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Airship Venture Zeppelin – San Francisco Area, California

By Editor 5 Comments

blimp 007.JPGAirship Venture Zeppelin – San Francisco Area, California

This is the largest airship flying the skies over the planet and currently there are just three of them, one being right here in San Francisco!  The others are in Germany and Tokyo.  You will be impressed when you see how this fabulous creation floats through the skies!

The powerful engines, state-of-the-art avionics, and fly-by-wire flight controls allow the airship to maneuver similarly to a helicopter, including vertical takeoffs and landings.

The airship is 246 feet long, 15 feet longer than a Boeing 747, and 50 feet longer than the largest blimp currently operating.  It is 64 ft wide at its widest point and stands 57 ft high. If you thought this was a blimp, you are wrong.  A blimp is shaped by the air inside; the airship has a frame which gives it the strength and shape you see flying overhead.thumb001airshipventures_maiden_flight_ground.jpg

The spacious cabin on the airship comfortably accommodates one pilot, one flight attendant, and up to 12 passengers (plus one options seat for shorter flights that will not require an onboard restroom).  The view from the panoramic windows, a 180-degree rear observation window and a “love seat” are all there for your enjoyment.

The Zeppelin NT’s top speed is 77 mph (125 kph) with a flight range of 500 nautical miles.  It can land and exchange passengers and take off again in under 5 minutes – - all within a 600 ft diameter landing area!

The Zeppelin NT uses non-flammable helium for lift.  This is contained in a tear-proof outer envelope composed of high strength multi-layer fabric.  The same company that manufactures this material creates space suits for NASA.

Not since the Hindenburg in 1937 has a Zeppelin been seen in the US.  The Hindenburg disaster was caused by the hydrogen as its lifting gas, and lacquer materials in the fabric of its hull, all flammable and contributed to the explosion.  Today airships use non-flammable helium to avoid such a disaster.  With more than 80,000 passengers flying in a Zeppelin since August of 2001, without a single incident, you can be assured of your safety when you board this marvelous airship.

The Zeppelin is based at its new home at Moffett Field, NASA Ames Research center in Mountain View, CA.

Airship Ventures will be the only Zeppelin operator in North America and the only company offering public airship flights.  There will be flight-seeing tours offered departing and returning to select Bay Area airports where rides will be offered in several durations (typically 60, 90 or 120 minutes.  Flights will be conducted 7 days a week, weather permitting.

The airship is large enough for you to walk around the cabin after take off and before landing.  You will be able to take pictures, converse with the pilot and just see the breathtaking beauty of the area.  The Zeppelin is very quiet so you won’t need ear protection.

Yes, there is a restroom on board with its own window for the view.

Prices for lights vary based on flight duration and destination, with an average hourly price of around $500 per person, with lower and higher prices available.

You can purchase tickets at 650-969-8100.

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Comments

  1. w, j. mccarthy says:
    November 3, 2008 at 5:19 pm
    do you offer gift certificates for Christmas? am interested in S.F. area flights as a Christmas gift for my husband who is an air force capt retired who use to have a balloon pilots license as well as being a jet trainer in the usaf. Any discounts? thanx wj
  2. Editor says:
    November 3, 2008 at 7:20 pm
    I have forwarded your email on to the appropriate people and you should be hearing from them very soon. It's a wonderful idea!
  3. Bill Clark says:
    December 7, 2008 at 2:06 pm
    I had the real pleasure of flying in this airship over London earlier this year. After offering "flightseeing trips" for only six weeks in the UK it was shipped to the USA via Rotterdam. Our flight was up the River Thames and we flew over The Dome, Greenwich, the Thames Barrier,Tower Bridge,The Tower Of London,The London Eye, Westminster Abbey, The Houses Of Parliament and many other landmarks of London. The flight was very smooth and once up to 1000 feet we were able to walk around the cabin and take photo's through open windows, so no glass to distort the pictures. I feel very privileged to now have remarkable photo's of London, taken by me from this Zeppelin Airship, to remember a very special day. I envy all of you who now have the chance to see San Francisco from this remarkable airship, an experience you wont forget.
  4. paul tominac says:
    January 22, 2009 at 7:29 pm
    It is certainly a most impressive sight, a spectacle, to see this ship as it glides over the city, across the bay, and pretty much anywhere you find yourself when you look up and see it. At $500. a head, it will be a while before I get aboard it, but you never know. The Hindenburg, by the way, was not the last airship to be seen over the US: The US navy operated several airships, all of which met untimely ends, albeit without the flames of the Hindenburg. One big reason this airship is here, is the giant airship hangers at Moffet Field, where it is berthed; hangars built for those very navy airships.
  5. Gary Avery says:
    November 16, 2009 at 12:10 pm
    I wanted to fly over London on the Zeppelin last year, but poor weather conditions resulted in cancellations. Since I was a lad. It had always been an intention of mine to fly on an Airship after constantly watching the Goodyear Blimp flying over my house in those hot summers of the 70's. Well, last month, my dream came true. I was in San Francisco and had the chance to fly. I must say that It was well worth the 30 year wait. A fantastic experience, flying in the beautiful blue sky over San Francisco Bay. I would have liked to have flown over Tower Bridge, but the Golden Gate Bridge and surrounding scenery is breathtaking. I would like to thank Airship Ventures for a truely unforgetable flight. Gary Avery, Woking, Surrey, England.

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