Residents in Washington D.C. may have caught an unusual airship in the skies. A Navy blimp is currently conducting operations in the area.
Residents in Washington D.C. may have caught an unusual airship in the skies.
A Navy blimp is currently conducting operations in the area.
The MZ-3A airship made appearances over many towns including Bristow, Dumfries, Haymarket and Woodbridge.
It will also reportedly appear over Frederick Municipal Airport in Maryland and Culpeper, Virginia before departing from the D.C. area around the first week of October for New Jersey.
According to a Navy spokesperson, “the MZ-3A is propeller-driven by two 180 horsepower Lycoming engines producing a top speed just under 50 knots with an operational payload capability of up to 2,500 pounds. The manned 178-foot LTA craft can remain aloft and nearly stationary for more than twelve hours..."
The airship is conducting aerial mapping assignments at the US Department of Agriculture in Beltsville Maryland, as well as Fort Belvoir in Fairfax Virginia. The contractor responsible for flying the blimp had pilots undergo specialized training due to Washington’s strict aircraft operation restrictions.
