Private company
American Blimp Corporation
US airship manufacturer
American Blimp Corporation (ABC) is an American privately owned company that is the largest manufacturer of blimps in the United States. It is based in Hillsboro, Oregon, and it manufactures the hardware and rigging for the Lightship and Spector brands of airships. In 2012, the American Blimp Corporation and The Lightship Group were acquired by Van Wagner Communications LLC, and became referred to as the Van Wagner Airship Group.2 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0
Last updated Oct 21, 2026.
Overview
- HeadquartersHillsboro1
- Websitewww.americanblimp.com
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American Blimp Corporation (ABC) is an American privately owned company that is the largest manufacturer of blimps in the United States. It is based in Hillsboro, Oregon, and it manufactures the hardware and rigging for the Lightship and Spector brands of airships. In 2012, the American Blimp Corporation and The Lightship Group were acquired by Van Wagner Communications LLC, and became referred to as the Van Wagner Airship Group. On November 17, 2017, the Florida-based AirSign Inc. purchased the American Blimp Corporation and the Van Wagner Airship Group. In addition to getting 15 airships in the acquisition, AirSign also purchased the A-170 airship (MZ-3A) from the U.S. Navy. With ownership and management of Van Wagner's global airship operations, AirSign became the world's largest airship company.2
Products and brands
Models
ABC was founded in 1987 by James Thiele. The company's lightships (proprietary blimps) are the A-60 and A-60+, as well as the A-150 and A-170. The website says, "There are more A-60+ airships flying in commercial service than those of all other manufacturers combined."
In 1995, it launched the Spector series, with a gondola capable of nine passengers plus the pilot.
In 1999, American Blimp Company purchased Simply Blimps, the world's largest manufacturer and distributor of remote controlled arena blimps for $US 95MM.
The blimps feature internal lights and translucent envelopes for the advertising and sales promotion markets. The airship's envelopes are manufactured by ILC Dover's Lighter than air division based in Frederica, Delaware.
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Oregon facilities
Its Hillsboro location has a 2,300-square-metre (25,000 sq ft) facility and leased space in the former US Navy airship hangar at Tillamook, Oregon. There are 45 employees in Oregon.
Aircraft
American Blimp A-170
American Blimp MZ-3
Conan blimp
DIRECTV blimp
From Wikipedia’s article on American Blimp Corporation, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.3
Timeline
- 1987Founded Founded1
Links
- Websitewww.americanblimp.com1
- WikipediaAmerican Blimp Corporation
- More imagesWikimedia Commons
- WikidataQ262334
Sources
The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.
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