Flight Report: Aloft in a Zeppelin Airship

 

Ferdinand von Zeppelin was a pioneering German aeronaut who founded the Zeppelin Airship company before World War I. An engineer, entrepreneur, and innovator, Zeppelin believed that dirigibles -- gas-filled airships built around a rigid aluminum frame -- were destined to dominate the future of aviation.  And for a time they did: Zeppelin dirigbles were used for military operations and commercial air transport until the late 1930s, when the most famous Zeppelin of all, the Hindenburg, burst into flames while attempting to land in Lakehurst, New Jersey. Oh the humanity!

After the Hindenburg debacle, Zeppelins largely disappeared from the skies... until recently, when the Zeppelin Company was reconstituted to begin building rigid-framed airships for use by sightseeing tour operators.  Last weekend, the first US-based Zeppelin arrived at it's new home in the San Francisco Bay Area, and yesterday Telstar Logistics was invited to go for a quick test flight.

Operated by a startup called Airship Ventures, the Zeppelin NT will be based out of Moffett Field, Calfornia -- a fitting home, as Moffett was built by the US Navy during the 1920s to serve as a base for military dirigibles.

The new Zeppelins are filled with the inert helium instead of highly flammable hydrogen, they're only about one-quarter the size of than the old giants, and they're equipped with modern technology and avionics. Power is delivered by three Lycoming engines that put out around 200 horsepower each, and the airship frame is constructed from a combination of of aluminum and carbon fiber.

Boarding an airship is not at all like boarding a conventional aircraft, because an airship doesn't sit still; it tends to bob and sway as the wind blows the big balloon around. As a result, climbing on board the Zeppelin is a bit like stepping from a stable dock onto a boat that's rocking on a gentle sea.

Once inside, however, the cabin feels like a cross between a tourist bus, a commuter jet, and the observation deck of your favorite skyscraper.  The seats for the 12 passengers are thin but comfortable, there's a small lavatory, and the rear of the cabin is dominated by a huge panoramic window equipped with a cozy padded bench called "the loveseat."  Takeoff felt effortless.  The engines buzzed gently, and then, without much of a sense of thrust or acceleration, we began rising into the air.

The cabin is airy, spacious, and surprisingly quiet, so it's easy to forget that you're in an aircraft at all. Once aloft, the most essential aspect of an airship's sightseeing appeal soon became obvious: slowness.  Even when in motion, the Zeppelin NT felt like it was hovering, so taking in the sights was very relaxing — especially from the big rear window near the loveseat. How's this for a view?

Landing was much the same -- a graceful cruise to a lower altitude that was pretty much elevator-like in its smoothness.

Indeed, for regular passengers, the most jarring aspect of the experience may well be the price: Airship Ventures will charge $536 per passenger per hour of flight. That's steep, to be sure, but on an hourly basis the fee is comparable to that of conventional helicopter tours. Plus you get the added satisfaction of being able to brag to your friends that you've flown on a Zeppelin.

If you can't swing it, however, we took lots of photos so you can at least get a taste of travel by airship. It's the wave of the future, you know...

LINK:

Aloft in a Zeppelin (Flickr photoset by Telstar Logistics)

Airship Ventures (Company website)

PREVIOUSLY:

The Fight to Save Hangar One, Silicon Valley's Monument to the Age of the Airships

(IMAGES: All photos by Telstar Logistics)

Comments

[chromal]

For a dirigible, it sure looks like a blimp.

[marr]

Hindenburg, not Hindenberg...

[Telstar Logistics]

Fixed! Thank you, Marr

[Christopher Boffoli]

Great piece, Todd! Can't wait to go out and fly it. One note, the prevailing opinion of modern science is that the Hindenburg disaster was catalyzed by the aluminum oxides used in the skin of the craft and not the hydrogen. If you look at the newsreels you can clearly see lots of fire. But hydrogen flames are nearly invisible.

[Frederich Von Zeppelin]

NEIN FUHRER!!!

[Dan Fardella]

I've been trying to get a job with AIRSHIP VENTURES since I read about their plans a few years ago. I'd PAY THEM to be part of a team like that. Thirteen resumes later not even a "card" that says "good luck in all your future endeavors..." The problem is, I'm supposed to be a marketing "expert".

Dan F, Long Island