ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. – (December 23, 2002) – The Federal Aviation Administration today certified a new Skyship 600 airship built by Airship Management Services and outfitted with Textron Lycoming IO-540 engines, a vectorable thrust outboard propulsion system that required a Supplemental Type Certificate.

FAA officials awarded the Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) following a series of flight performances on Skyship N 606SA.

Airship Management Services, Inc. assembled the new airship at its FAA-Certified Repair and Inspection Station here.

The new Textron Lycoming IO-540 twin outboard vectorable thrust engines are mounted in swiveling, ducted fans, and each produce 300 hp. They replace Porsche 930 turbine inboard engines of 255 hp that have powered the Skyship 600 series since its introduction in 198X.

The new propulsion system enhances the aircraft’s capability for hovering and holding station; facilitates faster takeoffs, quicker response in landings, and boosts overall in-flight maneuverability.

The new airship is named in honor of Alberto Santos-Dumont, the Brazilian aviation pioneer who won the Deutsch Prize by becoming the first to fly a dirigible in controlled flight around the Eiffel Tower more than 100 years ago (in 1901) and who later introduced powered fixed-wing flight to Europe. AMS will operate the new airship on its own behalf and on behalf of a French partner.

Outfitted with a new envelope from TCOM L.P., "Santos-Dumont" made its maiden test flight on January 18 of this year, and proved itself through a series of rigorous examinations and flight performance criteria administered by the FAA and conducted by AMS’ test pilots John McHugh, Scott Daneker and Eddy Wynne.

Skyship 600s are the largest and most comfortable passenger-carrying airships in the world, offering a spacious cabin with abundant headroom, windows that open in flight, first class seating, a galley for serving food and beverages, and a lavatory. They have the highest rated payload capacity available today and have proven their reliability all over the world.

Skyship 600 airships, 197 feet (60 m) long, with a volume of 254,000 cubic feet (7,200 cubic meters), are filled with non-flammable helium and are certified to carry up to 13 passengers plus a Captain and Co-Pilot. They have a cruising speed of 40 mph (65 km/h), a ceiling up to 10,000 feet and a range up to 400 miles.

Airship Management Services, affiliated with Nissho Iwai American Corp., is the most experienced company in operating the world’s largest airships and through associated companies provides technical and operational support to airships worldwide. AMS operates a maintenance facility and FAA repair station at Skycruiser Corp.’s base in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. AMS personnel have been providing flight crew; technical expertise and ground support to airships since 1980 and have operated airships in Japan, Korea, Australia, the U.K., U.S.A., Canada, Germany and France. All crew are fully licensed by the relevant civil aviation authorities.