License Requirements:

To be considered for the position as an Airframe and Powerplant Technician for The Lightship Group, a person must have a valid FAA Airframe & Powerplant license or a CAA license.

To qualify for the job of Airframe and Powerplant Technician, you must be:

·         Be at least 21 years of age (due to Department of Transportations regulations)

·         Have a current/valid and clean driver’s license

·         Be physically able to do the job (lift 75 pounds, jumping running climbing, pushing, pulling)

·         Be able and willing to travel full time

·         Be able to pass a pre-employment (hair) drug screening and criminal background check

·         Be willing and able to travel 365 days per year

Training:

The majority of training will be on-the-job training. A syllabus is provided for each Technician to work through with his/her Senior Technician.

A formal training program occurs on an annual basis with some outside vendor training.

 
Benefits

Salary dependent upon experience

·         $190.00 PER WEEK PER DIEM. Per diem is not taxed

·         4 Weeks paid vacation

·         Health insurance

·         401k

·         Hotel furnished by the company (shared room with one other member of the team)

·         Uniforms furnished by the company

·         Daily transportation furnished by the company (company vehicles are available during non-working hours for personal needs)

 Duties

An applicant’s number one responsibility is the airworthiness of the airship. Technicians will be expected to conduct daily, 50 and 100 hour inspections on engines, airframe and propellers along with all other duties of preflight and preventative maintenance.

The airship operation is very much a team effort. Applicants are expected to assist with crew duties as required, launching and landing the airship, driving vehicles during transits and standing watches.

Background

The Lightship Group consists of 2 entities.  American Blimp Corporation is the manufacturer of the aircraft and also the parent company.  Along with the operational “arm” of the company, we make up the Lightship Group.  Lightship Operations takes the airships, sells contracts to “high profile” clients who use the aircraft for public relations and advertising.

We provide a “turnkey” operation for those clients, which includes the airship, vehicles, all support equipment and personnel.  We emblazon the airship, vehicles and crew with the identity of the client and set out to accomplish a schedule of events that is intended to promote them and their products in the public arena.

Since the beginning of the company in the mid 1980s, we have worked all over the world flying airships for over 300 clients.  “Never a dull moment in the blimp business”. We have worked on TV productions in the US, Australia, Europe, Brazil, Japan, Peru, China and many other countries.  We have carried the identity of Anheuser Busch , M&M Mars, Kraft, Coca Cola, Pepsi, Miller Brewing Company, General Motors, Block Buster, Sanyo, and the list goes on and on.  We have performed in movie and TV productions, such as Fear Factor, Bay Watch, MTV (Real World and Road Rules) and the movie “Drop Zone”.  Sometimes we have performed stunts such as towing water skiers behind the blimp, carried sky divers, etc. Hardly a weekend goes by in the Spring, Summer and Fall months that one of our airships in not on TV carrying aerial cameras for a sporting event.

Each of our airships has a fulltime crew who assist in the launch and recovery of the airship during flight missions, stand watches for security and weather, maintain support equipment including vehicles, and drives the vehicles that carry the support equipment between destination cities.  The most important job is to represent the client in a public relations capacity at all times.

Each blimp field operation has either, 13, 15 or 17 team members who travel with the airship from city to city.  The Lightship Group parent company, American Blimp Corporation, hold FAA type certificates on 3 different sized airships between 69,000 cubic feet to 180,000 cubic feet.  The difference in crew numbers depends on which of our products is being used for the client sponsor.

"BLIMP GROUND CREW” IS FOREMOST A TRAVELING JOB.  THIS SHOULD BE TAKEN IN A LITERAL SENSE.  IT IS NOT THE KIND OF JOB WHERE YOU GO OUT FOR A WEEK / MONTH / 3MONTHS AND RETURN TO A BASE OF OPERATIONS.  YOU LITERALLY ARE TRAVELING FROM CITY TO CITY ALL OVER THE USA WITH THE FIELD OPERATION FOR THE DURATION OF THE EMPLOYMENT WITH THE LIGHTSHIP GROUP.

Job Qualifications

To qualify for the job of Airship Ground Support Team Member, you must be:

·         Be at least 21 years of age (due to Department of Transportations regulations)

·         Have a current/valid and clean driver’s license

·         Be physically able to do the job (lift 75 pounds, jumping running climbing, pushing, pulling)

·         Be able and willing to travel full time

·         Able to pass a pre-employment (hair) drug screening and criminal background check

No Experience Necessary

We don’t expect applicants to have airship experience but we are looking for relevant experience. Mechanical background is a plus, but not a must. All training for this position is done on- the- job. You will be trained by other members of the team and supervisors will test prior to promotions.

Benefits

·         Starting Salary: $17,680.00 Per Year plus $190.00 per week per diem. Per diem is not taxed

·         4 Weeks paid vacation

·         Health insurance

·         401k

·         Hotel furnished by the company (shared room with one other member of the team)

·         Uniforms furnished by the company

·         Daily transportation furnished by the company (company vehicles are available during non-working hours for personal needs)

Background

Lightship Operations take the airships on contract for “high profile” clients who use the aircraft for public relations and advertising.

We provide a “turnkey” operation for those clients, which includes the airship, vehicles, all support equipment and personnel.  We emblazon the airship, vehicles and crew with the identity of the client and set out to accomplish a schedule of events that is intended to promote them and their products in the public arena

Each of our airships has a fulltime crew who assist in the launch and recovery of the airship during flight missions, stand watches for security and weather, maintain support equipment including vehicles, and drives the vehicles that carry the support equipment between destination cities.  The most important job is to represent the client in a public relations capacity at all times.

Each blimp field operation has either, 13, 15 or 17 team members who travel with the airship from city to city. 

A NORMAL DAY OF WORK FOR A GROUND CREW PERSON WOULD BE:

·         PREPARING THE AIRSHIP FOR FLIGHT

Much like an RV, we must unplug the aircraft from the ground power, stow lines and electrical cords, take off covers and such

·         FUEL THE AIRCRAFT

Add fuel to the airship as required for the daily flight mission

·         PULL THE AIRSHIP AWAY FROM THE MOORING TO A CLEAR SPOT

The Crew work together to maneuver the airship from its mooring mast by pulling on ropes that are secured to the nose and by pushing and pulling on the gondola (cockpit).  All the while, the pilot is working with the crew by using the power of the engines and the controls to assist in this task.

·         ONCE CLEAR, THE AIRCRAFT TAKES OFF

After launching the airship for flight, the crew will perform maintenance on ground support equipment, clean the mooring site, run errands until the airship returns to land.

If the airship mission for the day is passenger flights, you would help the airship during landing and holding the ropes on the nose until the passengers exchange has been completed and the airship has returned to flight.  Passenger flights are usually 1 hour and this activity would repeat itself for each exchange.

·         LANDING THE AIRSHIP

Once the airship has returned to the field and is ready to return to the mooring mast, the crew will line up in a “V” shape to indicate the wind direction to the pilot.  The airship touches down and rolls toward them.  The crew will catch the ropes hanging from the nose of the airship and once stabilized, will pull it toward the mooring mast where it will be secured until the next flight.

·         ON TRAVEL DAYS

The crew will launch the airship, take apart the mooring system, stow all equipment on the trailers and drive in convoy to the next city

The above information is given as an example. Actual daily tasks will depend on client schedules.

TLG  EMPLOYMENT

COMMERCIAL LIGHTER THAN AIR, AIRSHIP (BLIMP) PILOT

To be considered for the position of pilot for The Lightship Group, a person must meet the following minimum requirements.

BE WILLING AND ABLE TO TRAVEL 365 DAYS PER YEAR

BE WILLING TO SIGN A 3 YEAR CONTRACT WITH THE LIGHTSHIP GROUP

POSSESS A CURRENT FAA OR CAA PILOT CERTIFICATE WITH:

• INSTRUMENT RATING
• INSTRUCTOR RATING
• MINIMUM OF 500 HOURS
• POSSESS CURRENT 2^ND CLASS MEDICAL
• POSSESS CURRENT DRIVER’S LICENSE AND HAVE A GOOD DRIVING RECORD
• BE ABLE TO PASS A CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK

IT IS IMPORTANT TO REALIZE THAT AN AIRSHIP PILOT TRAVELS FULL TIME WITH THE AIRSHIP FIELD OPERATION. THIS IS NOT THE KIND OF JOB WHERE YOU TRAVEL OUT FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF WORK TIME AND RETURN TO A BASE OF OPERATIONS. IT IS NOT UNUSUAL TO BE GONE FROM HOME 340 DAYS PER YEAR.

BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT WE DO NOT HAVE A BLIMP SET ASIDE STRICTLY FOR TRAINING PILOTS, IT IS NECESSARY TO SEND PILOTS WHO ARE TRANSITIONING TO THEIR LIGHTER THAN AIR LICENSES TO A WORKING AIRSHIP.

THESE AIRSHIPS MUST FIRST SATISFY THE SCHEDULES AND WISHES OF THEIR SPONSOR/CLIENT AND THE PILOT TRAINING FITS IN WHERE AND WHEN IT CAN.  IT IS NOT UNUSUAL FOR THIS TRANSITIONAL TRAINING TO TAKE UP TO 6 MONTHS. 

THE LIGHTSHIP GROUP DOES NOT CONDUCT PILOT TRAINING FOR ANY OTHER REASON THAN TO SATISFY THE NEEDS OF THE COMPANY.

Job Qualifications

To qualify for the position of pilot for The Lightship Group, a person must meet the following minimum requirements:

Possess a current FAA or CAA Pilot certificate with:

• Instrument rating
• Instructor rating
• Minimum of 500 hours
• Current 2^nd class medical  

Additional Requirements

• Current/valid clean driver’s license
• Ability to pass a pre-employment (hair) drug test and criminal background check
• Be willing and able to travel 365 days per year
• Be willing to sign a 3 year contract with The Lightship Group

It is important to realize that an airship pilot travel full time with the airship field operation. This is not the kind of job where you travel out for a short period of work tie and return to a base of operations. It is not unusual to be gone from home 340 days per year.

Because of the fact that we do not have a blimp set aside strictly for training pilots, it is necessary to send pilots who are transitioning to their Lighter Than Air licenses to a working airship. 

These airships must first satisfy the schedules and wishes of their sponsor/client and the pilot training fits in where and when. It is not unusual for this transitional training to take up to 6 months.

Benefits

Salary dependent upon experience

·         $205.00 PER WEEK PER DIEM. Per diem is not taxed

·         4 Weeks paid vacation

·         Health insurance

·         401k

·         Hotel furnished by the company (shared room with one other member of the team)

·         Uniforms furnished by the company

·         Daily transportation furnished by the company (company vehicles are available during non-working hours for personal needs)

Background

We provide a “turnkey” operation for our clients, which includes the airship, vehicles, all support equipment and personnel.  We emblazon the airship, vehicles and crew with the identity of the client and set out to accomplish a schedule of events that is intended to promote them and their products in the public arena.

Since the beginning of the company in the mid 1980s, we have worked all over the world flying airships for over 300 clients.  “Never a dull moment in the blimp business”. We have worked on TV productions in the US, Australia, Europe, Brazil, Japan, Peru, China and many other countries.  We have carried the identity of Anheuser Busch , M&M Mars, Kraft, Coca Cola, Pepsi, Miller Brewing Company, General Motors, Block Buster, Sanyo, and the list goes on and on.  We have performed in movie and TV productions, such as Fear Factor, Bay Watch, MTV (Real World and Road Rules) and the movie “Drop Zone”.  Sometimes we have performed stunts such as towing water skiers behind the blimp, carried sky divers, etc. Hardly a weekend goes by in the Spring, Summer and Fall months that one of our airships in not on TV carrying aerial cameras for a sporting event.

Each of our airships has a fulltime crew who assist in the launch and recovery of the airship during flight missions, stand watches for security and weather, maintain support equipment including vehicles, and drives the vehicles that carry the support equipment between destination cities.  The most important job is to represent the client in a public relations capacity at all times.

Each blimp field operation has either, 13, 15 or 17 team members who travel with the airship from city to city