White's Ferry Files for Dirigible Transportation Permit

The owners of White's Ferry filed an application with the Federal Aviation Administration today for approval to provide dirigible passenger and vehicle transportation from their land on the Maryland side of the Potomac River to a field they leased on the west side of Rockland Farm in Loudon County, Virginia.

White's Ferry used to take hundreds of passengers every day across the Potomac River by barge, but abruptly shut down in December 2020 over disputes and lawsuits related to landing access on the Virginia side, which is owned by Rockland Farm.

Chuck and Stacy Kuhn, who bought the White's Ferry in February 2021, say their new plan relies on a pair of refurbished rigid airships, known as dirigibles, the couple purchased last year from German firm Luftschiffbau Zeppelin GmbH.

White's pair of Graf Zeppelin D-LZ 130s are inflated with hydrogen which provides significantly more lift and payload capacity than their modern helium-filled counterparts. Each of White's zeppelins has a usable payload of 15,000 kg (33,000 lb), sufficient for 10-12 vehicles and their passengers, which is "about how many cars the river ferry held," dirigible pilot Max Pruss III told The Montgonion.

White's Ferry Dirigibles applied to operate from 5:00 am to 9:00 pm seven days a week, with both of its zeppelins conducting service during peak traffic hours.

A spokesperson for Rockland Farm said they would submit a protest to FAA, and any encroachment of the farm's airspace will be met with legal action.

FAA is expected to act on the White's Ferry Dirigibles application by July.