Air ships used to bo quite a common sight in the United States: for years major sporting events were synonymous with the spectacle of a brightly-coloured blimp hovering over the stadium, recording the event for television or advertising a leading product brand. Airships acting as flying promotional billboards were also seen frequently above towns and cities. Then came 9/11. Following several days in which nothing but military aircraft flew in US airspace, new rules introduced on September 19, 2001, allowed aircraft to resume flying, but only in certain areas. Far from being seen as a friendly presence in the skies, airships were now looked upon as a potential security threat, subject to hijacking by terrorists. As with many other GA aircraft, airship movements were subject to Notices To Airmen (NOTAM) restrictions banning them from flying over airports, major cities and from operating over sports pavilions. This restriction posed a serious threat to the very future of airship flying, as operators derived much of their revenue from corporate advertising over cities and from advertising and TV coverage of sporting events.
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