Inspired by airships and paragliding sports, the Sky Voyage concept aims to expand traffic networks to the sky by utilizing airspace to relieve urban traffic congestion on the ground. The hybrid glider/airship can take off vertically by inflating the gasbag in an upright position. Once airborn, the craft can be maneuvered through the wind with assistance from a hydrogen fuel-cell powered turbine engine.

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British company World SkyCat Ltd. has fabricated a newfangled space means of transport called the SkyLiner. The Skyliner, a hybrid fusing airplane with airship capable of carrying more than 200 tons, can land anywhere without the use of a runway. With hundreds of millions required to build a hybrid, by 2012 this $517 million “Long Endurance Multi-Intelligence Vehicle” (LEMV) will give high altitude (20,000 feet) inspection for U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Longer than a football field, hybrid air vehicles can be used for mining natural resources, which is difficult to get to by other modes of transportation. Even parts of the world where there are no airports or other means to support progress, this hybrid with an air cushioned landing system can land on the partially jagged terrains.

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Applying modern materials and manufacturing methods to the antiquated 19th century technology of airships, designer James Yarger has developed an airship concept dubbed the “Ground to Orbit” (GTO) that makes use of lighter than air (LTA) gas for easy lift and better performance on stretched expeditions, while leaving about 80% less carbon footprint in comparison to any similar sized aircraft. Featuring a body finished in lightweight fabric/objects, the new airship doesn’t need a runway, which makes it a very practical means of delivery and pickup of cargo and passengers from remote locations around the world. Presenting an aerodynamic design to ensure better speed and performance, the GTO offers a safe and sustainable flight than any passenger jet.

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Vacation in a five-star hotel is a luxury in itself, but if you get it in the air, you can’t expect more than that. The “Airship Traveling” by designer Thomas Rodemeier is a five-star mobile hotel that presents a closed loop system in the shape of an airship, allowing optimum comfort and flexibility. Providing both the aerial as well as grounded vacation, the airship uses lifting gas to keep the dome aloft and deploys a telescopic anchor-foot for landing. The airship exchanges helium with oxygen for a longer stay in the air. In addition, the Airship Traveling harnesses solar energy using an array of solar panels on its roof to fulfill its energy requirements, ensuring a sustainable retreat in utmost luxury.

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U.S. Army’s Space and Missile Defense Command is planning to deploy an autonomous, free-flying, surveillance AirShip over the skies of Afghanistan by the year 2011.The Long Endurance Multi-Intelligence Vehicle (LEMV), as it’s called, will be 250 feet long, autonomous, and able to float at up to 20,000 feet for an impressive three weeks at a time. As for its surveillance capabilities, a 40-foot-long stretch behind the cockpit will house a selection of spy gear, including a motion sensor and radar.

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