Just Don't Call It A Blimp

(CBS)  Aviation history was made Thursday morning as a huge airship rose gently over the Arizona desert.

On board inspectors for the Federal Aviation Administration were certifying America's first passenger carrying zeppelin in more than 70 years.

"It is not my grandfather's zeppelin," said Brian Hall, president of Airship Ventures.

Hall has plans for a fleet of American zeppelins, and CBS News correspondent John Blackstone got a first-hand look at one.

"This is not a blimp," Hall said.

Smaller, soft sided blimps usually don't carry much more than a pilot.

But in the 1920s and 30s zeppelins provided a luxurious way to travel. That all changed in 1937, when the Hindenburg exploded as it arrived in Lakewood, New Jersey - 35 of the 96 aboard were killed - and travel by airship died too.

Then a decade ago, the zeppelin company in Germany, redesigned the classic airship. The result is the Zeppelin NT, for New Technology.

It's about a third the size of the Hindenburg but still bigger than a 747.

It's filled with non-flammable helium - not the explosive hydrogen that brought down the Hindenburg.

Blackstone said: "After 70 years I get to be the first passenger to fly in the US. The FAA has just cleared it and we're going aboard!"

The takeoff is gentle and nearly silent. At the controls, is an experienced zeppelin pilot from England Katherine Board.

"You get such a great view and everyone is pleased to see you," said Board

The gondola is big enough to carry twelve passengers and every seat is a window seat.

The zeppelin is destined for San Francisco, where it will go into business taking tourists on sightseeing flights over the Golden Gate and along the California coast.

But with a one hour ride priced at $500 it's likely most people will settle for admiring this elegant airship ... with their feet firmly on the ground.

[deovers]

climbhig36 should bring his education up to date. It was hydrogen that burned and destroyed the Hindenburg.
See: http://spot.colorado.edu/%7Edziadeck/zf/LZ129fire2005jan12.pdf

[climbhigh36]

Mr. Blackstone needs to educate himself. The Hindenburg did not blow up...it burned. And it did not burn because of the hydrogen. When hydrogen burns, it is like alcohol-you cannot see the flame. The Hindenburg''s silver coating, which covered the entire outside of the ship, was made of resined aluminum powder-or solid rocket fuel!!!! A bad ground connection on the ships airframe and this coating where the most likely candidates. This explains why the front of the ship was still floating along and why the flames were bright orange-red in color. A spark from a bad ground ignited the shell and the rocket fuel coating on it.

Please stop perpetuating this myth about hydrogen "blowing up" this ship. You are unnecessarily agitating people about the dangers of hydrogen.