In fact, if you put a scale under the inflated blimp, it would weigh only about 50 pounds. There's a small challenge to be surmounted, however. To compensate, there are two air sacs called ballonets inside the envelope, at the front and back. The Eagle cruises at 35 mph and has a maximum speed of 50 mph. It normally flies at a height of between 1,000 and 1,500 feet.
Severe headwinds can slow the blimp almost to a standstill, however.
It took us 12 hours to go the 200 miles from Texarkana to Dallas. The blimp normally carries 132 gallons of aviation fuel, good for about 13 hours of flying. But if necessary, it can carry two auxiliary tanks, for 294 gallons total, good for 24 to 25 hours in the air. The blimp always lands directly into the wind because it is so susceptible to the influence of side winds.