A complete satellite linked communications center will constitute a vital feature of the air yacht design – useful for navigational, business, and, of course, entertainment purposes. In short, because of its unique status as the sole representative of a whole class of lighter-than-air craft, the first air yacht may find itself in demand from a number of sources. The owner would have to determine the ones to which he might give consideration.

And lastly, it should be noted that with the launching of this spectacular aircraft, an enormous amount of publicity will occur regarding every aspect of the project. Simply to view a large airship from the ground is an unforgettable experience. The owner will be able to capitalise on such publicity in numerous ways such as promoting other projects, assisting public programs, or dealing with clients and individuals of prominence. Furthermore, since the air yacht is capable of travelling globally, this publicity will be on a worldwide scale, a genuine international phenomenon!

This section should close, fittingly, with a discussion of operational safety. All that has been said so far has clearly presupposed a high degree of safety in order to be a viable concept. Fortunately, the modern helium-inflated airship possesses inherent safety entirely comparable to that of the surface ship, in marked contrast to the statistical safety of heavier-than-air machines. It is to be remembered that the airship floats in its own medium – it is indeed a lighter-than-air craft. The rigid airship is compartmented in the manner of a large surface vessel. With its seventeen separate gas cells, accidental deflation of one or even several cells would not cause the hull to lose its buoyancy. Past accidents to large airships have resulted from two factors: the fire hazard of hydrogen gas or some major structural flaw. Neither of these need ever again be present in the airship of tomorrow. Flying in the air yacht will be as safe as cruising in the Trump Princess.

Cost
Opposing the appeal of any enterprise must be placed its costs. What would be the financial aspects of building and operating the only rigid airship in existence? The last such airship built in the U.S.A. in 1933 -- the U.S.S. Macon (with a nominal volume of 6.5 million cubic feet) -- cost $2.6 million ($0.40 per cubic foot.) The proposed aircraft with a volume of 3.75 million cubic feet, on the basis of a unit cost of $10 per cubic foot (twenty-five times the earlier figure) should cost some $37.5 million. An additional $3 million would be required for furnishing and equipping the air yacht. The cost of a mooring mast of the type projected would be approximately $2 million. Simpler ground-type masts could be erected for substantially less than this. Operating expenses should be in the neighbourhood of $3.3 thousand per day or about $1.2 million per year. Large as this combined total of over $40 million appears, it is quite possiblyjustifiable on the basis of publicity value alone. Also considered must be its future commercial potentialities, which are undoubtedly substantial. If such is the case, the $40 million investment can be regarded as quite modest. In fact, the 3.75 million cubic foot air yacht can be pictured as the necessary precursor to a giant 12 million cubic foot class of passenger/cargo airships which could initiate profitable service over intercontinental routes at speeds in excess of 100 knots. On the promise of potential performance, the construction of the Leisure Airship would appear to be one of technology's greatest bargains.

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