RonPaulBlimp.com LIVE

[SwordOfShannarah]

http://www.RonPaulBlimp.com



from the website..

A blimp? A blimp!

Imagine..the mainstream media is mesmerized as the image of the Ron Paul blimp is shown to tens of millions of Americans throughout the day (and throughout the month). Wolf Blizter, stunned and as if in a trance, repeats the words "Amazing, Amazing".

As GPS co-ordinates stream to the website a map shows the Ron Paul blimp's location in real time. The local Television stations broadcast it's every move. The curious flock together and make a trip see it. Emails with pictures are sent, then forwarded, then forwarded again. Youtube videos go viral and reach tens of millions of views. Ron Paul becomes the first presidential candidate in history to have his very own blimp. The PR stunt generates millions upon millions in free publicity, and captures the imagination of America.

Please join us in our goal to raise $200,000 to make and fly the first ever Presidential Blimp in history. Choose a pledge amount below and enter you email address to confirm the pledge. If only 2,000 of us pledge $100 we'll make this a reality. When we reach our goal in pledges you'll receive an email letting you know it's time to fulfill the pledge.

Please pledge now. Please spread the word. Thank you.

[KewlRonduderules]

Can you explain this a little more?

Is it just one day? or several days? Do when have a blimp already? Where is the 200K figure from?

thanks in advance.

Oh yeah, I think you are definitely on to something. Once, I get your answers, I will probably donate. I'll give $100.

;)

[jonathanwebb]

Trevor - did you check into the price of this? I mean, gee - where did you go to get a quote on a blimp? www.blimps-r-us.com?

I think this is idea is just a lot of hot air. :p Ok, just kidding. (somebody had to say it) :D

[SwordOfShannarah]

Can you explain this a little more?

Is it just one day? or several days? Do when have a blimp already? Where is the 200K figure from?

thanks in advance.

Oh yeah, I think you are definitely on to something. Once, I get your answers, I will probably donate. I'll give $100.

;)


There is a company that has quoted this at about $175,000 - $200,000. As we get some pledges and the idea proves it will stick I can nail down a number. The blimp will fly for a month. The blimp is not yet made.

This project will largely depend on how well we do in the primaries. If we do well and it looks like we'll win the nomination we should go full steam ahead. If we do ok and aren't sure we'll have to see if Ron Paul runs as an Independent. Whatever we do we'll only move forward and ask for the pledges if it makes sense to do so.

[KewlRonduderules]

How long will it take to build? Did they say?

[Tenbatsu]

I pledged 200+ I will put up $500.00 if we can reach 200k worth of pledges.

This is viral marketing at its finest.

[SwordOfShannarah]

Trevor - did you check into the price of this? I mean, gee - where did you go to get a quote on a blimp? www.blimps-r-us.com?

I think this is idea is just a lot of hot air. :p Ok, just kidding. (somebody had to say it) :D

oh man!! haha

here is more info..

http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?t=38720

[jrich4rpaul]

When I pledge, where's the money gonna go?

I'm all for this.

[SwordOfShannarah]

How long will it take to build? Did they say?

Not sure yet- but I think they just need to print out a huge graphic on cloth and put it on the blimp.

[SwordOfShannarah]

When I pledge, where's the money gonna go?

I'm all for this.

We'll have to set up a PAC so we can collect it all in one spot and then pay the blimp company.

[KewlRonduderules]

Perhaps this can be floated across Iowa and South Carolina?

Something tells me we will do well in New Hampshire.

[goldenequity]

I'm in..... this is an OUTRAGEOUS idea.... thx Trevor!
randy :)

[improv241]

I'm in for $25 - I don't have much, but this seems worthwhile!

[McDermit]

i'm guessing this is like a 100ft+ manned blimp?

You can get a custom 30ft remote controlled outdoor blimp for less than a quarter of that price....

[jonathanwebb]

i'm guessing this is like a 100ft+ manned blimp?

You can get a custom 30ft remote controlled outdoor blimp for less than a quarter of that price....


have a Link for that?

[KewlRonduderules]

i'm guessing this is like a 100ft+ manned blimp?

You can get a custom 30ft remote controlled outdoor blimp for less than a quarter of that price....


Is it all digital too?

[DrNoZone]

I think this idea is kinda funny...I'd rather donate to the campaign, or get advertising in the early states that's NOT on a flying hot-air machine.

[KewlRonduderules]

I think it is a great idea. Having the blimp fly over events across the primary states especially Iowa and South Carolina.

[bulloncoins]

I like the idea, but there are alot of unanswered questions for me.

How big is it? Who owns and flies it? Do we get to pick the course or will they?
How is the weather going to factor in?

To tell the truth, I would have thought it would cost way, way more than this to run a blimp for a month.....(fuel, storage, operating cost...)

I really do like the idea, I just want to hear way more info than this thread and a web page. Please don't take this as a put-down. I think more info would raise alot more money faster for you.


Travis

[hillertexas]

Great Idea Guys!

[RonPaulCult]

I thought this was the worst ideas I had ever heard....

until I saw that picture on your page. Imagine HAVING this thing. Everybody goes NUTS for blimps! Have you ever seen a blimp and not told people about it? "Hey *EVERYBODY I KNOW* did you see the Ron Paul blimp today?

Even when I lived in New York City and they would fly them over Manhattan pretty much every week I never got sick of them. Hey wait a second there's an idea - flying them over big cities and getting more money for the campaign too.

Yeah we NEED a blimp. We MUST have one! I pledged - join me people!

[Chester Copperpot]

I like the idea of a Ron Paul Blimp per se.. But I think it would be much more beneficial for us to lease blimps rather than build our own.. for 200,000 dollars we could lease a blimp in each state probably ya know??

We should lease a blimp in the states where the primaries are coming up and leave em there for a month so everybody can see em.

[RonPaulCult]

Please update the pledge total often these first few hours/days so people will see how fast it is growing and will want to be a part of it.

[iskimtsnow]

Being from NH I must say if you ran some ads in the local papers beforehand and on a few weekends landed this thing at a few high schools in the larger NH towns, you would get LOTS of attention and a big crowd. Then like I saw in another post have a meetup group waiting to work the crowd. Maybe even a few laptops with video's showing and some hot drinks.

[ronpaulyourmom]

+1 vote for Ron Paul Revolution logo instead. That would let it go viral more effectively imo.

[Jobarra]

Sorry to be a party pooper on this, but you may need to form a PAC to be able to get donations for this. Anything big ticket like this most likely needs a PAC to be able to get donations for it due to campaign finance reform. Not a lawyer, but from what I read about llepard's article is that it is legal because he is spending all of the money himself. If you get a group of people together to campaign for a candidate, it sounds like they have to be part of a PAC in order to not run afoul of the campaign finance laws. I could be wrong, but better to be safe than sorry. And PACs also seem to have a maximum donation level like candidates do. Not sure what it is.

[KewlRonduderules]

I'll have to set up a PAC so we can collect it all in one spot and then pay the blimp company.


Jobarra, looks like they are already ahead of the game.

;)

[Mark Rushmore]

I like the idea, but there are alot of unanswered questions for me.

How big is it? Who owns and flies it? Do we get to pick the course or will they?
How is the weather going to factor in?

To tell the truth, I would have thought it would cost way, way more than this to run a blimp for a month.....(fuel, storage, operating cost...)

I really do like the idea, I just want to hear way more info than this thread and a web page. Please don't take this as a put-down. I think more info would raise alot more money faster for you.


Travis

I was curious as well about the fuel issue. Is this ballpark figure all inclusive for the month? How much time does it spend in flight during the month? Can we order it around to anywhere in the country as long as it's back home by the end of 30 days? Can it land and take off as it pleases or does it need some sort of permission to land anywhere? Etc..

But the idea is cool, especially if it's in the air on the day of early caucuses/primaries ;).

[Drknows]

Lets get a space rocket and and land it on the moon, We can have moon rovers roll out a 1 mile long Ron Paul Revolution banner.

so we can see it every night for the rest our lives.

just joking. :D

[Primbs]

They have used very small blimps in some international campaigns. Brazil may be one place they have use them.

[Elijah]

This price is for a rental of 1 month.

This is for a blimp that is around (135x52ft).
This is for a blimp that can illuminate at night time with an internal lighting system.
It uses hot air instead of helium (very expensive).
It goes 25 mph
It can be taken down and packed up and transported with ease.

I am awaiting a phone call right this minute that will verify the total cost. (Airship Operations)

The lightship unfortunately has 350k/month price tag and 12 month minimum lease. Also the light ship has a 4-6 month lead time for the 12 month lease.

[Elijah]

Word just in from a nice guy named Toby with Light Ships. He is also gonna check out the website. I am hoping we can find a Ron Paul fan to give us a deal and help out with the project. 2 out of 3 companies I have contacted had definitely already heard of Ron Paul. Not to well but they know who he is.

These ships cannot fly in bad weather and he said it most likely could do Florida or California, Arizona, Utah etc but nut the northern states, they won't fly there.

Still waiting on Airship Operations complete details.


A-60+ Lightship

130 feet long
69,000 cubic feet of helium
3 passengers plus pilot
Internally illuminated for night operations

Lease price $220,000 per month.
Minimum 3 month contract.
This price includes 2 pilots, 11 ground crew, ground support equipment, ground vehicles, hotel accommodations, fuel, airport fees, flight permissions, Account Manager, and 120 flight hours per month.

Initial artwork $75,000 for a full vinyl wrap or $15,000 for a pair of banners.

Optional Cineflex Hi-Def broadcast camera system, including microwave downlink, camera operator and engineer @ $50,000 per month.

Total price for 3 months with full wrap, excluding camera $735,000

[JoshLowry]

Sounds awesome. :)

[Peterjar]

Shouldn' the catch phrase be "The Blimp Boss, the Blimp."

[JordanL]

Shouldn' the catch phrase be "The Blimp Boss, the Blimp."

I don't get it.

[Jobarra]

Jobarra, looks like they are already ahead of the game.

;)

Doh! Well, I'm on vacation and this laptop's screen is small. And the sun was in my eyes. :D

Sorry, there's been a few suggestions like this without the talk of forming a PAC. Just didn't want to see it again. Hate to see someone fined for this.

[SwordOfShannarah]

I don't get it.

Fantasy Island.. might be ahead of your time. And it looks like myself and Peterjar are showing our ages. :eek:

[JordanL]

Fantasy Island.. might be ahead of your time. And it looks like myself and Peterjar are showing our ages. :eek:

:lol:

Ok, that would be ahead of my time. Carry on. I approve of THIS message. :D

[surf]

can this fly over the Super Bowl? 2-days before the Az primary?

[mrd]

Bump for the blimp!

[AlabamaWildMan]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v229/Alabama_Wild_Man/RonPaulBlimp.jpg

[Leslie Webb]

1. Rough schedule
I assume the winter weather in Iowa and NH would not be good enough for a blimp. Suppose Ron does well in New Hampshire. Then how about a blimpkrieg as follows?

- South Carolina primary flyovers Jan 12 - Jan 19 SC primary Jan. 19.

- Victory flight to Florida Jan. 20-21

- Florida primary flyovers Jan. 21- Jan 27 FL primary Jan 29

- Transfer to the West Jan 28-30

- Super Bowl week flyovers, Phoenix Jan 31- Feb 2

- California primary flyovers Feb 3- Feb 5 CA primary Feb. 5

(Feb. 5 is Super Tuesday, with primaries in 20 states, including Alabama, Tennesse, Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Colorado, Utah, and Arizona, some of of which we could hit going west from from Florida.)

2. Could we rent the blimp for three weeks instead of a month?

3. Can the blimp be deflated and transported? Is there extra cost for flying it at night? 12 hours a day at 25 mph is 300 miles; 24 hours a day would be 600 miles. Big difference in the places we could hit. I think top priority should be South Carolina, Florida, Super Bowl, and California.

4. Southern winters are usually mild, but can be tricky. We'd have to plan on what to do in case of bad weather in South Carolina, northern Florida, and other southern states. We could get some good publicity from the hoopla surrounding the Super Bowl. (Go Titans! Go Saints! :( Not my year ... )

[purepaloma]

We need 2 Blimps!

East Coast & West Coast

Gotta Go Extra Viral !!!

[kutibah]

Bump...

[freedom_junkie]

That picture looks scarey, looks like its going to turn into the Hindenburg, that's just what we need, a flamin blimp! :)

[Tarzan]

This is a very innovative idea and could be worth every penny. A couple of thoughts:

1. Perhaps the project should be called "The Ron Paul Airforce"
2. Please keep the message generic... no revolution... just Ron Paul for President
3. Perhaps make the words "Ron Paul" larger with "for President" smaller below

Kudos for the idea and follow through effort!!!

[Danny Molina]

I can hear the neocons now. "See! I knew Ron Paul was full of hot air."

:D

[Elijah]

BREAKING NEWS - I just got off the phone with Georgre Seyrou of Airship Management Services. He is a Greek British American and he is a PROUD American. He wants to help us achieve this. He loves Ron Paul and can work with us. They currently have a Skyship Airship on contract for the US Navy and that ends on December 1st. It then needs to return to their Headquarters in North Carolina.

He really wants to help out!! And can flex with pricing! He has Ron Pauls support and he is the President/Owner.

This is one of the largest Airships in the world and can seat 12 passengers.
If we get artwork ready and get moving quickly this has a chance of being in the air by TeaParty launch. This is the ONLY company that has been willing to do 1 month so far, I have talked with 3. He said the price normally doesn't include artwork but we will assume it does. He was very enthusiastic when he returned my call!! We will have the option to extend the contract if we need it further than a month.

So the total cost for EVERYTHING and this is still negotiable is 350K. This is one of the nicest blimps in the world, it has 2 porsche engines in it! The cost for this thing is nothing compared to what Ron Paul can raise in a day!

http://airshipman.com/ourairships.htm

We need some people to step up! Can we have some larger pledge options? 1k, 5k, 20K.

[Naraku]

Blimp? BLIMP!

http://www.weebls-stuff.com/toons/blimp/

[Danny Molina]

Blump!

[Tarzan]

BREAKING NEWS - http://airshipman.com/ourairships.htm

Good work... this would REALLY make an impression and get some serious press! I know, its a lot of money but this single idea could make Ron Paul a household name! And, it is big enough and safe enough to rent rides. It could also be brought into play at rallys with HUGE results.

If you have ever seen one of these in the air just remember the sight... it catches everyone's attention. I think the bigger the better... just a wonderful idea. No deep pockets here but I will give what I can.

Join the Ron Paul Airforce!!!

[Rezand]

I would donate a bit towards this.

How well lit is the blimp? Any lights? Any info on that? I envision a really cool flyby over Times Square as people begin to congregate down there around 8-9pm on New Years Eve. ;)

Rezand

[MRoCkEd]

Excellent idea. This will be historic... or at least VERY newsworthy!
Please people, have faith in this idea and don't give up on it.

I agree, offer bigger pledge amounts (200+ is too broad, how about 200, 500, 1,000, 2,000, 5,000)


http://www.ronpaulblimp.com/images/Banner468x69.jpg


I just pledged :D

[happyphilter]

Who gets to ride it?!
Donators
or ron paul can use it as his transportation, everyone would know ron is coming!

[runderwo]

Blump!

Groan!

[Elijah]

Here is the Skyship we are prospecting from Airship Management Services. He is a Ron Paul fan and wants to help out!! $350,000 (or less) and we can have this baby for a month and up in the air by the TeaParty date. This Skyship is one of the largest blimps in the world and sports a bar and 2 porsche engines.http://airshipman.com/ourairships.htm


http://avhcorp.com/rpb/Low_Res_Interior_Looking_Aft-opt.jpg

http://avhcorp.com/rpb/Gondola-Children-opt.jpg

http://avhcorp.com/rpb/Blank-ship-in-Flight-opt.jpg

http://avhcorp.com/rpb/Airship-at-Floyd-Bennett-opt.jpg

http://avhcorp.com/rpb/Airship-at-Floyd-Bennett-024-opt.jpg

http://avhcorp.com/rpb/005_3-opt.jpg

[MRoCkEd]

Thanks elijah, you are a patriot

don't give up on it!

[itsnobody]

youtube anyone?

[Elijah]

I forgot to add that this is a Hotair Blimp/airship and can handle cold weather unlike the helium ones. It cannot handle bad weather ie. wind.

[MRoCkEd]

I forgot to add that this is a Hotair Blimp/airship and can handle cold weather unlike the helium ones. It cannot handle bad weather ie. wind.
even better
i cant wait to see this happen

[Elijah]

Oh I forgot to add that when the owner George called me he said, "I LOVE your website".

I cannot explain how enthusiastic he was to get this thing in the air for Ron Paul!!! I will try and get on Ron Paul Radio to translate the enthusiasm to all of you!! I told him I did not design it but he didn't care!! He wants to do this!!

[TechnoGuyRob]

BREAKING NEWS - I just got off the phone with Georgre Seyrou of Airship Management Services. He is a Greek British American and he is a PROUD American. He wants to help us achieve this. He loves Ron Paul and can work with us. They currently have a Skyship Airship on contract for the US Navy and that ends on December 1st. It then needs to return to their Headquarters in North Carolina.

He really wants to help out!! And can flex with pricing! He has Ron Pauls support and he is the President/Owner.

This is one of the largest Airships in the world and can seat 12 passengers.
If we get artwork ready and get moving quickly this has a chance of being in the air by TeaParty launch. This is the ONLY company that has been willing to do 1 month so far, I have talked with 3. He said the price normally doesn't include artwork but we will assume it does. He was very enthusiastic when he returned my call!! We will have the option to extend the contract if we need it further than a month.

So the total cost for EVERYTHING and this is still negotiable is 350K. This is one of the nicest blimps in the world, it has 2 porsche engines in it! The cost for this thing is nothing compared to what Ron Paul can raise in a day!

http://airshipman.com/ourairships.htm

We need some people to step up! Can we have some larger pledge options? 1k, 5k, 20K.

OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD

:D :D :D :D :D :D

[Matt]

This is amazing!

Would it possible to fly over the Super Bowl in this thing?

[Elijah]

This is amazing!

Would it possible to fly over the Super Bowl in this thing?

If the weather is good, YES! It has to travel there though! This one is nearly as big as a boeing 747 and it flys everywhere I guess. The price includes 100 flying hours a month. It would have to be strategically planned and agreed upon the route.

If we get this in the air there is no telling what the owner will push out of it though!

[McDermit]

Could you imagine loading it up with RP supporters? lol. AWESOME.

Does this thing do drops? It'd be awesome to drop the mosaic ads from it as it flies over a huge game or something.

[leonster]

If the weather is good, YES! It has to travel there though! This one is nearly as big as a boeing 747 and it flys everywhere I guess. The price includes 100 flying hours a month. It would have to be strategically planned and agreed upon the route.

If we get this in the air there is no telling what the owner will push out of it though!

I think it would be worth it to see what you can do, as far as more than 100 hours/month. If the owner is enthusiastic... maybe instead of a price cut, we could ask for more hours instead. 150? 200?

[leonster]

Also... why not have polls of supporters, for where it should go? Just an idea.

[T206]

If the weather is good, YES! It has to travel there though! This one is nearly as big as a boeing 747 and it flys everywhere I guess. The price includes 100 flying hours a month. It would have to be strategically planned and agreed upon the route.

If we get this in the air there is no telling what the owner will push out of it though!

Are you sure about that? Air space over the SuperBowl is usually about as tight as it can get. Super Bowl security in general is incredibly high.

[LFOD]

WoW.

This is one over the top idea. I love it!

I'm hoping the maxed out supporters can get behind this, or another big donor.

[happyphilter]

definantly more hours would be great

[Elijah]

Who has some big pockets to give this project a boost? If you have lots of money and want to spend it, you will go down in history with this publicity stunt, I guarantee it!!

This needs to get a move on if it is to be up by TeaParty07.com!

[T206]

In regards to flying over the SuperBowl:

http://www.officer.com/web/online/Homeland-Defense-and-Terror-News/Super-Bowl-Security-a-Massive-Effort/8$34716

On game day, Federal Aviation Administration flight restrictions for 10 miles around the stadium go into effect two hours before game time and end just before midnight.

So unless you have some impressive connections...you better make sure you dont get the thing shot out of the air. :)

[MRoCkEd]

thats okay, just fly 10 miles away

[Naraku]

Super Bowl day is still pretty significant whether it's during the game or not.

[deedles]

I'll have to set up a PAC so we can collect it all in one spot and then pay the blimp company.


I think you might need two PAC's....

Isn't the PAC limit 100,000?

[bp2519]

I love it! I'm in for 50

[Primbs]

We also need to contact that second personal blimp owner and see if he wants to join us. They are based in New England so they can make it to New Hampshire.

Now we have inspired our troops and volunteers.

[Elijah]

I just gave a plug for the blimp Live on Ron Paul Radio. Jason let me talk for a couple minutes!!

[cien750hp]

bump, lets get some donations to get this blimp in the air

[Benaiah]

that's awesome

[Elijah]

The max donation per individual in a PAC is $5,000 so we need to have a $500, $1000 and $5,000 option on the page as well!!

Who wants to set up a PAC?

[surf]

Super Bowl: 2 hours before kickoff: the pregame is at least 6 hours long.

[kutibah]

I made a pledge today but it's not showing on there?

[amga49]

This is a great idea! I'm gonna pledge to help make this happen.

[Elijah]

It has been Dugg! I vowed not to use Digg again but I guess I lied. ;)

Digg this up and get this widespread and viral! We just raised $200K+ today and if everyone gets how important this really is we can have the money raised in a few days!

http://www.digg.com/2008_us_elections/The_Ron_Paul_For_President_BLIMP

I was searching Google for "Ron Paul Blimp", it came up as the 3rd result!

[RonPaulStreetTeam]

Super Bowl: 2 hours before kickoff: the pregame is at least 6 hours long.

I'm pretty sure that airspace is regulated and nothing Ron Paul will be allowed.

I say like someone else said, get a Cesna and fly it around for months at this cost.

[DahuiHeeNalu]

amazing im down i wanna ride!

[jake]

imagine if this puppy flew over the Super Bowl? WOW.. i'm sure even the TV cameras would capture it!!

[wfd40]

This is so damn crazy, it just might work!!!

seriously though.. that blimp pic looks amazing. EPIC even

[Elijah]

I think that Jason from Ron Paul radio said that he thinks we could raise money real quick if we let people who make a certain donation be able to ride it!! What da ya say?

Everyone who donates $1,000 or $5,000 to the blimp can ride in it?? Great idea?

What do you guys think the amount should be to ride in the Blimp? If 60 people donated $5,000 donated they could all ride the blimp off and on and we would also have this paid for and then we can start the artwork contest? (Which would be like 24 hours long!)

[jake]

I think that Jason from Ron Paul radio said that he thinks we could raise money real quick if we let people who make a certain donation be able to ride it!! What da ya say?

Everyone who donates $1,000 or $5,000 to the blimp can ride in it?? Great idea?

What do you guys think the amount should be to ride in the Blimp? If 60 people donated $5,000 donated they could all ride the blimp off and on and we would also have this paid for and then we can start the artwork contest? (Which would be like 24 hours long!)

Yes, remember: you could also charge people to go on blimp rides to recoup the costs! (I assume, someone could rent the blimp as a temporary business, charge for flights, all the while advertising RON PAUL to the people)

this whole idea is just crazy, but big dreams change the world. right?

[jake]

llepard, got another 100K to drop? ;)

[Elijah]

Lawrence Lepard can only donate $5,000 to this PAC but I would think everyone would agree that he is guaranteed a spot on the blimp?

Do you agree?

[Elijah]

A guy at Ron Paul Radio chat suggested we do a raffle for everyone who donates any money at all? There will be some wild cards basically who get a day ticket! Just one flight on the Ron Paul Blimp and you would be written in history! And you could have that chance by just donating $25!!!

Great idea!

[HankXavier]

If I may...

I am new here, obviously this is my first post, but I had to join to contest this idea. I am so sorry that my first post has to be one poo-pooing this idea, but I really think that this idea is extraordinarily wasteful and indulgent. I think that it will divert a large amount of money away from the campaign where it will be effective. And it is my opinion, especially after todays call from HQ to amp up the donations ahead of Dec.16th, that all resources should be directed to the campaign directly and not be spent filling a extravagant idea with a bunch of hot air. (dry humor :confused:)

What happened to the thrift store patriots that this campaign was built on? We crack a few million and now everyone thinks we can start renting blimps? I'm sorry but the very idea is monstrously silly and painfully ironic in contrast to a campaign built on tight fiscal conservatism. And if you think people will make a big deal out of Edwards $400 haircut but let this one go, well... I don't think you have been paying attention to the kind of attention we've been getting lately.

You can reach a whole region with guerrilla marketing. Freeway blogging is and always has been among the most effective ideas we've had. It's cheep for us, reaches hundreds of thousands in a relatively short amount of time, and allows us to redirect the money we save to the campaign. It is also decentralized, allowing us to canvas different areas to get the best chance at full impact.

My vote on this one? Definitely thumbs down. I'm sorry my first post couldn't be more positive. But this idea is so horrible that I just had to say something right away.

Just my 2 cents, free to take or leave
-Hx

[HankXavier]

Ok, before I say anything else....

Will this blimp be featured at the Super Bowl? Did I not read enough of this thread?

If you are talking SuperBowl Blimp... well... I take back everything I said. That's an idea so big, not to try would be a lifelong regret. Someone clear this up for me...

:confused::confused::confused:

[Elijah]

Ok, before I say anything else....

Will this blimp be featured at the Super Bowl? Did I not read enough of this thread?

If you are talking SuperBowl Blimp... well... I take back everything I said. That's an idea so big, not to try would be a lifelong regret. Someone clear this up for me...

:confused::confused::confused:

Rather than speculate, I just emailed NFL and asked them.

[Elijah]

The only thing left here is to update the website with full details and get a PAC formed. Does anyone want to do this or can tell me how? I pm'ed the OP. Hopefully we will be in discussion tomorrow.

Once people see a legitimate offer (for rides) and a PAC they will take it seriously.

[Tarzan]

Rather than speculate, I just emailed NFL and asked them.

What if the airship (blimp) were donated to the NFL, NFL Films or the network carrying the game? Just a wild shot here... perhaps a negotiated "back door" might get the airspace opened.

So, the airship could be used for the official filming of the game... thus allowing it to be over the stadium during the entire superbowl???

Does the stadium have an enclosed top? If it is there is no point in the effort.

just a thought... regardless, I think the airship is a great idea

[Abobo]

This idea is made of 100% pure crazy.... and AWESOME!!

I signed up, if it gets off of the ground I'm in for at least a thousand. :D

[wisconsinite]

BUMP (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AqKIN7kA4w) :)

[qsecofr]

This is so ridiculous it just may work :D

[Birdlady]

What if the airship (blimp) were donated to the NFL, NFL Films or the network carrying the game? Just a wild shot here... perhaps a negotiated "back door" might get the airspace opened.

So, the airship could be used for the official filming of the game... thus allowing it to be over the stadium during the entire superbowl???

Does the stadium have an enclosed top? If it is there is no point in the effort.

just a thought... regardless, I think the airship is a great idea

Here is information on the stadium. It has a retractable roof, so it could be open or closed. Just depends what they would do.
http://www.azsuperbowl.com/new_stadium.aspx

[Tarzan]

I think I saw this mentioned earlier... sorry if this is a repeat...
The website does not appear to be incrementing pledges...
just fyi

[MRoCkEd]

yeah add more pledge amounts (500 and 1k at least)

[Tarzan]

If you are talking SuperBowl Blimp... well... I take back everything I said. That's an idea so big, not to try would be a lifelong regret.

Sure... the Superbowl would be a nice event and get lots of airtime. But, it is still just a single event. This idea is much bigger and a RP Blimp could make a HUGE impact even WITHOUT making the SB.

And, if the SB is not possible what about some major college bowl games? How about allowing a film crew aboard to cover the Rose Bowl Parade (that seems to last forever) and would get lots of air time. Or, with some good planning the RP blimp could be overhead at 2, 3 or 4 (perhaps 5) major bowl games. Do any of the states with early primaries have a team playing in a bowl game... hmmmm? Maybe the SB AND the college bowl games? College students and RP... hmmmm? Perhaps some coordinated events there? What if a stadium (or five) were to start chanting "Ron Paul, Ron Paul" at halftime when the blimp is overhead?

Maybe a military tie-in... how about an airshow where the Thunderbirds join the Ron Paul Airforce... the Black Knights skydive from the RP Blimp holding a RP Banner... film at 11 (and 6 and 7 and 9 and on the morning show). How bout we take the crew of several morning TV shows for a ride... or, they do part of the morning show while airborne? Maybe Oprah hosts her show from the RP blimp where she announces a change of her endorsement? What about whale watching with an environmental group off the CA, OR and WA coasts? What if a film crew goes along to create a special to be aired about campaigning using a blimp and crossing America? Maybe a BlimpCam? You get the idea.

There are certainly other big events which could be coordinated as well. I think this idea is MUCH bigger than the SB for our purposes. This thing could get TONS of attention and make huge gains for RP.

Have you ever seen the Goodyear blimp fly over? How everyone rushed outside to see it... how traffic stopped so they could get a better look... how the cameras came out to film (record) it and put it on YouTube... THIS COULD BE REALLY HUGE!!!

[wisconsinite]

I love this idea so much I'm gonna keep bumping the blimp.

[Ozwest]

This idea, is an example of thinking way outside of the square, and that's why I love it! Sure it's expensive, and brazen, but that's what grabs the attention, and free press. Only Ron Paul supporters could be so audacious!

[Philo-sophia]

Sorry - I don't have time to go through seven pages of comments about this. I'm going to present this in the RP groups on MySpace if enough information is provided.

I see that this is an idea that started in JUNE so how far has this come?

Where would the blimp fly over?

How many days does the big cost cover?

Additional information would be great if you have any.

Thanks -

Gina ~

[RonPaulCult]

This Must Happen. I'm Pretty Sure I Will Die If This Doesn't Happen!!!

[CelestialRender]

I'm in.

I checked $200+, but my actual donation would probably be $500, which would max out my c/c. It's a great idea, though.

[AlabamaWildMan]

....

[Elijah]

I am going to try and get in contact with the original poster so we can add details on the actual blimp and add $500, $1,000, and $5,000 pledges. $5,000 is the max a individual can contribute to a PAC.

I still want your input on how much we should have the gauranteed seat holders pledge.

Does $5,000 gaurantee you a spot?

I was also thinking that we can have 20 wild cards for people who donate anything at all, well at least $25.00. But the wild cards would be for 1 day only. The individuals who pledged $5,000 would get to split up time amongst the others for the month. Remember this seats 12 people.

In essence we would have at least 1 wild card on every flight!

We need to get official details up on the website. It would be nice if the counter updated this in real time.!

Oh yeah and please digg this!!

http://www.digg.com/2008_us_elections/The_Ron_Paul_For_President_BLIMP

[llamabread]

$350 grand is not all that much. We raised that in less than an hour on November 5th. This would generate just as much media attention as the 5th money bomb, and loads more local coverage in the places it is traveling. If it even gets mentioned on the Super Bowl broadcast, thats over 100 million people who just heard about Ron Paul.

And if you think that this will take money away from the campaign, you need to realize that the people who are donating to this are either maxed out, or can only donate $25. This has such a potential that I would go crazy if it didn't end up happening.

[Tarzan]

I still want your input on how much we should have the gauranteed seat holders pledge.

Does $5,000 gaurantee you a spot?

Yes... but there should be a limit just in case... in really fine print make it the first 200, subject to location, travel to ride site not included... all that legal junk.

I say don't go any lower for the "guaranteed" rides... let's let the guys with deep pockets get a chance to contribute. Everybody else gets a shot a the raffle.

he who has the gold rules ;-)
(for now at least)

[RonPaulCult]

we shouldn't promise anything until we know all of the details for sure. At the same time we should really get moving on this project. I am willing to make some phone calls if need be - please pm if you want my help.

[Primbs]

If we get the blimp for a month, won't there be plenty of seats available everyday?

[Jaykzo]

lol this is just crazy

Go for it guys. I'd help you out if I had the cash, I swear.

[Tarzan]

If we get the blimp for a month, won't there be plenty of seats available everyday?

Nope... I think there were 100 flight hours in the price. When you start figuring flight transit to different destinations... the time it take to load and unload passengers... flying actual "Ron Paul Missions"... the time begins to whittle away quickly.

This is a resource which will need some planning. The blimp people are probably already familiar with the time and could give some recommendations. It is a limited resource requiring some careful management... in fact, the suggestion of 200 may be too many. I was thinking that at each landing location the ship be loaded and passengers would fly the entire marketing missions scheduled with no further landings.
(the whole point is to win this thing for RP)

[llamabread]

I don't think rides are going to be possible unless under very special conditions. And anyway, we are donating to help Ron Paul win the election, not to get a ride in a blimp.

[Elijah]

I will call George and ask him what he thinks about the ticket idea.

We also need to reserve a spot for Lawrence Lepard whenever he wants one!!

If 60 people paid $5,000 we would have this thing paid for!! I will be emailing details to Trevor this evening and we will have full information posted on the official website soon. We will be offering for pledge amount boxes as well. There will be an option for $500, $1,000, $2,000 and $5,000 as well.


We need a PAC? Can someone assist with this?

[Elijah]

$350 grand is not all that much. We raised that in less than an hour on November 5th. This would generate just as much media attention as the 5th money bomb, and loads more local coverage in the places it is traveling. If it even gets mentioned on the Super Bowl broadcast, thats over 100 million people who just heard about Ron Paul.

And if you think that this will take money away from the campaign, you need to realize that the people who are donating to this are either maxed out, or can only donate $25. This has such a potential that I would go crazy if it didn't end up happening.


Very well said!!

[ronpaulblogsdotcom]

I have seen this blimp in Tokyo as a Fuji Blimp. For the Fuji film company. The porsche engines sound nice.

But this is slightly crazy. Not sure if it is brilliant or insane.

[Elijah]

We also have to consider Ron Paul and his staff in case they want to ride around in it!

[Jordan]

I wish the campaign would just put up $1.5Million and have one of these in every early primary state. 200 hours in the air in every state would help his name recognition leaps and bounds. His antiwar approach would earn him plenty of new votes and atleast $300k per blimp in donations.

[tsopranos]

We also have to consider Ron Paul and his staff in case they want to ride around in it!

Umm, you're joking right.

[Tarzan]

I wish the campaign would just put up $1.5Million and have one of these in every early primary state.

YES!!! AMEN!!! ABSOLUTELY!!!
Then, we as the foot soldiers would have an easier opportunity to tell the whole story and continue with other campaigns (billboards, door hangers, RP Parties, personal interaction, etc.) to win the votes and delegates needed.

[wisconsinite]

blimp bump

[ashevillejerry]

I'll have to set up a PAC.

Definitely! Even if the FEC regs might be something we could challenge on 1st Amendment grounds, working within the regs is a strategy I would support. A few people putting in $10 here and there to a small ChipIn might not ever be a problem, but whenever we are doing something significant we should follow the regs.

Yours in Liberty,

Jerry
RonPaulMax.com (http://www.ronpaulmax.com)

[Primbs]

In politics one has to take chances and be bold. We could easily spend one million on TV commercials that will get lost in all the clutter of all the other political commercials.

We must be daring and audacious.

[LFOD]

Blimps are symbols of corporate might. They're huge, expensive, and they float over your head, projecting their image miles in every direction. A Ron Paul blimp would be a declicious takeover of that symbolism. I think it would be stunning to anyone who saw it.

[anotherone]

At first I thought this was nuts, but now I think this is one of the best ideas ever.

I pledged $50, but I'll probably put more in.

[withallmyheart]

Fly it New Year's Day along the Rose Bowl Parade route and then later at the game.

[adpierce]

At first I thought this was nuts, but now I think this is one of the best ideas ever.

I pledged $50, but I'll probably put more in.

Ditto, it is kind of nuts but it's the kind of nuts that makes headlines. Plus I think everybody thinks blimps are cool. It's a air balloon that you can drive around. Who wouldn't want to park one of those in their backyard? Something I just thought of (maybe because it's late) but if we ever want to get real commuter air travel to happen I bet blimps are the safest way to do it. The hindenburg blew up because it used an explosive gas for lift. It was dumb. We can use non-flammable gas. If this post seems like it's just rambling on that's because it is. It's late, but Blimps are definitely sweet.

[Ginobili]

Bump. We need more donators btw, i just gave 25! (im poor, and have no job >_>)

[KCIndy]

Elijah - I know you're getting swamped with messages right now, but please consider stressing this one point in regard to the pledging:

No one actually pays anything until the whole amount is "pledged" for, correct?

In other words, people aren't paying anything now - they're just committing to the idea that "I'll pay $xxx dollars *IF* the pledging guarantees the total amount needed.

I get the sense that some people are worried they'll be "giving" to a project that might not happen... This might be holding some people back.


It's a great idea, one that I would love to see happen. I'm in for $200.

[Man from La Mancha]

I too thought this was crazy, but the size of this 12 person ship at 197 ft should stand out quite good and the media attention it could generate nation wide could pay for itself and maybe even charging a slight fee for covering football games. But how can this ship help for the 1st 2 primaries since it's so cold?


.

[KCIndy]

For those of you who are skeptical about the blimp idea, please consider this:

Blimps are rare enough that they are real attention grabbers. Ever been in a car with kids when a blimp is visible out the window?? :) Just like hot air balloons or parachutists, a blimp is the sort of thing that draws the eye.

A billboard, or even a dozen billboards, might flash past in the wink of an eye and not garner a second look. An airship is visible from a much greater distance, and will remain the focus of attention for a much longer time.

One example: Other posters were talking about the super bowl in Arizona. It's true that there's a 10-mile aviation limit. BUT... have you ever been to Phoenix? The city is in a large, flat, open area. Stuff in the sky is visible for MILES in any direction... and think of the traffic that's going to be going to the Super Bowl! Talk about a captive audience - I-10, the 110 Loop and I-17 will probably be backed up and moving at a crawl.... "Hey, kids - quit arguing and look at that blimp!" :)

In smaller markets, the arrival of an airship might well end up getting a blurb on the evening news... "No, you weren't imaging things if you thought you saw a blimp in the skies here in Lansing, Michigan today. It's touring cross country as a part of the Ron Paul presidential campaign..."

Heck, this might be one of the most effective campaign advertising tools the country has ever seen.

[KCIndy]

I too thought this was crazy, but the size of this 12 person ship at 197 ft should stand out quite good and the media attention it could generate nation wide could pay for itself and maybe even charging a slight fee for covering football games. But how can this ship help for the 1st 2 primaries since it's so cold?



It was mentioned in an earlier post that it does quite well in cold air. It's just high winds that are a problem.

[Jordan]

For those of you who are skeptical about the blimp idea, please consider this:

Blimps are rare enough that they are real attention grabbers. Ever been in a car with kids when a blimp is visible out the window?? :) Just like hot air balloons or parachutists, a blimp is the sort of thing that draws the eye.

A billboard, or even a dozen billboards, might flash past in the wink of an eye and not garner a second look. An airship is visible from a much greater distance, and will remain the focus of attention for a much longer time.

One example: Other posters were talking about the super bowl in Arizona. It's true that there's a 10-mile aviation limit. BUT... have you ever been to Phoenix? The city is in a large, flat, open area. Stuff in the sky is visible for MILES in any direction... and think of the traffic that's going to be going to the Super Bowl! Talk about a captive audience - I-10, the 110 Loop and I-17 will probably be backed up and moving at a crawl.... "Hey, kids - quit arguing and look at that blimp!" :)

In smaller markets, the arrival of an airship might well end up getting a blurb on the evening news... "No, you weren't imaging things if you thought you saw a blimp in the skies here in Lansing, Michigan today. It's touring cross country as a part of the Ron Paul presidential campaign..."

Heck, this might be one of the most effective campaign advertising tools the country has ever seen.

Great post. $1.5M from the campaign to put one in each of the early primary states would be the best advertising they've done so far.

[Elijah]

I've got loads more information and complete details worked up now. The pledge donation amount boxes will increase and the information should be live within the next 48 hours depending on Trevor's thanksgiving plans. We will have all the details from the three companies posted so you can see the research I have done and not have to search through 14 pages of chatter!!

The donate this much and get a ticket plus the raffle will get many many more pledges. It was just a bit shocking for some people just like some peoples views on Ron Paul are but once they think about it for a bit it all makes sense, just like Ron Paul!!

We are also going to try and update it much more frequently.

Once we get this one up we will get one for the west coast!

Thanks for all of your support in getting this off the ground! I see some negatives but WAY MORE positives!!

Count down to the real Blimp fund raiser starts now!

This is gonna be somethin' Viral!!

[Man from La Mancha]

Here are some stuff interesting on air ship advertising.

Compare that with a recent survey asking about giant airships (blimps). An amazing 75% of those surveyed recalled seeing the ship and a full 60% of them could identify the company using it.

Can aerial advertising with a blimp really be that much more effective than traditional forms of advertising? Well, ask yourself these questions: What is the last newspaper ad you saw? The last TV commercial you can recall? The last billboard you passed on the highway? The last blimp you saw flying in the sky? Could you answer them all?

Even if you could, now ask yourself this: how long ago did you see or hear them? Chances are your answers for TV, print, and billboard range from a few minutes or hours, to a few days ago and you still had trouble remembering them.
The last time you saw a blimp may have been months or even years ago, but you probably remember where you saw it and what it said. That, in a nutshell, is advertising effectiveness!

Advertising Value
Research reveals that statistics on the aerial effectiveness of blimps in quite impressive. Here are just a few examples:

1. In 1984, Fuji Film drove their market share from 7 % to 22% in only a 2-month period as a result of their aerial advertising campaign covering the 1984 Olympic games in Los Angeles. The campaign was so successful that Fuji is still using BLIMP advertising today - 20 years later!

2. In 1992, Kraft increased its sales by 87% in Germany alone during the Kraft Blimp promotion tour.

3. Studies indicate that in a typical city of about 1 million people, during a 5-day flight period, 65% recall the message presented on the airship.

With that kind of success rate the obvious question is: Why isn't everyone using airship advertising?

The even more obvious answer is: COST



.

[Elijah]

Here are some stuff interesting on air ship advertising.

Compare that with a recent survey asking about giant airships (blimps). An amazing 75% of those surveyed recalled seeing the ship and a full 60% of them could identify the company using it.

Can aerial advertising with a blimp really be that much more effective than traditional forms of advertising? Well, ask yourself these questions: What is the last newspaper ad you saw? The last TV commercial you can recall? The last billboard you passed on the highway? The last blimp you saw flying in the sky? Could you answer them all?

Even if you could, now ask yourself this: how long ago did you see or hear them? Chances are your answers for TV, print, and billboard range from a few minutes or hours, to a few days ago and you still had trouble remembering them.
The last time you saw a blimp may have been months or even years ago, but you probably remember where you saw it and what it said. That, in a nutshell, is advertising effectiveness!

Advertising Value
Research reveals that statistics on the aerial effectiveness of blimps in quite impressive. Here are just a few examples:

1. In 1984, Fuji Film drove their market share from 7 % to 22% in only a 2-month period as a result of their aerial advertising campaign covering the 1984 Olympic games in Los Angeles. The campaign was so successful that Fuji is still using BLIMP advertising today - 20 years later!

2. In 1992, Kraft increased its sales by 87% in Germany alone during the Kraft Blimp promotion tour.

3. Studies indicate that in a typical city of about 1 million people, during a 5-day flight period, 65% recall the message presented on the airship.

With that kind of success rate the obvious question is: Why isn't everyone using airship advertising?

The even more obvious answer is: COST



.

Thanks for those stats!!

Here is a poll for the new ticket model.
http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?t=40249

Please vote yes or no on the proposed ticket model. I believe it to be super fair for all of those who don't have deep pockets to get a fair chance at a ticket!!

[Elijah]

What if the airship (blimp) were donated to the NFL, NFL Films or the network carrying the game? Just a wild shot here... perhaps a negotiated "back door" might get the airspace opened.

So, the airship could be used for the official filming of the game... thus allowing it to be over the stadium during the entire superbowl???

Does the stadium have an enclosed top? If it is there is no point in the effort.

just a thought... regardless, I think the airship is a great idea

I like this idea a lot!! It is set up to have broadcast quality cameras on it. http://www.airshipoperations.com/AOI%20page%208.htm


Skyships have provided television coverage of some of the world's preeminent sporting events, including the Olympics, SuperBowl, World Series, the Daytona 500 and PGA Tournaments, to name a few.

[Elijah]

I just read through this thread again and must say I am smiling with glee!

I also want to make a few corrections for the record. This blimp does not use hot air like I said. I had that confused with another blimp. Therefore it cannot be deflated and transported easily and must fly everywhere.

I also said it has a bar. I am fairly certain it has a "beverage center" and I think George said a bar but I cannot confirm that in any online literature.

Another thing I learned is.


What happens if someone shoots at the airship ?
Because the airship is filled with such a huge volume of gas (about 250,000 cubic feet) and under very low pressure, gas will only leak out at a very slow rate.

The British Ministry of Defense fired many hundreds of bullets into an airship envelope during tests in 1994. It still took many hours to deflate and land.

[Elijah]

Ok one last post before every thing is updated tomorrow.

The raffle will be webcast live, and we will hand write all donators on paper and perform the drawing "live" to ensure there is no fraud. This will set an example for our upcoming elections :)!

[wisconsinite]

I think the blimp will generate a lot of local news coverage where ever it goes. I know that if a blimp ever flew over my hometown it'd make the front page of the local paper.

Now that Michigan's primary is on for the 15th of Jan., it might be worth considering flying over Detroit and some other urban areas there.

[Elijah]

Here is are videos of the Skyship!!

http://www.airshipoperations.com/AOI%20page%2014.htm

[llamabread]

Do we have a timeframe for when donations need to be in so that we can have the blimp up and running before teaparty07, or the early primary states?

[Mithridates]

One other interesting thing about blimps is that people are prone to taking videos of them to put on YouTube, just because they're cool. Here's a video somebody took of a blimp over their house:

http://es.youtube.com/watch?v=YA4H55Ph9VI&feature=related

So imagine that with the RonPaul blimp in its place.

There's also the possibility of flying it over rallies as well during the month. Before the rally starts give people the address and directions, but if you get a little lost 'just drive towards the RonPaul blimp'. Sounds nice.

[Elijah]

Do we have a timeframe for when donations need to be in so that we can have the blimp up and running before teaparty07, or the early primary states?

Yes, today.

The blimp will be reserved until the end of this month.

[Jordan]

Blimp!

[Primbs]

How does Fred Thompson and others get corporate jets to haul them around for free? Is there a loophole for campaign contributions?

We might be able to sell a small advertisements on the side or sell sponsorships for the ground crews.

[sunghoko]

very innovative and different and the media likes different. I think they will eat this up.

FAA establishes a temporary flight restriction for the superbowl 2 hours before and 1 hour after the event. Miami last year they had a 10 mile ring surrounding the stadium.

[Man from La Mancha]

One big question, 100 hours is not very much time to get for that price there are 10 hrs a day of daylight. 300 hrs per month. And any bad weather and travel time could eat up all 100 hrs.


.

[Primbs]

Which blimp company is it?

This one has the video screen.
http://www.lightships.com/BLIMPFlyer.pdf

The Dean people looked at a blimp also.

[Matt Collins]

A blimp is A BAD IDEA!!!



Here is why:
http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?t=40432






.

[NewEnd]

After reading the details, I think this is a great idea.

can't donate though, sorry.

:)

those 13 seats could cost $2000 a ride too.

Ask anyone in the world, what company advertises on Blimps, they will have an answer.

It wil be great for name recognition.

[gunjin22]

Hope we can raise 300k

[Elijah]

I just got off the phone with George the blimp owner and he said we can have the blimp in Boston by December 15th!!!!!

[Jordan]

I just got off the phone with George the blimp owner and he said we can have the blimp in Boston by December 15th!!!!!

That would be awesome.

The blimp could pay for itself in donations. Sell rides for $2000 a seat like NewEnd suggested.

[Naraku]

Wait when they talk about a month, does that mean like December or does it mean 30 days?

If it means 30 days then it would be great to have December 15th be the first appearance and then send it around after that, get it in New York City on New Year's Eve and send it out over Iowa, New Hampshire, and Michigan during or the day before their primaries/caucuses.

[Midnight77]

Like I said, we MUST have Ron Paul in Boston on the 16th, have his supporters participate in a Boston Tea Party Re-enactment, and have the blimp circulating the city preferably on the 15th, if not the 16th.

Combined with the Money Bomb, this will be HUGE. We've got to make this happen.

[Elijah]

We have until the 30th to raise the money in order to get the banners printed and the blimp in Boston by the 15th.

LETS DO THIS!!!!

[RonPaulFanInGA]

Make sure to fly the blimp over New Hampshire if possible.

[Matt Collins]

[ Admin Note - off-topic post removed. ]

[Ozwest]

Matt, with all due respect, if people think this is a worthwhile cause, why not step aside, and start a project that you feel is more worthy.

[Alabama Supporter]

I'm in. Heck, somebody bought an ad for 85,000 in USA Today. If we flew this thing over Iowa, NH, and SC it would bring his name recognition WAY up.

[robert4rp08]

awesome. count me in

[Midnight77]

Matt, with all due respect, if people think this is a worthwhile cause, why not step aside, and start a project that you feel is more worthy.

Agreed.

Imagine this blimp flying over Boston for the weekend of the Tea Party with Paul in town, New Hampshire and Iowa, and even New York City on New Year's Eve. Awesome coverage.

[Corydoras]

You know, I WAS going to say that a blimp is a bad idea and a waste of money. I live near a stadium and I see blimps all the freakin' time. I WAS going to say bo-ring.

Then I realized that I remembered the brand that was on the last one I saw.

[Ozwest]

How good would it make you feel, and how much media coverage would be generated, if children from an orphanage were given rides in the Ron Paul Blimp?

[smartbandwidth]

I made a personal pledge to support this project and then sent this email to say thanks:

Dear Sirs:

INCREDIBLE!!

You are definitely taking Ron Paul's campaign to higher ground!!

I host a internet/satellite/radio show on Republic Broadcasting Network Mon-Wed-Friday from 9-10 am Central. Please reply by phone or email to confirm if you can come on next Wednesday or Friday to share this great inspirtation!

We posted this news on our blog here:

http://thefreedomfellowship.blogspot.com/2007/11/ron-paul-blimp-not-just-funhilarious.html

The tollfree number for the show is 800-313-9443.

Thanks so much!!

Peace and God Bless,

Fred Smart
The Freedom Fellowship
312-602-2568 w
847-878-8090 c

[smartbandwidth]

The energy and spirit behind Freedom and Liberty can definily make this idea "fly!"

[yaz]

This is a great Idea.

[adpierce]

How good would it make you feel, and how much media coverage would be generated, if children from an orphanage were given rides in the Ron Paul Blimp?

Honestly if we could get some saint of a man or woman to willingly let us use their blimp full time with minimal costs... just maintenance, pilot costs, and fuel that would be a dream come true. I bet we could keep it going all the time. We could do things like this orphanage idea, the donor idea, and all sorts of things. If we could get tangible proof that this idea will be able to get off the ground (pun intended) I seriously doubt anybody once we start putting in the air will think it's a bad idea. (That is depending we can show it can be done and get media attention for our beloved candidate)

[sharedvoice]

I think this would be a great idea and fun!

[Man from La Mancha]

35,000 people x $10/m = blimp flying till Ron is elected.



http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/9435/blackwsmallyh7.gif (teaparty07.com)

[Man from La Mancha]

I think this would be a great idea and fun!Thanks for the support. I got a question for you, that avatar you have had you been drinking?:D


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[BrianH]

This is a good idea I'll spread this around

[Midnight77]

35,000 people x $10/m = blimp flying till Ron is elected.



http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/9435/blackwsmallyh7.gif (teaparty07.com)

There's no reason why we can't get 30,000 people to donate $10 for this. I wonder if Trevor can send this out to everyone asking for $10 from the Tea Party address list?

[Man from La Mancha]

There's no reason why we can't get 30,000 people to donate $10 for this. I wonder if Trevor can send this out to everyone asking for $10 from the Tea Party address list?Man you just suggested the most awful thing imaginable:p, using a sacred email list for nefarious reasons. Although it would help generate more money for the bomb. But a few people go ballistic if they get some extra email and haven't figured how to block it or worse yet how to move their finger 2 inches to delete it.:D

.

[StephanieRelfe]

If you get the money in time?

Please?

[Man from La Mancha]

If you get the money in time?

Please?
WElCOME aboard and glad you responded. Yes it has been said that they can do it. Imagine dumping tea bags out of the blimb over Boston:D


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[BeFranklin]

I made a personal pledge to support this project and then sent this email to say thanks:

Dear Sirs:

INCREDIBLE!!

You are definitely taking Ron Paul's campaign to higher ground!!

I host a internet/satellite/radio show on Republic Broadcasting Network Mon-Wed-Friday from 9-10 am Central. Please reply by phone or email to confirm if you can come on next Wednesday or Friday to share this great inspirtation!

We posted this news on our blog here:

http://thefreedomfellowship.blogspot.com/2007/11/ron-paul-blimp-not-just-funhilarious.html

The tollfree number for the show is 800-313-9443.

Thanks so much!!

Peace and God Bless,

Fred Smart
The Freedom Fellowship
312-602-2568 w
847-878-8090 c

Pledged too.

[StephanieRelfe]

The NH Primary is Jan 22.

The Tea Party is Dec 16.

What dates are you thinking of if you have it for one month? Something like Dec 14 (to get to Boston) to Jan 14?

If so, how much would it cost to keep it for just one more week so we have it during the primaries?

[Man from La Mancha]

The NH Primary is Jan 22.

The Tea Party is Dec 16.

What dates are you thinking of if you have it for one month? Something like Dec 14 (to get to Boston) to Jan 14?

If so, how much would it cost to keep it for just one more week so we have it during the primaries?
My hunch is once it is up and people know of it that it will be no problem to get enough money in small donations from many people to keep it till Nov 2008.

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[StephanieRelfe]

So what is the very earliest that it could be up in the air if you got the money this week?

PLEASE post the earliest date on the website.

If people think it can get to NH, they will pledge more.

Also, please be strictly truthful on the website. On the question, "Do I get to fly on it?" please remove "yes" and just explain about the lottery. There is no guarantee they will fly if they donate $25.

Can you also please add a contact link on the website?

Count us in for $50.

Plus I'll put a link on my collection of favorite Ron Paul videos and website at
http://www.relfe.com/07/ron_paul_videos_information_tips.html

People LOVE blimps!

[StephanieRelfe]

It's part of the background.

Please post it on the website as a separte image so others can copy it.

And please email me a copy of the image to

Health, Wealth & Happiness
http://www.relfe.com

Thank you!
Stephanie

[Sarge]

A few of thoughts to consider on giving rides.

Someone should verify adequate liability limits with the blimp owner.
Make sure all are aware this is not connected to the campaign.

Someone mentioned hour rides. This is an airship and unlike a smaller craft could eat up an hour just with take off and landing. Crew might have to secure the airship with above normal wind. Finding adequate landing space near where the blimp is wanted to be seen might be a problem.

[Man from La Mancha]

So what is the very earliest that it could be up in the air if you got the money this week?

PLEASE post the earliest date on the website.

If people think it can get to NH, they will pledge more.

Also, please be strictly truthful on the website. On the question, "Do I get to fly on it?" please remove "yes" and just explain about the lottery. There is no guarantee they will fly if they donate $25.

Can you also please add a contact link on the website?

Count us in for $50.

Plus I'll put a link on my collection of favorite Ron Paul videos and website at
http://www.relfe.com/07/ron_paul_videos_information_tips.html

People LOVE blimps!The large donors of like $5000 will get a ride if they want to, everybody else wil be in a lottery for a chance at a seat. Personally I like to see the seats go to media and children that win write about how you can help Ron Paul win contests in each city the blimp visits. What picture are you talking about. Any on this site can be copied easily.

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[StephanieRelfe]

It may be best to lower the number of rides big time.

It is VERY, VERY,VERY important that you don't promise things to people and then be unable to deliver.

And it is essential to just keep it up in the air as long as possible!!!!

I suggest scrapping the raffle altogether.

Just have some kind of very flexible suggestion that there may be rides available.

[StephanieRelfe]

So that no one else gets the idea and does it first!!!!!!!!!!

[Tarzan]

http://ronpaulideas.com/images/blimpstadiumair1.jpg

[gang]

When you build a PAC, we Germans are once again not allowed to donate, right?

[Elijah]

When you build a PAC, we Germans are once again not allowed to donate, right?


Please go to www.RonPaulMax.com and look on the right for foreign nationals. You are allowed to contribute to a "apolitical" cause.

[cien750hp]

i'd suggest adding a $2500 pledge box.
going from 1000 to 5000 is just a little too big :)

[Elijah]

So that no one else gets the idea and does it first!!!!!!!!!!

We have addressed this and the owner guaranteed us till the 30th to raise the money. I have addressed this issue.

Thanks for bringing it up though. It is a scary thought.

Rest assured that it will be highly unlikely for anyone to get a blimp in the air as fast as us, especially one of the largest in the world. We will hopefully have this in Boston by the 15th of December.

Companies also never rent out blimps for 1 month at a time, usually a 3-12 month contract. And if it were to be rented for 1 month it would cost $500,000 versus $350,000. The owner supports us in our mission and has been very very accommodating to us.

[Ozwest]

When you build a PAC, we Germans are once again not allowed to donate, right?

Use your imagination, or PM me when Homeland Security has gone to bed.

[Midnight77]

Man you just suggested the most awful thing imaginable:p, using a sacred email list for nefarious reasons. Although it would help generate more money for the bomb. But a few people go ballistic if they get some extra email and haven't figured how to block it or worse yet how to move their finger 2 inches to delete it.:D

.

I know. Heaven forbid, right? If these subscribers can't spare $10 for this, then I'm sorry ... they are cheapskates. $10 measly dollars. That takes a lot of the weight off us who have already donated hundreds or thousands to this campaign. If everyone would just pitch in and donate $10, we'll be in good shape.

Trevor even set up the site for the blimp, if I'm not mistaken. Didn't he?

Certainly everyone can pitch in $10 and make this happen.

[Elijah]

How good would it make you feel, and how much media coverage would be generated, if children from an orphanage were given rides in the Ron Paul Blimp?

Great!! We will try to incorporate stuff like this!

[Ozwest]

Blimps are... Blimps.

[Elijah]

The NH Primary is Jan 22.

The Tea Party is Dec 16.

What dates are you thinking of if you have it for one month? Something like Dec 14 (to get to Boston) to Jan 14?

If so, how much would it cost to keep it for just one more week so we have it during the primaries?

This will either gain a lot of support or it won't. If it goes well we will keep it until inauguration day.

[Elijah]

My hunch is once it is up and people know of it that it will be no problem to get enough money in small donations from many people to keep it till Nov 2008.

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Posted prior to reading this. Yes exactly!!

[Elijah]

i'd suggest adding a $2500 pledge box.
going from 1000 to 5000 is just a little too big :)

Done!

[llamabread]

When we reach $350,000, will you be setting up a PAC, do you already have one set up, etc.

I guess I just want to know what the plans are for after the donation goal is reached.

[Elijah]

When we reach $350,000, will you be setting up a PAC, do you already have one set up, etc.

I guess I just want to know what the plans are for after the donation goal is reached.

Details will be released soon. After legal counsel we found that a PAC is a FEC legal nightmare.

[michaelwise]

Look we raised 4.3 million in a day. 15,000 $20 donations should not be a problem. 1/2 day blimp money bomb should do it. I'm in.

[stefans]

updated to 60000$
http://www.ronpaulblimp.com/

[OptionsTrader]

updated to 60000$
http://www.ronpaulblimp.com/

Nearly half of that is 5 pledges of $5k. That is pretty awesome assuming they will actually donate that much to this.

Impressive!

[kotetu]

If I were to donate to this, I would want an itinerary - where is it going and when? It should do flyovers of every major sporting event that month, anywhere in the important primary states where there are a lot of people gathered at one time.

Are there legal requirements for that? Does the pilot need to secure a permit to fly over a stadium, etc?

[stefans]

If I were to donate to this, I would want an itinerary - where is it going and when? It should do flyovers of every major sporting event that month, anywhere in the important primary states where there are a lot of people gathered at one time.

Are there legal requirements for that? Does the pilot need to secure a permit to fly over a stadium, etc?

since those things are mostly used for advertising(look at the companies website) I guess that's taken care of.
and most of the posts here agree that there's no point in traveling from new hampshire to nevada just because both have early primaries ;-)

[TechnoGuyRob]

Can the blimp fly from New York (New Year's) to Iowa in 2 days (January 3rd)?

[Drknows]

Can the blimp fly from New York (New Year's) to Iowa in 2 days (January 3rd)?

I think that would be impossible. It only goes 35 - 50 mph, 70 mph (if it picks up a good breeze).

I guess it wont have to deal with traffic and curvy roads. so maybe


I still think doing the blimp thing is a long shot.

[RonPaulFanInGA]

Why not New York (flying a Ron Paul blimp over NYC is sure to get a huge amount of media attention) to New Hampshire instead?

[Elijah]

If I were to donate to this, I would want an itinerary - where is it going and when? It should do flyovers of every major sporting event that month, anywhere in the important primary states where there are a lot of people gathered at one time.

Are there legal requirements for that? Does the pilot need to secure a permit to fly over a stadium, etc?


We are working very hard on this day and night. We will have an itinerary up soon as well. We are going to try and hit as many sporting events as possible including nightime football games. The blimp will be lit up with search lights on it!

Also giving seats to orphaned kids and that sort will be a very gratifying and "feel good" objective while also generating massive Press.

[Elijah]

Can the blimp fly from New York (New Year's) to Iowa in 2 days (January 3rd)?

The blimp can travel about 200-300 miles a day.

[FunkBuddha]

I don't mean to be paranoid, but the donations seem to be going up pretty fast. Do we have any way of knowing whether or not the pledges are fakes?

[RonPaulFanInGA]

I don't mean to be paranoid, but the donations seem to be going up pretty fast. Do we have any way of knowing whether or not the pledges are fakes?

I'm not sure if there really is a sure-fire way to know. The thing was at something like 13,000+ last I looked and now it's over 60,000 dollars. If this can somehow happen before the tea party on December 16th, it would be amazing.

[Elijah]

I don't mean to be paranoid, but the donations seem to be going up pretty fast. Do we have any way of knowing whether or not the pledges are fakes?

Good observation and we will have to take this into consideration as a possibility.

[GuyInALogCabin]

Couldn't we do this with mylar balloons with cards attached written with Sharpie markers? It would be cheaper and cover a lot more ground. One blimp can only be in one place at one time. Tons of balloons released from various locations across the country would end up reaching more people. We used to do that sort of thing in grade school and it works.

[Perry]

I will donate to the blimp only if the captain commits to running off anyone flying a biplane with a Huckabee banner.

[Texan4RP]

I'm in $25.00

[wisconsinite]

See my post in the other thread about NFL games in striking distance of key primary states (NH and SC)

http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?t=40677&page=24

[Man from La Mancha]

Some else had the same idea but it didn't get off the ground as far as I know.


Fantasy Island
"Da Blimp, Da Blimp"

A few of you might have caught my recent comments posted on the O-blog about a Dean 2004 Blimp. Call me kooky but I think it's a good idea given that we need cost effective ways to engage in a national campaign. What do yo think? Imagine this flying over LA traffic for a week, the Superbowl, Nascar or Kentucky Derby. We could get some great photos of crowds at Dean rallys too :) The Dean Blimp
UPDATE 11.10.03, Added an online poll, pics, more links and news. Thanks goes out to DeanCore and DeanNation for featuring this front and center!
Doctored photo, looks like a Blockbuster blimp
http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/4277/deanblimped3.jpg

[GuyInALogCabin]

I think the balloon idea is more practical. It would work better if we had more of them released from west of the Mississippi river. I don't want to exclude the east coast or make a joke of this but the weather patterns have to be considered.

[OptionsTrader]

If you start a thread for promoting balloons, I promise not to come there and post, like some do here, "BALLOONS ARE A BAD IDEA, LET ME LECTURE YOU AS TO WHY!!!"

LOL...

[Elijah]

If you start a thread for promoting balloons, I promise not to come there and post, like some do here, "BALLOONS ARE A BAD IDEA, LET ME LECTURE YOU AS TO WHY!!!"

LOL...


Now that is good!!! Made me laugh pretty hard!

[TwiStEr]

cant donate to the official campaign .. Im in on this one ... pledged!

[Tarzan]

http://ronpaulideas.com/images/airshipbostona.jpg

[promagma]

http://ronpaulideas.com/images/airshipbostona.jpg

Can we do a red swoosh? That is really cool.
Also I would see how it looks with Ron Paul in red, and a blue swoosh. Remember, the sky is blue and white.

[Allan Bartlett]

I love the idea

[Tarzan]

Can we do a red swoosh? That is really cool.
Also I would see how it looks with Ron Paul in red, and a blue swoosh. Remember, the sky is blue and white.

The design is still very open... the red swoosh is based on having the Blimp use the decal option from the airship company. Again, nothing is finalized. What we need RIGHT NOW is enough pledges to make the blimp a reality.

YES... the red swoosh is a possibility. Regarding the colors, red against a white background does not hold up well for distance viewing... a combination of atmospherics and the way our eyes work. Dark Blue and Light Gold actually work best but don't fit the campaign colors. So, navy blue against white was chosen as it makes RPs name more visible at longer distances. The color combinations shown were based on the options available and the time to get them done. The entire Blimp CAN be painted... but we would lose too much time. Color is certainly important... for the purposes of viewing at a distance CONTRAST is a major consideration.

Again, no design has been selected or finalized. The suggestion uses the constraints of timing and options from the airship company, plus the best use of campaign colors and visibility... with the words "Ron Paul" being the most important part of the message.

If you have your own idea please show it for consideration!!!

[llamabread]

Tarzan's idea looks great. Do you know what the smaller words were? Or are you just using placeholders until more finalized smaller words comes along?

EDIT- After examining it, I'm see that the second line is "For President", and then the website and telephone number. Maybe you could add the "Let Freedom Fly" or some other tagline.

[Tarzan]

http://ronpaulideas.com/images/blimpdecal.jpg

[Tarzan]

Make your own design... I have created two templates (one vector, one bitmap) so you can more readily create your own design submission. You can download them here:

Vector Based .AI File (26 KB) (http://ronpaulideas.com/Files/BlimpTemplate.ai)

Bitmap Based .PSD File (275 KB) (http://ronpaulideas.com/Files/BlimpTemplate.psd)

Some Tips:
1. The fins and gondola need to remain white for time constraints
2. Don't place wording too high. Remember the Blimp is rounded and you will want the words to be visible.
3. Use only solid colors. The decals and banners cannot reproduce a full color image such as a picture.
4. Avoid total coverage. This works well for a full paint job but we will be limited to a banner or decals due to time constraints.

That's about it... have at it and let's see what you create!!!

[Chibioz]

I'm partial to the revolution blimp design, I think it captures the creativity and uniqueness of the blimp well, but I can't wait to see other designs too. The blimp seems like a better and better idea every day.

[LFOD]

RonPaul2008.com should be HUGE - the easier to read the better.

[Bakkhus]

I think this a great idea, but I would reconsider the giving rides to orphans thing, as that is such a patently manipulative gesture to play on people's emotions (the equivalent of the old-time politician kissing babies) that it could backfire and detract from the message. If you want to do something for kids, I'd suggest having an essay contest for students on the meaning of freedom or liberty and let the kids with winning entries ride the blimp. That kind of thing I think would fit in better with Dr. Paul's message.

[TechnoGuyRob]

I think this a great idea, but I would reconsider the giving rides to orphans thing, as that is such a patently manipulative gesture to play on people's emotions (the equivalent of the old-time politician kissing babies) that it could backfire and detract from the message. If you want to do something for kids, I'd suggest having an essay contest for students on the meaning of freedom or liberty and let the kids with winning entries ride the blimp. That kind of thing I think would fit in better with Dr. Paul's message.

Seconded.

Welcome to the forums. :)

[NinjaPirate]

If this becomes a reality, RP's face needs to be plastered on that thing.

[jabbott0]

New York City:

http://monogon.org/gfx/blimp2.jpg

San Francisco:

http://monogon.org/gfx/blimp3.jpg

New York City Retro:

http://monogon.org/gfx/blimp4.jpg

[richk]

I think this a great idea, but I would reconsider the giving rides to orphans thing, as that is such a patently manipulative gesture to play on people's emotions (the equivalent of the old-time politician kissing babies) that it could backfire and detract from the message. If you want to do something for kids, I'd suggest having an essay contest for students on the meaning of freedom or liberty and let the kids with winning entries ride the blimp. That kind of thing I think would fit in better with Dr. Paul's message.

Good post. I don't like the orphan angle either.

[StephanieRelfe]

Please may we have a "Unique selling proposition".

I really, really like the "Peace, Prosperity, Freedom" in the images.

Hardly any candidates every say WHY anyone should vote for them.

Let's be different.

Stephanie

[llamabread]

I liked the "Let Freedom Fly" idea.

[OptionsTrader]

Please may we have a "Unique selling proposition".

I really, really like the "Peace, Prosperity, Freedom" in the images.

Hardly any candidates every say WHY anyone should vote for them.

Let's be different.

Stephanie

I also love those three words associated with a Ron Paul picture.

[Cali4RonPaul]

Im in I signed up for $25.00

I hope those $5,000 donations are real, If not they are doing a disservice because people will think our goal has been achieved when it hasnt.

[terlinguatx]

...

[noztnac]

How about

Flying for Freedom

[noztnac]

We could encourage the Jackass guys to bungie jump from it. Shore up the MTV crowd.