Overview
- LTA said it recently renewed the airship’s Airworthiness Certificate, expanding the permitted geographic test area.
- The helium craft crossed the Golden Gate on Tuesday morning near 10 a.m. and was visible from Oakland and Alameda.
- The company characterized the sortie as a systems-validation flight to demonstrate stable, controlled operations under varied conditions.
- FlightAware tracking showed the aircraft leaving San Francisco airspace and heading toward the South Bay shortly before 11 a.m.
- Videos of the 400-foot airship, built by Sergey Brin-backed LTA Research and based at Moffett Federal Airfield, drew widespread attention online.