23 January 2013

LTA : MAKE IT WORK , MAKE IT PAY : A Financial Conference on Lighter-than Air Ventures


LTA --- GRIST FOR THE BLOG MILL ---  FINANCIAL CONFERENCES

This is a radical expansion and re-write of our previous BLOG of 23 January 2013 : The additional material is, if not priceless (too much to ask for) --- at least, we believe---  greatly value enhancing,
 
We don't know how many interested souls this will reach. That said, we would like to thank you all for your comments, and go on record --- reflecting a previous role as organizer and manager of university conferences during time in academia --- with the following thoughts to ponder :

The wisdom that comes from maturity (a nice term for aging), now suggests that a conference on the subject of lighter-than-air craft --- NOT the mechanics, NOT the history, and NOT negatives such as the cause of one-time 75-year-old disasters ---  but rather, as someone suggested recently, How to Make it Work : Follow the Money .

We believe that, given the financially-oriented structure of our civilization, it struck us that a national, or even international, conference bringing together manufacturers and operators of LTA equipment with interested investors and financial advisors in a forum entitled something like "LTA : Make it Work, Make it Pay" might be successful and beneficial to both cohorts.

Despite prevailing economic conditions, there's a good deal of capital available, as very few investors are willing to put their money out at the 0.5 % Return on Investment that we were quoted recently by our bank; investors may be interested in opportunities in the airship field, but find that airship manufacturers don't talk their language. In any case, it couldn't hurt to attempt the matchmaking.

We envision airship designers, manufacturers, and purveyors, both big and small, be given the opportunity to talk about and demonstrate their efforts and successes to venture capitalists and those financial groups who instruct and assist small companies in Private Placements under Section 504 of the SEC Regulations or, indeed, even full-bore Initial Public Offerings (IPO's) .
 
Let's say we choose a large open venue --- perhaps near an operating under-utilized airport (NOT an O'Hare or a Kennedy International) --- conveniently located near indoor exhibition space, perhaps close to a University with an engineering department that might wish to participate and an academic structure that encouraged the interchange of ideas. LTA airship demonstrations, forums providing sound financial advice, and even vending of airship-oriented accessories and supplies, it might warrant the effort.
 
Also present would be representatives of C.P.A. firms with an interest in New Business Development and small start-ups AND, especially, small firms engaged in the design and manufacture of remote sensing devices . So many small businessmen engaged in the LTA field think only about ferrying tourists around for a fee, in the tradition of the great Zeppelins of the past. Yet the two neglected areas of remote sensors and , possibly, cargo (freight) transportation might prove to be the two most financially rewarding aspects of the airship business, that turn failure into success.

We'd also encourage knowledgeable advisors to be available to analyze current Business Models and Business Plans --- two very distinct species of financial animal --- and to recommend beneficial changes to new businesses. We know of one recent case where  --- no matter how many trips the airship took, no matter how many tourist passengers booked hour-long sight-seeing passage --- the design of the tour and the income-expense math could not possibly succeed in earning any sort of a Return On Investment for the venture . Sadly, the business closed permanently and the airship had to be returned to the manufacturer.
 
Analogy ? Picture a taxicab business in New York City that advertised it would take you anywhere in New York State for $ 1.00 ; they would be doomed to lose money on every trip and a successful passenger load might actually represent a heavy drain on cash flow. One cannot remain in existence very long with that massive financial drain .

We would also like to see experts in marketing (much more than merely advertising) --- especially those well-versed in the new Social Media --- teach the airship owners about the myriad new ways that currently exist to get their airship venture known by potential public customers .

Those financial analyses and that up-to-date business advice from professionals would be the core of this conference, and I believe that it would be beneficial to airship entrepreneurs, investors, and the continued use of airships in continuing, profitable business ventures.

We also believe that the financial design of this project suggests that renting the use of airships, OR using the lease-purchase approach as automobile dealers have done, would be an interesting and useful addition to the program. Airship purveyors should realize that not many people can comfortably write a check for the entire price of an automobile ... OR in this case, an airship --- and that lease-purchase plans could be something for them to consider making available to entrepreneurs.

In order to minimize the effects of bad weather, we would plan a conference of that sort be held in the halcyon season of incredibly fine weather upon which one can depend that occurs regularly and predictably here on the Gulf Coast of Florida (Greater Tampa Bay) between --- roughly --- Thanksgiving and Easter. [Recent Canadian visitor : "Wow, it's beautiful down here. every day, perfect blue sky, no rain, no storms ! But tell me, what's Winter like down here ?"  Our response : "This is Winter down here" ]

Supplementary events featuring sophisticated remotely-operated large-scale miniature airships , for example, a one-fourth full size drone up to 30 foot long, capable of being equipped with a broad range of Remote Sensors that extend its function and practicability far beyond merely a hobby or a toy.

This event might not be the magnitude of the Super Bowl, but we imagine that it would attract a substantial number of people in the fields of airships and finance, together with a large controlled-access public audience that would provide a basis for viral publicity by the Mainstream Media, and would justify the effort.
 
Airship families could attend and, either see the program OR wander off to the beaches (finest in the world) or the many resort and theme park attractions within an hour or so.

We'd like to see many small airship businesses succeed under a variety of business arrangements. Knowledge is Power .

Whatcha think ? Please give us your thoughts by eMail at HNILS@MSN.COM We will read and reply to anything even remotely sincere.

HybridPelta

Palmetto-Ellenton Lighter-Than-Air Airships, Large and Small                                       
Harold Nils Pelta                                                     HNILS@msn.com

P O Box 208
Ellenton, FL 34222

REVIEWING PROGRAM POSSIBILITIES :

Discussion of design and construction concepts

Public offerings (IPO's)

Private Placements under §504 of the SEC Regulations

Remote sensing                                       

Power options --- Internal Combustion , Electricity, Fuel Cell,         other Fuel Options   
                                                                                                  Applications in a huge variety of fields, practical, research,                      and academic  
Marketing your LTA Airship Business --- Have you tried the new Social Media ?
Business Models, Business Plans - Constructing a Blueprint                                                                             for Success ?          
The Federal Aviation Administration --- Role and Restriction 

"Gee, I Never Thought of That" sessions     

COYOTE  Sessions (Call Off Your Old Tired Excuses OR                                               How to Respond to Naysayers)

Examining Instruction and Curricular Requirements for Flying LTA Airships ?  Do we still need to insist on new airship pilots learning to fly hot-air balloons first --- Isn't it rather like Motor Vehicle Agencies insisting you learn How to ride a horse, THEN How to drive a horse-drawn carriage BEFORE you even get into an automobile for your first driving lesson ? 

Are the new, exciting remotely-controlled Mini-Airships classified as model airplanes? ... OR as Drones?  OR as scientific instruments?  i... OR analogous to ROV's  (Robot submarines) ? OR ?????

Doesn't the banishment of pilots from the cockpit to a remote location remove the last barrier to the use of Hydrogen as fuel ? "It Won't Burn, But If It Does, No Harm Done, Just Collect The Insurance"

Oh, Right, The Insurance ! An important resource to have                 available.  
... and much more !     
Hybrid-Hal Pelta

Harold Nils Pelta
P O Box 208
Ellenton, FL 34222                                   
HNILS@msn.com

 

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