Article by Frances Curcio
It happened on Saturday, the 4th of July. I was riding my bike at 6 AM in the lookout area of Fort Wadsworth on Staten Island. Enthusiastic holiday revelers arrived early to select their spots to watch the Tall Ships parade into New York Harbor, in celebration of the Semiquincentennial (i.e., the 250th Anniversary) of America. For a brief moment, I looked up in the clear, blue, sunny sky, and what did I see? I saw the Goodyear blimp flying overhead. (Perhaps you saw it, too.) As I continued to ride, a thought occurred to me—How could I take a ride on the blimp?
Since my milestone birthday was approaching, I wondered whether it would be possible to book a flight. Although I have been on an airplane many times, and I have found flying in an ultra-light and a hot air balloon thrilling, I wondered how flying on a blimp would compare.
I immediately began to investigate my options. I started by searching the Internet to find out if I could book a ride on the Goodyear blimp. I learned that there was no way to book a flight in New York City or in the northeast. As a matter of fact, in an article in the Detroit Free Press on 16 August, Jamie L. LaReau described her invitational flight on the Goodyear blimp, confirming that I had to look elsewhere if I wanted to take a ride on a blimp. I broadened my search to include “dirigible,” and “Zeppelin,” and eureka, I found the Zeppelin web site!
There were opportunities to book flights in Germany, in Frankfurt, Bonn, Munich, and in the “home” of the Zeppelin, Friedrichshafen. My interest was to book a flight to celebrate my 75th birthday. The only site available during the afternoon of 22 August, was in Friedrichshafen. But I wondered, how could I pull this off? I do not speak German so I needed an English-German speaking guide. I contacted my friend in Vienna, and she recommended her German friend, Martina, who enthusiastically agreed to take me “under her wing”!
Next, I needed to book two seats on a Zeppelin. With Martina’s help in Germany, we were scheduled to fly on Saturday, 22 August, at 2:35 PM.
Obtaining a ticket to fly on Lufthansa from Newark Airport to Frankfurt, Germany, was no problem. Martina recommended a lovely, conveniently located hotel: Hotel City Krone. I booked it. We were all set. And the thrill of anticipation started building up!
As I was preparing for this spectacular event, not only was I worried about the weather, but as I usually do, I needed to read about the Zeppelin. There is no way to control the weather, but I found out that on average, there are only 6 rainy days expected in August. Well, based on probability, that means that there would be about a 20% chance of rain on 22 August. I started feeling confident.
I searched the Internet for information about the Zeppelin, and I obtained articles and a book to help me to prepare for the flight. The Golden Age of the Great Passenger Airships: Graf Zeppelin & Hindenburg, by Harold G. Dick and Douglas H. Robinson, provided background information.
Although there are several pioneers who are credited with inventing the first airship, Ferdinand von Zeppelin is typically credited with developing the first successful airship. The first flight was in 1900, in Friedrichshafen. Many successful flights occurred throughout the years. However, one of the most horrific accidents occurred on 6 May 1937, in New Jersey. The hydrogen-filled balloon caught fire during landing. Out of the 97 people on board, thirty-five died. The disaster marked the end of hydrogen-fueled airship flights.
Although helium had been used successfully with U. S. Navy airships in the early part of the 20th Century, it wasn’t until 2001, that the advent of new technology and the use of helium instead of hydrogen found their way into commercial flights over Lake Konstanz in Germany. Zeppelin has operated safely and successfully since then.
After becoming familiar with the Zeppelin history and completing all of the planning, I left for Germany on Thursday, 20 August. I arrived early on Friday, 21 August, in a rainstorm, and my heart “sank”! As the day progressed, the weather seemed to improve. The rain stopped. The sun started peaking through the clouds—things were “looking up”!
On Saturday, 22 August, Martina escorted me to the Zeppelin Hangar. We checked in, and we were told that due to strong winds all Zeppelin flights were cancelled, and again, my heart sank! Many prospective riders were clamoring to reschedule. Sunday was totally booked. There were two seats on a flight on Monday, 24 August, and Martina was able to help re-book our flight for late afternoon, Monday—weather permitting. I was anxious, Martina was hopeful. Although I had to cancel attending an opera performance and taking tours in Frankfurt, and canceling and extending hotel bookings, my main objective was to take a ride on a Zeppelin.
While we spent the extra time in Friedrichshafen, we found plenty to do. We visited the School Museum and took a ferry across Lake Konstanz to visit the quaint village of Konstanz.
On Monday, the wait was over. The weather cooperated, and we were off. Martina and I joined twelve other travelers, the flight attendant, and the pilot, and we took off from the Zeppelin airfield. What a thrill! The rise into the air was gentle. It was like floating in a dream! The ride about 1.5 miles above the ground was smooth and quiet. The views from different vantage points throughout the gondola were spectacular. We passed over the scenic countryside and neighboring villages in Meersburg, Immenstaad, and Hagnau, before returning to Friedrichshafen, covering approximately 18.64 miles (30 km) in 45 minutes.
The spectacular images, the gentleness of movement, and the thrill of experiencing this unique technology have made a great impact on my appreciation of the power of human ingenuity and creativity. Without a doubt, this was my 75th birthday to remember!
