History of United States Airships International (USAI)
The History of USAI is really a history of its founder William S. Meadows. Bill grew up in Statesville, North Carolina where he developed a love for aviation as a Civil Air Patrol (CAP) Cadet. He attended NC State University (Aeronautics) and the served 5 years in USAF. Bill moved back Statesville where he and several of his CAP buddies founded an electronics company, Electromec,Inc.
In 1969 Bill became interested in lighter-than-air and was the first person in the Southeast USA the FAA issued their new Hot-Air-Balloon License to. At that time he founded Balloon Ascensions, ltd., which became the second FAA Approved balloon training facility in the nation. Bill holds a single engine airplane rating and for 18 years flew his Cessna 182 as part of his balloon business activities.
Between 1969 and 1979 Balloons Ascensions trained over 100 pilots for their balloon rating and flew 3,000 commercial promotional flights. During this 10-year period Bill made over 1,300 individual training and promotional flight.
From 1975 to 1980 Bill was the sales director for the Balloon Works, which manufactured FAA Certified Hot-Air-Balloon. By 1980 Bill had created 186 dealers and orders topped 50 balloons per month or $500,000 in sales. During this period Bill served on the Board of Directors for the Balloon Federation of American with Malcolm Forbes and wrote the original rules for balloon competition now used worldwide.
In 1990 Bill became the sales director for The Blimp Works which manufactured small advertising blimps 10’ to 30’ in length. He created and managed a sales organization which grew to over 5,000 dealers world-wide
In 1997 Bill decided it was time to do something he had always dreamed of and founded USAI to start manufacturing small one and two man helium airships. After 3 years of design and testing the prototype flew in March 2001. In 2003 construction of the production model was started and is scheduled to fly in 2004.
Twenty-five (25) acres of land has been purchased 15 miles of Burlington, North Carolina for the airship manufacturing facilities. The site will have a 1,800’ grass airstrip for light airplanes. The construction of the main airship hanger is scheduled for late 2004 and the first production airship should be completed within three (3) months after the hanger is completed.
