Been seeing this flying around for the last few months.
A blimp over San Francisco.
The massive airship you see in the video, flying over San Francisco is the Pathfinder 1, a state-of-the-art rigid airship built by LTA Research, a company backed by Google co-founder Sergey Brin. This historic aircraft is roughly 400 feet long, making it nearly twice the length of a Boeing 747 and the largest airship to take to the skies since the 1930s.
The Pathfinder 1 uses non-flammable helium for lift rather than hydrogen, and its structure is made of advanced carbon fiber and titanium tubing covered in a specialized synthetic skin. It is powered by twelve electric motors that allow it to take off and land vertically, while also maneuvering precisely through changing coastal winds.
The airship is currently undergoing a rigorous series of test flights out of its hangar at Moffett Field in Mountain View. Engineers are using these flights to evaluate its handling and stability over the San Francisco Bay, with the ultimate goal of developing zero-emission airships for humanitarian aid, disaster relief, and sustainable cargo transport.
[📹 thurber_shots]