AIRSHIPS + THE ENVIRONMENT

Because airships use the lifting power of Helium to keep them in the air and not the thrust of their engines, they are one of the most efficient and ecologically acceptable forms of aviation. One of the main reasons for using an airship for the Nazca survey is that it will not impact upon the site.

Unlike a helicopter there is no powerful downwash to distrurb the surface, and airships are also generally much quieter than other aircraft.

"The airship has some very unique qualities that enable it to probably be the most fuel efficient (and environmentally friendly) air transport

system possible." EcoGeek

Airships have been deployed in a wide range of environmental and scientific missions over the years including lower atmospheric data collection, rainforest canopy studies and monitoring the movement of the endangered right whales. Airship Nazca represents a new non-intrusive approach to archaeologial surveying which can be applied to other world heritage sites.