Had it not been for the Hindenburg disaster in 1937, we might all be flying to our vacation destinations in blimps, not planes. In addition to taking luxury cruises, we could take luxury blimp cruises, enjoying fine dining and dancing among the clouds.
The crash of the German Zeppelin Hindenburg in Lakehurst NJ May 6 1937-Colorized
Blimp travel was still in its infancy when the Hindenburg left Frankfort, Germany, and headed to the United States. Approaching an airfield at Lakehurst, New Jersey, the Hindenburg exploded in dramatic fashion and plunged to the ground, as shown in this colorized photograph of the day. Let’s look at the Hindenburg disaster and how it put an end to the age of blimp travel.
The Birth of the Blimp
Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin. (aviationoiloutlet.com)
Hot air balloons were quite popular in the 1800s. The only drawback with balloon transportation is that you cannot control the direction of travel. The balloons travel on the wind. Early aeronautical engineers sought ways to add a propulsion mechanism to balloons. This effort gave rise to the rigid and semi-rigid inflatable airships called blimps, dirigibles, and zeppelins. A German military officer, Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin, was a leader in developing the airship that would bear his name. The Germans used dirigibles during World War I. After the war, Britain, the United States, and Japan also began building blimps, although the Germans were far ahead in the technology.
Blimp Travel
Common room of Hindenburg-Colorized. Source: vintage.es
German engineers, as well as others, envisioned using the airships for luxury travel. Blimps could provide a means of leisurely travel for the wealthy elite. The Hindenburg was the largest commercial blimp. It was considered the most state-of-the-art and luxurious vehicle of its time. It was a little more than 800 feet long … about four times larger than today’s Goodyear Blimp. There were accommodations for 72 passengers. The passenger cabins had silk wallpaper and small heaters. The beds were made with the finest linens. There was a posh dining room, a bar, a smoking room, and a library. Passengers could stroll along the promenades to enjoy the view from the large windows. People could get used to this kind of luxury travel.
The Last Flight of the Hindenburg
Hindenburg_ over New York 1937 - colorized. Source: en.wikipedia.org
When 1937 began, the Hindenburg made an uneventful round trip from Germany to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. After that, the blimp was scheduled to make ten trans-Atlantic trips from Germany to the U.S. The first one was in May. The Hindenburg left Frankfort, Germany on the evening of May 3. There were only 36 passengers aboard the craft as it headed toward the U.S., however it was completely booked for the return flight. That’s because many people booked travel on the dirigible to Europe to attend the upcoming coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.
Running into Trouble
A blimp over New York. (nbcnews.com)
When the Hindenburg arrived over Boston in the early morning hours of May 6, it was behind schedule. The airship encountered strong head winds over the Atlantic that caused some delays. Over land, the Hindenburg was delayed even more by a thunderstorm. The captain had been warned that conditions in Lakehurst, New Jersey, where the blimp planned to land, were poor. The captain took a short detour along the Jersey shore while waiting for the storm to clear out. Finally, the captain got word that the storm was over. Half a day after it was scheduled to land, the Hindenburg made its way to the airfield at Lakehurst.
The Mooring Lines
The Zeppelin Hindenburg was only inert skeleton after the disaster inert skeleton-Colorized. Source: en.wikipedia.org
As it began its descent at 7:21 p.m., the crew of the Hindenburg dropped the mooring lines to the ground below. Moments later, witnesses noticed some of the outer fabric fluttering and some even said they saw a small blue flame. At 7:25 p.m., witnesses watched in horror as dirigible burst into flames. The fire spread throughout the aircraft in just a matter of seconds. The Hindenburg lurched then crashed to the ground. News crews, who had come to cover the landing of the dirigible, shot footage of the flaming skeleton of the blimp as it hit the ground. It took roughly 16 seconds for the blimp to become engulfed in flames, yet the hydrogen fuel caused the wreckage to burn for hours.
Death Rate of the Disaster
Hindenburg Disaster -Colorized. Source: en.wikipedia.org
There were 97 people on the Hindenburg when it crashed. Thirty-six were passengers, and the rest were crew members. About 30 crew members were trainees learning how to fly the blimp. Of the 97 people, only 35 were killed in the disaster. Miraculously, 62 people survived the flaming crash. An investigation into the accident theorized that the mooring lines introduced static electricity, left in the air from the thunderstorm, to the hydrogen-filled blimp. The static sparked a fire that raced through the airship.
The End of the Blimp Era
The crash of the German Zeppelin Hindenburg in Lakehurst, NJ, May 6, 1937. Source: en.wikipedia.org
Until the Hindenburg disaster happened, blimp travel was considered very safe. Dirigibles had been flying for close to three decades. The Hindenburg and other commercial airships had safely carried thousands of people and transported them over millions of miles without an incident. The fiery crash of the Hindenburg, however, abruptly ended the airship era. After the worldwide news coverage of the disaster, no one wanted to fly on a dirigible. They didn’t trust the technology and feared another disaster was imminent. Additionally, Adolf Hitler was rising to power in 1937 and people were learning of the evils of the Nazi party. Most commercial blimps were German-made so no one wanted to support the Germans by flying on a dirigible. The era of the blimp was over.
