An airship recovery system is disclosed including a first cushion pad configured to create a suction force on an outer portion of the airship to capture the airship during landing. An arm is coupled to the first cushion pad and movable between at least two different vertical positions. In an embodiment the air is movable in multiple degrees of freedom. An actuator device is coupled to move the arm. A sensor device is incorporated to detect the location of the airship relative to the recovery system. A controller is utilized to receive signals from the sensor device regarding the location of the airship and output command signals to the actuator to move the arm and the first cushion pad toward a desired contact location on the airship.