From: Patrick Salsbury (salsbury_at_sculptors.com)
Date: 09/02/01
Message-Id: <200109021034.f82AYqL16949@bootstrap.sculptors.com> Subject: Mike Walden's airships Date: Sun, 02 Sep 2001 03:34:52 -0700 From: Patrick Salsbury <salsbury_at_sculptors.com>
Just found a reference to this on Domesteading.
http://exn.ca/Stories/1996/12/23/01.asp
I think the funniest bit in the article is this:
His most ambitious project was a full size saucer that he created with friend
and partner Mario Sanchez Roldan. With over five million dollars from a
Mexican potato chip company that was keenly interested in the airship as an
advertising tool, they created a huge airship called the MLA-32-B. It was a
staggering 32 metres in diameter and four storeys high.
It was destroyed in a freak accident seven years ago, explained Walden. Engine
problems forced an emergency landing in a remote Mexican village. When local
villagers saw the gigantic flying saucer glide to its silent landing they
feared they were aliens onboard and attacked the ship with knives, guns and
sticks.
"They completely destroyed it. You have to think of a 105 foot [32 metres]
flying saucer, not making any noise, landing in your village and a guy twice
your size gets out in a silver flight suit and jacket.well you can image what
they thought," he said.
(Sad commentary on human nature, I guess, but still humorous.)
I know some folks from the Helios project had dealt with (and fought with,
apparently) Mike in the past. Is he still doing work in this area? Is anyone
on the list still doing airship related work? Chris McCoy? Josh Geller? Any of
the original crew? If so, what's new in your airship world? Is anything
happening with http://www.aasas.com/ ? Haven't heard any news in a while...
-- Pat