The Long Wait for Investment... IS OVER!

20th Century Mankind


21st Century Mankind - State of Survival

Dave Bowman: You see, something's going to happen. You must leave.
Heywood Floyd: What? What's going to happen?
Dave Bowman: Something wonderful.
Heywood Floyd: What?
Dave Bowman: I understand how you feel. You see, it's all very clear to me now. The whole thing. It's wonderful.

Dave Bowman: My God! It's full of stars!

source: http://www.clintonglobalinitiative.org/NETCOMMUNITY/Page.aspx?&pid=683&srcid=683&commitID=221295

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_{(click to see the Future)}

2006 Commitments - Climate

Virgin's $3 bill. commitment to renewable energy initiatives

• Focus Area: Climate


• Sub Focus: Energy


• Commitment By: Virgin Group of Companies


• First Year Cost: $200,000,000


• Total Estimated Value: $3,000,000,000


• Commitment Duration: 10 years

Objective:

Sir Richard Branson and the Virgin Group believe that all businesses,
especially those involved in transportation, energy and particularly fossil
fuels such as coal must be at the forefront of developing environmentally
friendly business strategies with a focus on replacing traditional energy with
energy coming from renewable sources.

Commitment Announcement:

To demonstrate this we are committing that all future proceeds to the Virgin Group (dividends, realisations and share sales) from our transportation interests (airlines and trains) will be invested into renewable energy initiatives both within these transportation companies and further investments in new biofuel R & D production, distribution and other projects to tackle emissions related to global warming.  We currently estimate this commitment to be $3 billion over the next ten years.

As our first significant demonstration of this we recently launched Virgin Fuels. A unique new investment vehicle for a series of international renewable energy investments by the Virgin Group with an early focus on bio-fuels (rather than other alternative energy sources or industrial power generation).

The scope of the Company's investment strategy will also include research and development of new bio-fuels suitable for both ground transportation and aviation. 

Virgin Fuels has an initial funding commitment from the Virgin Group of up to $400 million over three years for biofuel investment and R & D in the field of new biofuels for both ground transport and aviation. 

Virgin Fuels is delighted to announce its first investment in the sector against this $3 billion commitment with an investment in Cilion, Inc., headquartered in Goshen,
California.

Cilion was formed in June 2006 to build and operate ethanol plants that will be cheaper and greener than standard corn–to–ethanol plants, as they substantially reduce the need for fossil fuels in ethanol production.

Cilion plans to build seven plants by 2009 with a total of 440 million gallons per year capacity.  The first three plants are expected to be in California.

Virgin Fuels led the current investment round in Cilion, which has now raised over $200 million in two financing rounds.

The current round includes the Yucaipa Companies and the founding investors, including Khosla Ventures - a leading venture capital firm, and Western Milling - one of the largest grain handling and processing groups in the US and the largest on the West Coast.

Background:

Virgin has always worked hard to minimise our environmental impact at every level of our businesses - from operating the youngest fleet of Aircraft of an airline flying anywhere in the world today and the latest fuel-efficient Airbus 340 and Boeing 737 aircraft in our airlines - down to printing double-sided on recycled paper and using fair-trade coffee in our offices. This belief stretches across all of the companies comprising the Virgin Group. Virgin is already utilising a host of environmentally benign technologies including regenerative braking on its electric trains which put 17% of the electricity they use back in to the National Grid of the UK, making them the most energy efficient long distance trains in the world. In addition the company is switching its diesel trains to run on a biofuel mix, as well as funding the world's most fuel efficient experimental high altitude jet, the Virgin Atlantic Global Flyer.

At Virgin we are even looking beyond our atmosphere ensuring that Virgin Galactic's newly designed spacecrafts produce vastly fewer emissions per flight than any previous space launch system and are as environmentally benign as possible in terms of the content of those emissions.

Importantly, as a transportation company owner, we should be at the forefront of developing new energy sources. This view was further supported and influenced through discussions with like-minded people such as Al Gore, Vinod Khosla (from Khosla Ventures), Ted Turner and Bill Clinton.

Virgin Fuels is just the first step in delivering Sir Richard's renewable energy strategy. We are also establishing an Environmental Trust in order to invest in future ideas to decrease global warming, many of which will have unique social and environmental benefits.

Point of Contact:

Shai Weiss; Jean Oelwang; Will Whitehorn

Geographic Scope:

North America, Europe

Anticipated Launch:

9/20/2006

Milestones and Key Actions:

First Milestone: September 10, 2006 - Launch of Virgin Fuels and first
investment (as outlined above)

Summary of Activity:
Announcement of
the launch of Virgin Fuels, the $400m commitment over three years and the
initial investment as per the note above.

Partnership Opportunities:

Virgin Group would welcome potential partners that are interested in future
investments in the area of renewable energy.

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Folks, Something Wonderful is About to Happen ;-)
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Super-Luxury Vacations Aboard Airborne Cruise Ships?

Source: http://epierce.blog.usf.edu/feeds/Gizmodo/2006/02/
Posted: February 10th, 2006, 10:17am EST



Some members of the Gizmodo team have flown on the Goodyear blimp, and marvel at that thrill of standing on a platform in the air. Now blimp maker Worldwide Aeros Corporation says it plans to offer that experience to paying customers by 2010. It has teamed up with hospitality and leisure firm WATG in an agreement to create a new class of super-luxury blimps that will function as airborne cruise ships and fly long-range routes across oceans. Inside its one-acre cabin will be restaurants, a casino, and lots of fancy hotel rooms. The company says these new airship resorts will have living quarters that rival the luxury cabins of the great ocean liners, and will also be packed to the gills with technological amenities. The concept ship is planned to be over 600 feet long with a top speed of 174 miles an hour.

Designer WATG is no stranger to high style and forward-looking design—the company had a hand in the design of the Venetian Hotel and Resort in Las Vegas among many others, and has forward-looking plans for an undersea hotel, and even a space resort. These are some big ideas, but you won't be able to make a reservation for any of these pie-in-the-sky schemes just yet. And didn't they try this before? Something about New Jersey?

Worldwide Aeros Announces Luxurious Airborne Cruise Ships

Nearly two football fields long, AEROSCRAFT unlike other airships, is not lighter than air. Its 14 million cu. ft. of helium will provide lift for two-thirds of its weight, with jet engines providing lift for the other third.

Expected to be completed by 2010, the AEROSCRAFT will have an estimated top speed of 174 mph and and range of several thousand miles. The craft will be able to traverse the continental U.S. in approximately 18 hours.

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My Comment,

Dear Friends & Family,

Please Refrain from Insulting my Visions & Intelligence in the Future.

Regards,
M

The World Is Yours... Pan American

Okay, Buck Rogers... Are you ready for an Upgrade?



How about a little cruise around the neighborhood?



Have you ever seen the Movie "Bladerunner" with Harrison Ford?


Advertising on Steroids.





Just in case you need to pick something up and get it there faster,




Is your Metro Logistics nothing more than a Log Jam? Upgrade with this Technology for a Fraction of the Cost.


Scale instead of Crawling to the Future... SkyCat.


http://www.worldskycat.com

The Prelude

This Used to be the Gold Standard of Aviation for 25 Years.




Be Prepared for an Upgrade

LTA in the News

DOD: Transformation Trends-22 July 2004 Issue.doc - Arthur Cebrowski, OFT Director, February 2004 Mobilus Initiative: Airships as a New Aerospace Industry SegmentLTC Michael Woodgerd The United States requires greater mobility to meet burgeoning military and commercial demands. LTA technology offers new types of platforms, more complete use of national airspace, and supports a more fully networked concept of air transportation. Mobilus will identify the most sensible development paths and build the networks across government and private ...

DOD: Mobilus Vision and Method_Long Version_14 JUL 04.doc - The Mobilus Initiative: Creating A New Component of the US Aerospace Industry Centered Upon Transport Airships LTC Michael Woodgerd The United States requires greater mobility to meet burgeoning military and commercial demands. Improving the efficiency of the existing air transportation system and its components, including the introduction of new types of airplanes, while critical and achievable, cannot by itself provide enough overall gain in capability to meet future commercial and ...

Dr. Prentice's Article - MOVING BEYOND THE ROADS, Airships to the Arctic Symposium II PROCEEDINGS, Held at the Fort Garry Hotel, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada October 21-23, 2003.

TABLE OF CONTENTS Dedicated to Brigadier General Keith Greenaway ............................................................i Forward ............................................................................................................................iii Session 1: Northern Dimensions Moderator: Dr. Jerry Gray.....................................................................................1 Mr. William F. Althoff – “Potential Arctic Missions” ...............................................1 Mr. Tony Bembridge – “Northern Helicopter Operations” .....................................9 Session 2: Serving First Nations Communities Moderator: Al Phillips..........................................................................................16 Patricia Bouchard – “Health Services Provider” .................................................16 Bud Norris – “What Services and at What Costs?” ............................................19 Lunch Keynote Speaker: The Honourable Scott Smith ..................................................29 Session 3: Climate Change & Environmental Protection Moderator: Bob Brennan.....................................................................................32 Dr. Danny Blair – “Evidence of Climate Change” ...............................................32 Don Kuryk – “Seasonal Transportation to Remote Communities – What If?”.....39 Session 4: Point-to-Point Moves Moderator: Jim Thomson....................................................................................51 John Smith – “Helicopter Forestry Operations” ..................................................51 Tom Boyle – “Using Airships in Construction: Case Study” ...............................54 Banquet Keynote Speaker: The Right Honourable Ed Schreyer ...................................63 Session 5: Future Directions of Aviation & Aerospace Manufacturing Moderator: Graham Starmer ..............................................................................70 Charles Huettner – “Air Transportation: The Future is not What it Used to Be” .70 Dr. Don Richardson – “Overview of LTA Activities” ............................................77 Session 6: Airship Technology and Designs Moderator: Richard Van Treuren ........................................................................85 Rear Admiral John T. Tozzi – “Airship Technology … A Historical Perspective and the Way Ahead” ......................................................................................................85 Hokan Colting – “Spherical Airships” ..................................................................93 Lunch Speaker: Roy Gibbens ........................................................................................99 Session 7: Remote Control Airships Moderator: Roy Gibbens ..................................................................................101 Albert Robbins – “The Future is Unmanned – Remotely-Piloted Airships” ......101 Stephen Barkley – “Airships and Aerial Photography” .....................................104

Session 8: Looking to the Future of Airships Moderator: Dr. Barry Prentice ..........................................................................107 Les T. Aalders – “The Application of Airships” .................................................107 LTC Michael Woodgerd – “Mobilus: A Challenge for a New Century” .............114 Participants ..................................................................................................................127 Speaker Biographies ....................................................................................................129 Conference Sponsors...................................................................................................141

Participants:

Carlos Artola M7 Aerospace LP David Boldt Western Economic Diversification Harvey Bostrom Government of Manitoba Amar Chadha Manitoba Transportation and Government Services Gil Costin Millennium Airship Inc. "SkyFreighter" Lee Cottreau International Mat of Canada Michael Crockatt Winnipeg Airports Authority Inc. Gordon Cyr Major Drilling Peter de Jong Department of National Defence 1 Canadian Air Division/Canadian NORAD Region HQ Brent DePape Western Economic Diversification Canada Ken Einarsson Public Works Melissa Fahey Manitoba Transportation and Government Services Tim Feduniw Destination Winnipeg Michael Fisher Western Economic Diversification Jonathan Flett Island Lake Tribal Council Delton M. Gates Independent Roy P Gibbens Independent Billy Jack Grieves Billy Jack Grieves Transport Edward Hoch Alaska Dirigibles Geoffrey Horner Transport Canada Andrew T. Horosko Manitoba Transportation & Government Services Jim Huggard Arctic Coop Charles Hunter 1 CAD/CANR HQ Bob Kimball Indian and Northern Affairs Canada Bill Kitchen Dataway Systems Inc LCol Ross LaGrandeur Chief of the Defence Staff Office Henry Lasslo SAAN Stores Ltd. John Looper Transport Canada Bruce MacLeod Winnipeg Airport Lands Corporation Garry Maynard CITT Douglas McMahon Transportation and Government Services Donald Norquay Manitoba Transportation & Government Services Fred Petrie Navigator Services

John Pittman Manitoba Chambers of Commerce Dr. Dimos Polyzois Department of Civil Engineering, University of Manitoba Mary Richard Thunderbird House Russ Robinson Environment Canada John Spacek Manitoba Transportation & Government Services Jim Stevens Government of Nunavut Sharon Thomas Transport Canada Gordon Tufts Manitoba Dept. of Transportation & Government Services Greg Wood Northern Association of Community Councils Ed Wood Island Lake Tribal Council Richard Worsfold

Hybrid Aircraft ABC's - Company LTA Related Credentials

- Lighter-than-air related programmatic, engineering and support since 1980.
- Participation in the early draft of the DOD's Tentative Operational Requirement OLEASS
- Established the Westinghouse Airships business organization
- Won the NAVY Airship program in the mid 80’s.
- Maintained capital hill and Pentagon contract support without interruption 8 years
- Was the force behind the establishment of the hybrid aircraft concept at Lockheed Martin
- President was initially LM Skunk Works concept originator and one of two individuals working the Hybrid program
- Established a commercial business in California to continue hybrid aircraft focus/development
- Established a professional engineering team and led the SkyCat 1000 study
Contributed $153,000 to the DOD cost share requirement leading to "Hybrid Aircraft" studies
- Conducted the technical analysis that drove Army’s AeroCat 30 ton net payload class focus
- Inspired multiple white papers. Two of which can be found in the "Expectations" page of this web site
- Constructed Hybrid Aircraft "consortium" business concept hopefully leading eventually to Joint Venture opportunities
- Advisor to DARPA Program Manager & staff in early phases of Walrus very large airlift vehicle program planning efforts

Dominant Logistics, The Future Army - Revisited - A new effort to revitalize the Army's deployment capabilities is underway but needs to be stopped. The last thing the Army needs to be purchasing is slow transport ships when alternatives like the SkyCat 1000 are available and offer far greater capability. Even a modest quantity of SkyCats would give us the ability to deploy multiple divisions of virtually any type within a single month. In the case of lighter units, an entire brigade would require only five SkyCats and these can land virtually anywhere as they require no airstrip, only an open space of sufficient size.

Unlike any current aircraft flying in the United States inventories, the SkyCat can carry multiple Abrams tanks in a single load as well as other vehicles and gear. In theory, the SkyCat 1000 can handle a payload of up to 1000 tons, or 13 Abrams tanks with some payload to spare in a single load. According to available estimates, an entire light infantry battalion, personnel and all, should be possible in a single SkyCat load, even the heavier light infantry units that I have proposed. The Army does not need to be purchasing ships unless they are the kind that fly.

CargoLifter CL160 - In July 2002 Boeing and CargoLifter AG signed a contract to jointly explore stratospheric airship concepts. The contract, which provides for a detailed study of lighter-than-air stratospheric platforms, will enable Boeing and CargoLifter to coordinate efforts to bid as airship system suppliers for current and future programs.

The Branson Zinger [Draft]

 

  

The Grant Pitch

Note: The following posts were made on Chervon's WillYouJoin.com site


I have over 11 years of executive transportation experience, the last 8 were in global Heavy Haul & Lift and Munitions for the DOD. I believe I have the innovative answers you are seeking.

Currently, I am seeking a $500k grant to fund this G8 solution to support the research, education, and motivation required to secure public & private investment.

We have the technology today to restructure 50% of mass transit, globally utilizing LTA technologies using a fraction of the energy used today to perform the same task. DOD has been working on this concept to transport entire battalions, equipment, & supplies all in one movement.

Results:

(1) 25-50% reduction in fuel demand and greenhouse emissions; thus, collapsing the global price of fuel in 1 year after implementation.

Eliminate up 25% commuting to work of urban & suburban vehicle traffic and 99% of new infrastructure construction. Eliminate up to 50% of coast to coast, region to region, longhaul trucking, not to mention eliminating the US Postal ground fleet between major cities.

(2) Provides a systematic solution to supply rural communities with the delivery of goods and the pickup of manufactured goods while slashing the cost of transportation by utilizing land-to-port-to-land supply chain methodologies. Plus, much, much more.

(3) Cut global air & surface supply chain costs with an improved pickup & delivery schedule. Largest configuration can transport 1,000 tons over 100 kph or 800 mid-sized cars 4-5 times faster than container ships.

(4) Homeland Security: eliminate nuclear, hazmat, & secret military ground transport exposures to terrorist and improve public safety.

I estimate the market value of this transportation innovation to be in the trillions, globally.

Is anybody interested?

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Since Chevron Chairman Dave O'Reilly has been publishing advertisements in Time & Forbes for a couple of months, I find it hard to believe that he doesn't pick up the phone to inquire about this global solution.

But then, I couldn't get the Director in charge of this willyoujoinus.com campaign to call me either. What's with that Rachel Sutton? When I first called she decided to go on vacation after her boss declared a state of emergency regarding oil and advertised and provided this forum for answers. Charming to say the least.

I assure you that all the defense contractors would like to know of Dave's interest in LTA since they are behind the ball. I'm also sure that Jeffery Immelt of GE would like to have something he can finance, globally, since US airlines are in the rough.

What gives? Inquiring minds want to know.

Sincerely,
Mike Masters, Principal
Masters & Masters
mailto:mmasters@ispwest.com
770-926-2213

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Currently, there are (3) Lighter Than Air (LTA) manufacturers that are competing for a large DOD contract, not to mention Boeing & Lockheed-Martin, which are trailing behind.

My pick happens to be in England for best performance and credentials. Current cost structure is a tad more than the cost of a Boeing 767, around $200m for the 1,000 ton model. Other smaller versions are available as well with smaller price tags.

Peacetime production is said to be (2) years, but I venture to guess with a G8 pocketbook and enough resources thrown at it could be done in 6 months, and the price cut in half.

Two parallel assembly line service crafts come to mind: Bulk Airships & Clippers. Financing, Manufacturing, & Implementation should be duplicated in each G8 nation. A fleet of BAs could be introduced in stages nation by nation based on need. Multiple fleets of Clippers is the main challenge.

These clippers would be designed for mass transit in metropolitan cities for hauling both people & freight as a dual purpose configuration or a single purpose configuration. Commuter Clippers would accommodate the commuter with many of the services already found in concourses to and from their destinations.

Freight Clippers would support the rural, suburban, & urban areas much like the Cargo container supply chain method of today; thus, replacing most overlapping local & regional trucking. Plus, delivering a cost effective transportation solution for rural manufacturing to the market, better than the old train days.

Added bonus: all Clipper & Bulk Airships would open a new market delivery system to the advertising industry... major value here.

Bulk Airships can transport perishables without refrigeration over vast distances... big value here too.

Best of all, wasted dollars on infrastructure can be channeled to this new mode of transportation for centuries to come and promote broadband commerce & tourism.

The Zeppelins are back with a vengeance without Hydrogen -- today they use Helium. A RPG rocket launcher won't even discharge inside one of these things... they have been very busy trying to blow it up for the DOD folks.

For further info email me at mmasters@ispwest.com

Regards,
M