Those tired of invasive security measures and rushing to different terminals may want a slightly slower mode of travel. Perhaps you travelers would like something with a little less of the screaming of jet engines and a little more float. We forget that air travel hasn’t always been tearing through the sky. Hot air balloons and the brief reign of the zeppelin made air travel all about the gentle drift and one point. Well, according to Tiago Barros, it is time to hearken back to that time of travel.

The Passing Cloud is a project that focuses on the experience of traveling. Given the strict protocol and rush of air travel today, it’s difficult to find a single person that still enjoys the experience of it. Travel is a means to an end, when it can be exciting or fun or even relaxing on its own. Rather than speed through, Barros wants passengers to float through, preferably on a cloud. His design is made of a series of spherical balloons which houses a stainless steel structure enrobed in heavy weight tensile nylon fabric. It forms something similar to a zeppelin, but has the wonder and beauty of a cloud.

 

There is no set arrival time or destination in Barros’ world of travel. The Passing Cloud is meant to follow the wind rather than go against it, sparing its passengers the rush of noise and giving them the sensation of floating along. While that might just be too laid back for some, the experience alone could be a draw for many others. Because the Passing Cloud does not require the sheer fuel, material, tracks, or concrete roads other methods of transportation require it could even be a more environmentally friendly way to travel. Barros even surmises that his ideal method of travel would save passengers money and cost less than many others.

To see more about the concept, visit his website here.