Zeppelin to Save on Gas?

The Zeppelin is returning to the skies of the United States. Although the video discusses a 12 seater tour application, it is possible that for some routes a rigid airship could provide cheap, fuel efficient transport. Such airships do not need roads and their airfields are simple. They do not need to spend energy to maintain lift, since they use the buoyancy of helium. It might even be possible to cover their ample surface area with solar panels, thus deriving a portion of the energy needed to run their engines, which they use for horizontal thrust.

Sustainable Aviation

This is an interesting talk covering the ways in which aircraft design and operation could be changed so as to reduce the impact of aviation on global climate change. Turns out that it would most likely save gas as well. One interesting highlight is the fact that the average amount of gasoline used per passenger on a flight across the country from Seattle to Washington, DC is only 29 gallons. And that is taking into account the fact that on average an aircraft flies with empty seats!