96 Olympic Games.
The Society’s 56th Year in Review
(From President Dave Osterland's "State of the Society" address given at the Annual Banquet on November 15, 2008 at the Quaker Square Inn).
At this time, I'd like to recognize members of the audience who are past presidents of the Society, its current officers and directors, and guests from afar. Past officers of the LTAS present include: Ben Eubanks, President 1987-91 and Bill Howells, President 1992-96. Current officers and trustees here tonight include: Ren Brown, Eric Brothers, John Miller, Dave Wertz, Sandy Bee Lynn, Wayne Buchanan and Tom Riley. I am pleased to note that Wayne Buchanan has accepted out invitation to join the board this past year. We would also like to welcome several members and friends joining us from outside of northeast Ohio this evening.
Our program tonight will note the 75th anniversary of some significant LTA events that happened right here in Akron, as well as a look back at passenger airship travel in the 20th century. It also includes a look at passenger airship travel in the US now, on a Zeppelin airship, the first time that combination has been available here in more than seven decades. The conclusion of the program will provide an opportunity to purchase books and other merchandise from the LTA Society. Sandy Bee Lynn and Mark Essex have volunteered to sell these items.
Thanks to many of you for bringing in portions of your collections and for setting up these display items. A big thank you to Marty Hardesty and his wife for handling the registration for this event and for being at the welcoming table along with Joan Reisig. Thanks to Sandy Bee Lynn for the table center pieces.
In the past 12 months, The Lighter-Than-Air Society has continued to pursue opportunities to enhance awareness of our organization. During last winter's German Christmas Market, more than 100,000 visitors were counted at the Lock 3 Akron History Exhibit.
The Society's display of airship artifacts there continues to give us a prominent position among exhibits by the region's foremost historical organizations. Our new and improved exhibit in Lock 3 opened last year, and we've been building on it since then. It is to reopen again later this month.
We look forward to participating in the expanded German Kris Kindl Market at Lock 3 beginning this November, especially the Christmas parade, which, for the second time, will feature large helium-filled character balloons similar to the ones that have been part of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City since the 1920s. There is still time to sign up as balloon handlers, should you desire. The parade is scheduled for the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
As part of our celebration last year of 80 years of Akron's involvement with Macy's character balloons, The LTA Society participated in the Akron Christmas Parade, as sponsor, facilitator and source of labor to help bring the joy of those balloons to our town. We would like to share with you this short video featuring the parade balloons, courtesy of Deputy Mayor Dave Lieberth and the City of Akron.
The Society continues to build partnerships within the community - and beyond - that will enhance our reputation and capabilities as a center for knowledge on lighter-than-air. This past year, some of our members participated in an Akron Public Schools event educating local high-school teachers on the rich LTA history we have to offer in their curriculum. We continue to provide historical information on lighter-than-air around the world, and in the process, we promote our Society's activities and mission. We have been blessed to receive significant donations of LTA artifacts from our members and interested parties. From books, to photos to three-dimensional artifacts, these items greatly add to the knowledge base the Society will be able to offer to researchers. We appreciate the time, effort and money that have been donated - and we hope will continue to be donated - by all of you who believe in the goals of the Lighter-Than-Air Society. With your support, the Society hopes to continue to grow in its ability to share with everyone the stories of the people who have contributed to the past, present and future of lighter-than-air.
Special Recognitions - The Society's technical committee determined that no singular, complete accomplishment in the world of lighter-than-air merited The LTA Society's Achievement Award at this time, so none is being presented tonight. Likewise, there were no names nominated for Honorary Life membership in the Society. We seek your input as to the names of candidates worthy of that honor for next year.
At this time we would like to note some important events that took place 75 years ago this year. To help in this task, Eric Brothers has put together a brief tribute to those events. Following that, he will launch into the main program, "Passenger Travel on Airships, Past - Present - Future".
Dave Osterland
More pictures of the Spirit of America christening taken from aloft!
September 5 2002 4 Blimps Fly Over Akron - Christening of Goodyear's Spirit of America
The Moffett Field Museum in Hangar 1 at the old US Navy base at Moffett Field, now part of NASA/Ames Research Center, will be relocated to a new location on the base. Use the above link to see the latest news about the new location. There are links to several newspaper articles at their web page about the problems associated with using the hangar.
The Noble County, Ohio website has some excellent information on the USS Shenandoah crash site and the museum located in Ava, Ohio. The website address is http://www.noblecountyohio.com/shenandoah.html .
BlimpInfo.com was launched on January 7, 2002. New features will be posted frequently. Bookmark our site and stop back as we add reprints of classic articles from Buoyant Flight and other items from our vast collection. Learn about the creation of the BlimpInfo.com web pages and find out about "Mr. Excel Consulting" who managed them from it's beginning until March of 2003.
The Lighter-Than-Air Society extends sincere thanks to Robert Peacock, the original LTAS webmaster. Robert had the vision that the Society should have a web site. He created and maintained the original LTAS.org website from 1999 through 2001.
[Disclaimer: External links to other websites, their products, services and content are provided for informational value only, and do not necessarily constitute or imply endorsement or approval of the products, services and content listed.]
Last Updated: September 12, 2009
BlimpInfo.com is a publication of The Lighter-Than-Air Society, 526 S. Main Street, Suite 406, Akron OH 44311. Address all suggestions to Suggest@BlimpInfo.com