September 6, 2023
LTA Research is excited to announce an important milestone for our team: the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a special airworthiness certificate for Pathfinder 1, our proof of concept aircraft.
The special airworthiness certificate allows LTA’s flight test crew to fly Pathfinder 1 at an altitude of up to 1,500 feet within the airspace boundaries of Moffett Field and Palo Alto airport.
This next step in LTA’s experimental flight test program will demonstrate and establish the flight envelope for Pathfinder 1. LTA’s customized and rigorous flight test plan for the airship includes substantial indoor and outdoor flight testing and is an iterative approach to gradually increase the flight envelope.
As we work toward our goal, flight testing ensures reliability, mitigates risk, and ultimately, increases the safety of our airships.
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Pathfinder 1 cleared for flight