Oregon wants to help turn ‘The Flying Bum’ into a disaster relief solution

In a bid to help with disaster relief, the State of Oregon has turned towards ‘The Flying Bum’ – a rather cheeky blimp-looking aircraft from the UK.

With weather catastrophes being heartbreakingly common on the West Coast of America, many states are looking at new ways to keep people safe.

One of the new support systems that could help is currently in development in the UK.

Airlander 10 – aptly nicknamed The Flying Bum for its resemblance to a butt from the back – could soon be heading to Oregon.

VISIT SBX CARS – View live supercar auctions powered by Supercar Blondie

Oregon turns to The Flying Bum to help with disaster relief

Hybrid Air Vehicles – HAV – announced Airlander 10 seven years ago, with the colossal creation dwarfing your common blimp while providing excellent hospitality.

The world’s biggest aircraft is set to be five times the height of a giraffe, and span the length of a soccer pitch.

Powered by aerostatic and aerodynamic lift, and using helium to stay afloat, it can land and take off from water or the ground.

The airship was originally built for commercial travel. But the Airlander 10’s flexibility to take off from anywhere showcases a wider scope, including disaster relief.

And if you’re wondering about the name, the British have a very weird sense of humour. Yes, they named it after a butt. Let’s move on.

A new Airlander Futures Network initiative has revealed that the Oregon Emergency Management Office and the Department of Human Services’ Office of Resilience have registered interest in using Airlander variants in the future.

“Oregon is a leader in disaster relief planning, principally because of the threat to the state from Cascadia Subduction Zone.

“With the requirement for prepared runways removed and the ability to carry large payloads for days at a time, future Airlander aircraft could provide a new solution for disaster relief,” HAV said in a recent press release.

It’s not just full of hot air

With such potential, you can see the appeal. Currently, the first prototypes of The Flying Bum will squeeze 100 people in its crack, or 10 tonnes.

But HAV claimed that the sky cheeks could potentially hold up to 200 tonnes. That’s the capacity to comfortably clench 2,000 people.

The aircraft might struggle to operate in extremely windy weather like hurricanes. But The Flying Bum could also serve as the perfect recovery service or a getaway carrier before disaster strikes.

HAV is also planning to team up with Kuehne + Nagel for Airlander 10’s commercial use. They’ll be targeting passenger flights from the UK to Europe.

This could see a clear airship trend emerge. In fact, other airships that can ‘fly forever’ could serve as people carriers for commercial and relief purposes.

Would you fly in it?

DISCOVER SBX CARS: The global premium car auction platform powered by Supercar Blondie