Apparently a blimp caught fire and crashed at the US Open today. Details are sketchy, but it seems the pilot ejected (didn't know that was possible from a blimp) and suffered burns.

http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2017/06/1 ... ashes.html

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2715 ... =editorial

Omg please tell me that is a United ad on the side of it

"Omg please tell me that is a United ad on the side of it"

No, it's actually PenFed, a credit union. But that would have been darkly funny.

mikesbucky wrote:

but it seems the pilot ejected (didn't know that was possible from a blimp)

Just average retarded journalism. In the link they even show a twitter post where he is described as having bailed out.

Crazy stuff. Can't remember seeing anything like this happening before at any event as big as this!

VSMUT wrote:

mikesbucky wrote:

but it seems the pilot ejected (didn't know that was possible from a blimp)

Just average retarded journalism. In the link they even show a twitter post where he is described as having bailed out.

Using the "r" word in 2017...“It’s a bold move Cotton, let’s see if it pays off.”

VSMUT wrote:

mikesbucky wrote:

but it seems the pilot ejected (didn't know that was possible from a blimp)

Just average retarded journalism. In the link they even show a twitter post where he is described as having bailed out.

It still fits the dictionary term. This is like American gun nuts arguing about magazine and clip. It makes no difference and you are just talking about a pointless sentence that has nothing to do with the story.

The pilot did eject from the blimp as he did leave the cockpit and aircraft.

Thank God he's ok. Did he bail out with a parachute or was the blimp close enough to the ground to where he could jump?

Pilot used parachute, I wonder if they had a camera man onboard for ariel coverage, and if so did he/she make it out alright as well?

polywad6963 wrote:

Pilot used parachute, I wonder if they had a camera man onboard for ariel coverage, and if so did he/she make it out alright as well?

Of course there was cameras. That's the whole point of a blimp.

32andBelow wrote:

polywad6963 wrote:

Pilot used parachute, I wonder if they had a camera man onboard for ariel coverage, and if so did he/she make it out alright as well?

Of course there was cameras. That's the whole point of a blimp.

Not always. Above all else, the blimp is a tool of marketing...an aerial billboard that can move from event to event. Now, there are plenty of cases where they DO have cameras and cover sporting events, but there are also plenty of classes where they're simply a moving billboard with no cameras.

Was this THE blimp for the US Open? If so, it probably had cameras.

32andBelow wrote:

polywad6963 wrote:

Pilot used parachute, I wonder if they had a camera man onboard for ariel coverage, and if so did he/she make it out alright as well?

Of course there was cameras. That's the whole point of a blimp.

I was implying if they were controlled remotely or if there was a person operating onboard, and if that said person if onboard escaped any injuries or worse. News agencies haven't mentioned it, that is why I was asking the question.

Okay, so the US Open says it isn't an affiliated blimp. So it's advertising -- like banner-towing.

Seems in the video to be an odd shape. Any idea of a reg # or photo of the thing inflated?

Could it have been a balloon rather than a "blimp"?

Glad the pilot is OK, I have to laugh at the first comment though, that would've been hilarious!

mikesbucky wrote:

Apparently a blimp caught fire and crashed at the US Open today. Details are sketchy, but it seems the pilot ejected (didn't know that was possible from a blimp) and suffered burns.

http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2017/06/1 ... ashes.html

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2715 ... =editorial

Last report that came across my desk in the bullpen about two hours ago was the blimp driver was pulled from the gondola by the ground crew and had rode the LTA to the ground.

(PS: The only blimp pilot I ever met and had the pleasure of flying in an LTA with was an Aussie named Bret Viets, PIC of the FujiFilm and Hanger One blimps; his business card read Blimp Driver, so I am running under the assumption that this is the correct term)

Blimpie wrote:

mikesbucky wrote:

Apparently a blimp caught fire and crashed at the US Open today. Details are sketchy, but it seems the pilot ejected (didn't know that was possible from a blimp) and suffered burns.

http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2017/06/1 ... ashes.html

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2715 ... =editorial

Last report that came across my desk in the bullpen about two hours ago was the blimp driver was pulled from the gondola by the ground crew and had rode the LTA to the ground.

(PS: The only blimp pilot I ever met and had the pleasure of flying in an LTA with was an Aussie named Bret Viets, PIC of the FujiFilm and Hanger One blimps; his business card read Blimp Driver, so I am running under the assumption that this is the correct term)

I believe he rode a HTA to the ground