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Airship Management Services, Inc. (AMS) built, owned and operated Airship Industries Skyship and Sentinel type airships. The company was run by George Spyrou, and through associated companies in the U.S., Europe and Japan. AMS was part of the Skycruiser Group of companies, which includes Skycruiser Corporation and Global Skyship Industries (formerly Westinghouse Airship Industries).

Background

AMS was a private company founded in 1990,^[1] based in Greenwich, Connecticut, with a maintenance facility and FAA Repair Station in Elizabeth City, North Carolina.

Clients in the United States have included Ameriquest, the New York City Police Department and Fujifilm (USA) Inc., which used a Skyship 600 type airship in the US since 1984, starting with the Los Angeles Summer Olympics. A Sky-ship was also used over the Olympic Games in Seoul, Korea in 1988 and the Atlanta Olympics in 1996. In addition, AMS provided two Sky-ships for use over the Athens Olympics in 2004,^[2] one for use by Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) and the Hellenic Police in Greece, and the other for broadcasting by NBC TV.

Since 1980, fifteen Sky-ships were designed, built, and operated around the world for such customers as Japan Airlines, the Korean Sports Foundation, Fuji film, the Tokyo Police, Citibank, the French Ministry of the Interior, and Pepsi-Cola. In addition, “Sky-cruises” (passenger tours) operated over London, Paris, Munich, Sydney, Melbourne, Switzerland and San Francisco.^[3]

A Sky-ship was used for a tour across Europe during 2006, from London to Paris to Rome to Athens, promoting The Palm Islands project in Dubai, United Arab Emirates^[4]

Roles

Airships have been used as advertising and promotional vehicles and for the carriage of passengers, but also as television camera platforms, broadcast relay stations and as surveillance vehicles from which various sensors can be operated. AMS developed these applications with numerous clients, including Westinghouse, Northrop Grumman, the U.S. Navy,^[5] Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the U.S. Army, the British Ministry of Defence,^[6] the NYPD's Counterterrorism Division (for security surveillance), and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) for environmental surveys.

During the 2008 GOP Presidential Primary, AMS operated the Ron Paul Blimp.

One Sky-ship, Santos-Dumont (named for Alberto Santos-Dumont), was used to operate in the Caribbean for the Special Anti-Crime Unit of Trinidad & Tobago (SAUTT) providing security surveillance. During April 2009, this ship provided aerial surveillance over the 5th Summit of the Americas in Port-of-Spain.^[7]

Hybrid airship technologies

AMS has played a significant role in developing hybrid airships, specifically the Airlander 10, which blends helium-based buoyancy and aerodynamic lift. This innovation supports sustainable aviation, requiring less energy and offering versatility in cargo and passenger operations. In 2023, Air Nostrum Group doubled its preorders to 20 Airlander 10 airships, signaling increasing market interest. Production is expected to begin by 2024, with initial services launching by 2028.^[8]

Notes

^ "Airship Management Services Inc - Company Profile and News". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved 2022-12-13.
^ Lowry, N (June 2004), "Benign eye in the sky", Lloyd's List Magazine, pp. 29–33.
^ Fisher, L (May 7, 1987), "50 Years After Hindenburg, Blimp Rides Are Back", The New York Times, p. 18.
^ The Spirit of Dubai
^ Scott, P (February 2004), "A Blimp Based System for Military Surveillance", Scientific American, p. 24.
^ Adams, J (13 June 1993), "Blimps are brought back as weapon against IRA gangs", The Sunday Times, London{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link).
^ Chamoff, L (April 17, 2009), "Greenwich Firm's Blimp to Keep Eye on Summit in Trinidad", Stamford Advocate / Greenwich Time. ^{[dead link‍]}
^ Robinson, Dan (2024-05-27). "UK skies set for cheeky upgrade with hybrid airship". The Register. Retrieved 2024-12-02.