But aeroplanes normally still create lift when they're burning, fabric covered gas bags do not - as is proven with the tragic picture above. Those ducted fan cars, tiltrotors and the Tarantula-Hawk UAS have similar issues when things go wrong - the Isaac Newton theory takes hold pretty soon after at 9.8 ms2.
My admiration for the blimp pilot goes out though, he sounds like a very brave man indeed.
LJ