FAA mulls request by blimp to fly over Strip

The Vegas.com airship is still flying around the Las Vegas Valley, but is avoiding the Las Vegas Strip for now.

The nine-passenger, 165-foot blimp operated by the Lightship Group, Orlando, Fla., has been ordered by the Federal Aviation Administration to steer clear of Las Vegas Boulevard pending negotiations for a waiver for a Strip route assignment.

Local representatives of the Lightship Group said the company's corporate leaders are working with the FAA to get back on the scenic route the company had flown since launching operations last month. Officials declined further comment.

"Our Flight Standards and Air Traffic divisions are in the process of considering issuing a waiver for this operation," said Mitch Barker of the FAA's Seattle office.

He explained that a waiver is granted for operations that are not routinely performed in aviation such as shooting a movie or performing aerobatics in an air show. It is expected the process of getting a waiver will take two to three weeks.

Barker said officials will look at how the proposed blimp operations would affect the safe operation of the air traffic system, including conflicts with other air traffic or land obstacles.

"If it is approved, most likely it would be a temporary wavier which would allow us to study how the operations work in practice," Barker said.

Operators of the Vegas.com airship, sponsored by the website that is affiliated with the Las Vegas Sun and the Greenspun Media Group, say it is the only airship in modern times that is permanently based and offers scenic flights to the public.

The airship, which holds 150,000 cubic feet of helium, uses two 1,000-watt light bulbs to illuminate the envelope at night. The craft is based at the North Las Vegas Air Terminal.

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