ERIN - A PenFed blimp deflated, burst into flames and crashed late Thursday morning near the U.S. Open at Erin Hills.
The blimp went down about 11:20 a.m. near Highway 83 and Highway 167.
One person - presumably the pilot - was transported by Flight for Life from the area of the crash just after noon. The blimp was operated by AirSign, an aerial advertising firm with operations across the country.
The pilot is okay but suffered some burns, a spokesman for AirSign said in a telephone interview from the company's Florida office.
The pilot remained with the blimp as it slowly descended to the ground.
"He stayed with the blimp until it went down," he said, adding that a crew member on ground pulled the pilot from the wreckage.
"It started deflating, and then it started going down," said Bryan Rosine.
"They were trying to give it some throttle and it didn't go up," he said. "Then there was a bunch of kabooms and smoke clouds."
Another witness, Tim Guetzke, said "the side started deflating. One side was going in. As it headed toward the ground, it caught fire."
ROSAL
Nice is overrated
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June 15, 2017, 12:47 PM
msfzoe
Fortunately it was filled with helium, not hydrogen.
June 15, 2017, 12:52 PM
Orguss
"Mayday! Mayday! I'm going down!....I'm still going down!....Uh, still going down!"
While he still suffered injuries, he was lucky it was such a slow descent.
"I'm yet another resource-consuming kid in an overpopulated planet raised to an alarming extent by Hollywood and Madison Avenue, poised with my cynical and alienated peers to take over the world when you're old and weak!" - Calvin, "Calvin & Hobbes"
June 15, 2017, 01:08 PM
Ronin1069
Wonder if Phil staged it so he could get his 4 hour delay?
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June 15, 2017, 01:14 PM
RichardC
Now you see why banking institutions favor inflation.
June 15, 2017, 01:20 PM
sigmonkey
quote:
Originally posted by RichardC: Now you see why banking institutions favor inflation.
Wonder if he still has to make the balloon payment?
"the meaning of life, is to give life meaning" ✡ Ani Yehudi אני יהודי Le'olam lo shuv לעולם לא עוד
June 15, 2017, 01:26 PM
Sig2340
quote:
Originally posted by sigmonkey:
quote:
Originally posted by RichardC: Now you see why banking institutions favor inflation.
Wonder if he still has to make the balloon payment?
On de faulty brimp?
Nice is overrated
"It's every freedom-loving individual's duty to lie to the government." Airsoftguy, June 29, 2018
June 15, 2017, 01:31 PM
sigmonkey
Blimp
There's a clue in there...
"the meaning of life, is to give life meaning" ✡ Ani Yehudi אני יהודי Le'olam lo shuv לעולם לא עוד
June 15, 2017, 01:47 PM
C-Dubs
Read about this over lunch earlier.
Nasty hot and humid (at least for Wisconsin) this afternoon, so I'd be mad at any delays.
It's no Hindenburg, but it added some excitement I'm sure. Hope the pilot has full recovery.
“I won't be wronged. I won't be insulted. I won't be laid a-hand on. I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them.”
June 15, 2017, 05:03 PM
nhtagmember
PenFed is my bank
just saw a deduction from my account - $35...
[B] Against ALL enemies, foreign and DOMESTIC
June 15, 2017, 05:06 PM
mas4363
The pilot got hurt, what makes this funny? He's lucky to be alive.
Sgt. USMC 1970 - 1973
June 15, 2017, 05:42 PM
RichardC
quote:
Originally posted by mas4363: The pilot got hurt, what makes this funny? He's lucky to be alive.
Really?
Come on, no one thinks or suggested his injuries are funny.
June 15, 2017, 05:50 PM
cas
quote:
The pilot remained with the blimp as it slowly descended to the ground
As opposed to....?
_____________________________________________________ Sliced bread, the greatest thing since the 1911.
