Every great company has a rich and interesting history. BASI is pleased to share with you the highlights of our business from the formation of the initial partnership agreement to present day.
2011
- Barry and Dale meet to discuss forming Buoyant Airships Systems International (BASI) to build a cargo airship.
- Dale confirmed he would relocate to Winnipeg, Manitoba to build a research facility and begin the airship company.
- BASI incorporates.
- Search for a suitable location to set up a hangar to build the airship.
- Several sites were investigated with St. Andrews, Manitoba Airport, CYAV ultimately being chosen.
- Disassembled, moved and reassembled Dale’s hangar from Wiarton, ON to St. Andrews, MB.
- Storm blew out the ends of the hangar after assembly was completed.
- Acquire Aeros 40B advertising blimp from the U.S., seek airship pilot’s licence.
Hanger Going Up
2012
- Install engineered hangar doors on the BASI research hangar at CYAV.
- Complete fabrication of MB-80 blimp and first inflation at the University of Manitoba Atrium.
- Purchase of hot air balloon and beginning of pilot training in Alberta as per direction of Transport Canada to fly airships.
- First cold air inflation of MB-80 in the research hangar
2013
- Beginning of design work and prototypes of Orbo – drone geophysical survey platform.
- Acquisition of 65-foot radio-controlled blimp, renamed MB-65
2014
- Solar system installed at BASI research hangar.
- Research work with Hudbay Minerals airborne Geophysical Surveying.
- Designed, built and patented work on unmanned Orbo design.
2015
- First helium inflation of the MB-80 in the hangar at CYAV.
2016
- Hot air balloon pilot’s licence obtained by Dale George.
- Undertook cold weather testing with MB-80 airship using helium and hydrogen gases.
- Loss of research hanger, MB-80 and all equipment in violent summer storm.
- Clearing of the site and liquidation of salvageable assets from the research hangar.
2017
- Begin design of 30-ton lift, Canadian Airship and the Buoyant Aircraft Rotating Terminal (BART) and complete preliminary CAD drawings.
- Testing and development of BASI gas cells.
- Completion of the BASI Cargo Transportation System.
- Open the BASI Research workshop in Ontario to develop gas cells.
- Travel to Brazil to showcase the BASI gas cells to Airships Do Brazil (ADB).
- Travel to France to meet Varialift, Euro Airships and Flying Whales. Varialift agrees that BASI would build gas cells for future study.
2018
- Development of the BOM and identification of supply chain members.
- Memorandum of Understanding signed with ADB.
- Build scale Diorama of the BART and BASI Rigid Airship design.
- Won the "People’s Choice" Award at the CanInfra Challenge for “Electric Airship Transportation System”.
2019
- Testing of hydrogen safe gas cells and design refinements.
- Aviation Innovations Conference in Toronto – Airships to the Arctic.
- Travel to France to meet with Flying Whales to showcase the BASI gas cells.
2020
- Development efforts have been slowed by Covid-19
- Gas Cell research and development continues
- Other projects underway with updates to come in 2021!
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