On May 6, 1937, a German airship called the Hindenburg was making a scheduled landing at Lakehurst Naval Air Station in New Jersey, when it exploded into flames. Herbert Morrison's eyewitness radio report from the landing field has since become etched into the public memory.
Thirty-six people were killed in the disaster. Up until then, zeppelins had an impeccable safety record. But the incident shattered public confidence in giant, passenger-carrying rigid airships, and marked the end of an era.
Fast forward 70 years, and zeppelins are taking to the air again. A company in California called Airship Ventures has purchased a Zeppelin NT07 Airship for approximately $12.8 million, and plans to offer aerial sightseeing tours of San Francisco by the end of October. The company's CEO, Alexandra Hall, joins Word of Mouth with more about the company’s plans, and the potential use of zeppelins for tourism and travel, advertising, scientific research, military surveillance, and beyond.
(Photo by Henk van der Eijk)
