GESELLSCHAFT ZUR ENTWICKLUNG UND FÖRDERUNG AEROSTATISCHER FLUGSYSTEME GmbH (Aerostatic Flight Systems Development and Promotion Company)
GEFA-Flug was established 1975 to operate advertising and passenger-carrying hot-air ballons; has R&D department to develop airships for manned and unmanned civil and environmental research applications such as aerial photogrammetry and pollution monitoring.
Company currently operates more than six hot-air ballons, hot-air airships and a number of remotely controlled aerostats, and has sold about 100 systems (mostly unmanned and remotely controlled) worldwide. Its 27th hot-air airship was sold in late 2002. Fleet includes three AS 105GD hot-air airships, including one four-seater; production of this model continues. Future market seen as survey projects for environmental research; GEFA-Flug also developing scientific measuring equipment in partnership with German Mining Technology, a partly government-funded body.