90 Years Ago Today: LZ-126 leaves Germany to become U.S.S. Los Angeles
90 years ago today, LZ-126 left Friedrichshafen, Germany to fly across the Atlantic and begin its new life in the United States Navy. The construction of LZ-126 saved the…
Airships Blog
Anniversary of the Hindenburg “Millionaires Flight”
golThe “Millionaires Flight” of the Hindenburg was a 10-1/2 hour cruise over New England on October 9, 1936, for 72 wealthy and influential passengers. The guests were invited…
British Airship R.101 Crashes, Killing 48 – This Day in 1930
On October 5, 1930, the British airship R.101 crashed on a hill in Beauvais, France. The impact was gentle and survivable but the ship was…
Crash of U.S. Navy Dirigible “Shenandoah”: September 3, 1925
On September 3, 1925, the U.S. Navy airship U.S.S. Shenandoah (ZR-1), crashed in Ohio, killing fourteen members of the crew. Shenandoah: A specialized but weak design…
Werner Franz, last surviving Hindenburg crew member, has died
Werner Franz, the last surviving crew member of the airship LZ-129 Hindenburg, died on August 13, 2014, at the age of 92. The sole living…
L.A. Smog and Near Disaster for the Graf Zeppelin; 85 years ago today
I am very grateful to Lynne Kirste of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for passing along this restored high-definition footage of LZ-127 Graf Zeppelin taken…
New Airship Novel: “Wings of Fury”
Wings of Fury is a newly-published suspense novel set on an zeppelin-type airship. Written by R. N. Vick, a pilot and flight instructor from Montana, it…
Guest Post: The Dr. Eckener Rose
This is a guest post by Airships.net reader Dagmara Lizlovs While researching biographical information on Hugo Eckener I came upon a website with information on a…
Happy Birthday, Hugo Eckener
Today is the birthday of the great Hugo Eckener, born on August 10, 1868, in the city of Flensburg. Happy Birthday, Dr. Eckener.
Anniversary of Graf Zeppelin’s Around-the-World Flight
On this day in 1929, LZ-127 Graf Zeppelin left Lakehurst, New Jersey on its historic flight around the world. Lakehurst – Friedrichshafen August 7, 1929…
Today in History: The crash of LZ-4 and the Miracle at Echterdingen
Today is the anniversary of the crash of LZ-4 on August 5, 1908. The crash could have been the end of the zeppelin dream, but…
Joyeuse Fête Nationale: French Airships
In honor of le 14 juillet, here is a brief review of early French airships. Giffard Steam Powered Airship In 1852, Jules-Henri Giffard built a 144-foot hydrogen…
Anniversary of the First Round-Trip Flight Across the Atlantic
On this day in 1919, the British airship R34 completed the first round-trip crossing of the Atlantic ocean by air. Westbound Crossing R34’s flight from…
Today is the Birthday of Graf Zeppelin the Man & Graf Zeppelin the Airship
Today is the birthday of both Graf Zeppelin the man and Graf Zeppelin the airship. Ferdinand Adolf August Heinrich Graf von Zeppelin — better known in English…
Today in History: The First Westbound Flight Across the Atlantic
On this day in 1919, the British airship R34 completed the first westbound fight across the Atlantic in history. Because of the prevailing westerly winds,…
Happy Independence Day, America
Today is the Birthday of the Zeppelin
The first zeppelin airship to take to the skies made its maiden flight on this day in 1900. On July 2, 1900, Count Ferdinand von…
Happy Canada Day!
To all our friends up north: Happy Canada Day!
Small Blimp Used to Protest Illegal NSA Spying
A small blimp flew over the NSA’s data center yesterday to protest the agency’s illegal spying. According to the Electronic Frontier Foundation: “A coalition of…
Hindenburg Insurance Payout: $81 Million in Current Dollars According to Fortune Magazine
An article in the current issue of Fortune Magazine discusses the history of insurance payouts for various aviation disasters including the crash of the Hindenburg. Fortune…