No matter how good the view from your office window may be, chances are it is not as good as the view that Mark Finney enjoys.

As the chief pilot of the only blimp in the Southern Hemisphere, his job is to fly over some of the most beautiful landscapes Australia has to offer.

Originally from Nottinghamshire in the UK, Mr Finney has flown blimps for 15 years all over the world.

After all that time in the air he said he still loved the job.

Chief pilot Mark Finney at work high in the sky. ( Supplied: Katie Lansdale )

"The view from the ship is amazing," he said.

"I do the flying for free. I just charge for all the administration work I have to do," he said.

Based at Camden airport in Sydney, the blimp is almost 40 metres long and capable of staying in the air for nine hours.

Also known as a dirigible, these kind of aircraft have been flying since the mid-1800s.

Helium fills the non-rigid body with enough gas for more than 130,000 party balloons, while two small engines provide thrust and steering.

A bird's-eye view of the Sydney Opera House. ( Supplied: Mark Finney )

Despite the leisurely pace that blimps seem to fly at when viewed from the ground, Mr Finney said the ships were very manoeuvrable and faster than they appeared.

"When the air is still we can do about 40 knots [74kph] flat out, but normally we cruise at around 25 knots [46kph]."

Unlike modern planes and helicopters, the technology on board a blimp is fairly rudimentary, requiring a pilot to be in control of every aspect and decision.

"It's flying by the seat of the pants. There is no autopilot at all. It's all visual flying," Mr Finney said.

The familiar Bondi beach as seen from 1,000 feet. ( Supplied: Mark Finney )

Blimps are very much a "fair-weather" aircraft, with careful attention paid to the conditions before a ship is allowed to be launched.

Even with careful planning and thorough attention on weather, as the day progresses the handling characteristics of the blimp can change dramatically.

"In the morning it's like a magic carpet ride, in the afternoon it can be more like a rollercoaster ride," Mr Finney said.

Blimps are often used as camera platforms for sporting coverage, and Mr Finney has had a bird's-eye view of some of the biggest events in the world such as horse races, cricket, baseball and football, as well as the Sydney and London Olympics.

Among all of those events though, he said that the Sydney to Hobart yacht race was the one he was most impressed with from his prime position in the sky.

"The Sydney to Hobart race is special. The amount of boats on the harbour and the people on the heads just looks amazing."