**Katharine (from Ron Paul Blimp) couldn't access blog/Update***

[RP4Pres2008]

HAHAHA!!!

Will the Blimp run as a 3rd party candidate? Because the Blimp is a libertarian, and it has done so before.

Amazing, Amazing

 

[bolidew]

I just don't understand how a reasonable alternative would be to fly with one banner. No one is answering if we would have to pay the same price with only one banner. Why are decisions being made by the advertising company solely?

+1

 

[rothnic]

This is crazy.....So they are going to launch it with one banner because the wind is supposed to be close to 7knots around 7AM. If they start at 5AM, and it takes 4 hours, then you are betting that the wind is going to increase significantly in 2 hours, between 7AM and 9AM. This is just silly, a blimp with one banner is going to be even more of the laughing stock of the media, let alone it's not going to be in Boston like they have been reporting before.

 

[RonPaulCentral]

Is the blimp going to be going to Boston?

Would you please take your Lithium already???

 

[ValidusCustodiae]

Some of you haven't been listening.

Here is the official Ron Paul Blimp blog.
http://ondecember16th.com/

The decision was made to fly the blimp to South Carolina, namely Columbia (the capital of SC) for 12/16. As you can read on the blog, the decision was based on weather concerns. In other words, there is a massive blizzard rolling through Boston this weekend and it's already there. One guy keeps suggesting you deflate and reinflate the blimp. Helium ain't cheap.

This blimp is really happening, and they have to get it out of the hangar by 7AM tomorrow morning or they aren't going to be able to until at least next week! Period! Why are some of you who have probably never even seen a blimp hangar acting like you know more than the owners of the blimp? It's a $7 million dollar ship and it is a whole different beast from any other type of aircraft. We will get exposure from this that will go above and beyond the regular advertising dollar. It's worth our patience, encouragement, and financial support. That's coming from someone that literally had to duck a few times the other day so he didn't get hit in the head by the soon-to-be Ron Paul blimp.

To those of you who will be there in the morning, look forward to seeing you all.

 

[Mckarnin]

Man I feel like Katherine is just setting us up for a decision that has already been made. I don't think there is any chance that the 2nd banner will get there in time, they know this, and are planning to leave tomorrow morning.

I really hope someone quotes this post and OWNS me too!!

I'm trying to be realistic. We have the banner driving to NC through bad weather 50% of the way and I am not going to bank on it being there before 2am. In addition we have a meteorologist and 1-3 pilots looking at the weather at any given time so all information is being examined carefully before making decisions.

 

[hawks4ronpaul]

they have to get it out of the hangar by 7AM tomorrow morning or they aren't going to be able to until at least next week! Period!

I am listening and I have heard everything from the blimp can leave every morning (a 1 day delay from Friday), to being able to navigate the hangar by Monday (3 day delay), to your statement of next Friday (7 day delay) or even later.

Your statement reinforces my belief that they should launch with both banners so the blimp does not fly half blank for half a week and then get stuck in a hangar for a week or more (which basically brings us to January), when any more bad weather or bad luck can ruin the NH pre-primary effect.


http://hawks4ronpaul.blogspot.com/

 

[JAHOGS]

So where are the people driving the banner at now?

 

[rothnic]

I'm trying to be realistic. We have the banner driving to NC through bad weather 50% of the way and I am not going to bank on it being there before 2am. In addition we have a meteorologist and 1-3 pilots looking at the weather at any given time so all information is being examined carefully before making decisions.

Are you taking into account that the whole point of the blimp is for good media coverage. The media is going to focus on any bad things they can find about the blimp so that they can talk about it, without talking about good things about it.

I can see it now, Blitzer says, and now the Ron Paul blimp has FINALLY launched, but not without problems. First they cannot get to Boston because of weather, and they only got 1 banner on it. Then he brings on some other people to scoff at it.

I just don't want to see this happen.

 

[ValidusCustodiae]

In addition we have a meteorologist and 1-3 pilots looking at the weather at any given time so all information is being examined carefully before making decisions.

What part about that is so hard for you all to understand? They are carefully weighing the decisions that we have trusted them to make! There are too many chiefs and not enough indians.

I'm going to bed so I am well rested for the launch. Goodnight.

 

[ValidusCustodiae]

I can see it now, Blitzer says, and now the Ron Paul blimp has FINALLY launched, but not without problems. First they cannot get to Boston because of weather, and they only got 1 banner on it. Then he brings on some other people to scoff at it.

I just don't want to see this happen.

Someone else who would rather not take a chance than risk a little criticism.

 

[rothnic]

Someone else who would rather not take a chance than risk a little criticism.

Risk a little criticism?

No, you are guaranteeing national bad press for Ron Paul, which is the exact opposite goal of the blimp. They want to find any way they can to laugh at Ron Paul because laughing is the most powerful tool of your enemy. If you can get everyone laughing at your enemy, then you have won.

 

[bolidew]

Someone else who would rather not take a chance than risk a little criticism.

a little criticism? Isn't the impression this blimp thing all about?

 

[micahnelson]

haste makes waste. Don't rush anything. we are closer to a blimp than any other candidate...

 

[ValidusCustodiae]

Explained in another thread, it's possible if the wind picks up that the blimp could get stuck in the hangar for weeks! That's improbable, but it isn't highly unlikely. These kinds of things can happen. The other banner can be put on in zero wind conditions elsewhere, but we can't afford to let the blimp get stuck in the hangar during several weeks of winter weather.

Scenario #1 Blimp is kept in hangar and 2nd banner applied, wind does not recede for 3 weeks and much possible time is lost.

Scenario #2 Blimp is launched with one banner on Friday. A zero wind condition spot is found in South Carolina. Someone flies commuter jet from Norfolk to SC with banner and they slap it on while the wind is gone. THIS COULD happen as soon as Saturday (it's possible) but even if it doesn't happen until the beginning of next week it would be preferrable to a situation where again the blimp gets stuck in the hangar for weeks.

In other words you can take the blimp somewhere that there isn't any wind to put on the banner. BUT YOU CANT TAKE IT ANYWHERE IF ITS STUCK IN THE HANGAR!

Have I made my point yet?

 

[bolidew]

If this thing is so difficult to lanuch, why would you advertise any exact flying date when collecting the money in the first place?
A company like this won't satisfy its customers.

 

[ValidusCustodiae]

They said it was scheduled to launch on Dec 10.

Nowhere did they say it was definitely without a doubt no matter what going to launch on Dec 10.

 

[hawks4ronpaul]

Explained in another thread, it's possible if the wind picks up that the blimp could get stuck in the hangar for weeks! That's improbable, but it isn't highly unlikely. These kinds of things can happen. The other banner can be put on in zero wind conditions elsewhere, but we can't afford to let the blimp get stuck in the hangar during several weeks of winter weather.

Scenario #1 Blimp is kept in hangar and 2nd banner applied, wind does not recede for 3 weeks and much possible time is lost.

Scenario #2 Blimp is launched with one banner on Friday. A zero wind condition spot is found in South Carolina. Someone flies commuter jet from Norfolk to SC with banner and they slap it on while the wind is gone. THIS COULD happen as soon as Saturday (it's possible) but even if it doesn't happen until the beginning of next week it would be preferrable to a situation where again the blimp gets stuck in the hangar for weeks.

In other words you can take the blimp somewhere that there isn't any wind to put on the banner. BUT YOU CANT TAKE IT ANYWHERE IF ITS STUCK IN THE HANGAR!

Have I made my point yet?

This story is different from the earlier story that the NC hangar was the only practical place to mount the banner (otherwise, the blimp never needed to be dressed in windy NC at all and both banners could have been sent to meet the blimp for maybe a contract start and an official launch in Ron's Texas district, or some other closer variation along those lines).

You give the worst case scenario for a 2-banner launch and the best case scenario for a 1-banner launch but the luck could be reversed.

How does a 30mph blimp outrace the weather and guarantee that, once it locates a zero-wind outdoor location, it can get there before the wind changes?

 

[dmspilot00]

It's possible if the wind picks up that the blimp could get stuck in the hangar for weeks!

Oh puh-leaze. Spare us the ridiculous melodramatic exaggerations. It is not going to stuck in the hangar for weeks. Even being stuck for days is unlikely. There is no way the wind would be sustained above 7 knots continously for such an extended period of time. You are grasping at straws.

I know the Blimp people are working very hard but their misrepresentations and deceptions are NOT cool. When something doesn't go to plan they come up with excuse after nonsensical excuse. Just an hour or so ago they said that the wind can't be over 7 knots, but when the forecast comes out saying it's going to be 7 knots exactly for the 5 hours that they need, they call that "impossible." I call that "BS."

As shown in the poll, 80% of the people would rather wait out the wind and launch with both banners. You don't distort the truth and IGNORE the FOUR-FIFTHS of your CUSTOMERS--this is a COMPANY and those are INEPT business practices.

 

[work2win]

Another vote for holding out for the second banner. I think putting a fully-canvassed blimp in front of the cameras for the first time is more important than a couple extra days in the air. A half-canvassed blimp doesn't have that "winnning feeling." From a strategy perspective, having the blimp make its first appearance next week would be perfect. I see the blimp more about media and morale than advertising, at least in its first phase.