Scouting Balloon

Scouting Balloon
The Scouting Balloon is a special zeppelin/blimp-type "plane" that cannot be bought by players, and is seen solely in the employ of the Pirate Faction. It is a bright green hot air balloon, with a blue ring around the balloon and a blue diamond on the top. The fins are presumably somehow related to the craft's propulsion or maneuvering.

Rumoured to be part of a bizarre hazing ritual for new pirates, these utterly unmaneuverable and very poorly protected balloons are little more than floating targets, even for those Skyrates who are truly ineffectual in a fight. The Scouting Balloon possesses a single Small Turret mount with very limited arc range, which is frequently fitted with a machinegun. Whilst individually they are of little threat, their turrets a bit more threatening with flaks (or howitzers if one has a high Silhouette plane)

Oddly, the Scouting Balloon can perform all known maneuvers like Loop and Wingover. Like the other zeppelin/blimp-type aircraft, it's sprite does not "deform" when turning or maneuvering like the fixed-wing aircraft, so watching it slide from side to side or do a sudden flip around as part of a maneuver can be a touch disconcerting... or amusing, once you realise what's happening.