Is an airship rating required?
According to the FAA’s regulations, Alberto technically qualifies as an airship. So in general, in order to take passengers, a pilot must have an airship rating. However Alberto flies much more like a hot air balloon than a conventional airship. As a result, the FAA has granted Alberto’s two builders special permission to take non-paying passengers for rides. As our flight experience has grown, we have come to believe that the FAA will need to revise its rules for airships pilots to properly deal with aircraft like Alberto. We hope to work with the FAA in the future to make the necessary rule changes.
