Akron’s Airdock Fuels Next-Generation Airships: LTA’s Pathfinder 1 and the Future of Sustainable Flight

Imagine a hospital suspended in the sky or a smooth, low-altitude glide over a national park — concepts LTA Research’s Akron team is actively developing. Mountain View, California–based LTA has established the Akron Airdock as a primary center for testing, research and development, with local scientists, mechanics and students playing leading roles.

CEO Brett Crozier highlighted how University of Akron talent and regional expertise contributed to the recent success of Pathfinder 1, the company’s proof-of-concept rigid airship that flew this fall over San Francisco Bay landmarks such as the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz. Pathfinder 1 is the first rigid airship to fly in nearly 90 years and is central to LTA’s plans to deliver humanitarian aid and transport cargo and passengers.

Five years ago LTA hired a University of Akron student to address the challenge of monitoring helium containment cells used in the ship. An Akron-based lead mechanic assembled and tested the swivel levers for thrust-vectoring motors and the in-cabin throttle controls. Crozier emphasized that Akron employees now populate every facet of the engineering, operations and support teams.

The Akron Airdock — a cavernous hangar 1,175 feet long and 211 feet tall — continues to serve as a hub for lighter-than-air innovation. Crozier described it as a modern-day 'cathedral of innovation' that preserves a legacy of aviation and materials science in the region. LTA maintains partnerships with the University of Akron and has ties to Goodyear, tapping a deep local tradition of manufacturing and aerospace expertise.

Why airships — and why Akron?

Crozier, a former U.S. Navy aviator who joined LTA in 2024 after a 30-year military career and executive roles in nonprofit and private sectors, framed airships as a sustainability opportunity. 'Buoyancy is free lift,' he said, contrasting airships with helicopters and airplanes that require continuous fuel to stay aloft. With modern carbon-fiber materials, fly-by-wire control systems and electric propulsion, airships can become an environmentally attractive option for certain missions.

'Hire brilliant people, give them clear objectives and resources, then get out of their way,' Crozier said. 'Create a culture where safety is paramount, questions are encouraged and failure is seen as learning.'

When asked about conserving helium, Crozier explained that a large portion of LTA’s engineering and manufacturing time is devoted to designing helium cells that minimize leakage and preserve this finite resource.

Technologically, LTA stresses how modern materials and control systems differentiate today’s designs from those of the 1930s. He compared the evolution to 'a Model T versus a Tesla' — Pathfinder 1’s aerospace-grade carbon-fiber mainframe, geodesic load-distributing framework and fly-by-wire systems give it capabilities unavailable to earlier rigid airships.

Crozier also shared a memorable early moment in Akron history for the company: in July 2018, the team covertly towed a small prototype down Exchange Street at night to the University of Akron football field, escorted by police, in order to test it privately.

Looking ahead, Crozier said LTA chose Akron not only for its history but for its skilled workforce and institutional memory. 'This city has a century of manufacturing experience and a workforce that knows how to build things that fly,' he said. With local partnerships, focused engineering on helium retention and modern materials and controls, LTA aims to advance sustainable aviation using lighter-than-air platforms.