Here’s what the Bay Area’s big Zeppelin looks like from San Francisco…
…and here’s what San Francisco looks like from the Bay Area’s big Zeppelin:
Ah, mem’ries:
Passing by Coit Tower:
A close up view, click to enlarge. Can you see pilot Fritz Guenther and his Peltor brand headphones? Sure you can.
And an adorable piggly tail in the back:
There we go, back to normal:
There I was monitoring recent Zeppelin activity over the 415 and what do I see but an old-school Allegiant Air McDonnell Douglas DC9 / MD80 / MD85 / MD90 / whatever flying out of OAK.
See?
Click to expand
You can buy a used jetliners with ancient low-bypass engines for as cheap as $4,000,000 and then start up an airline? Did not know that.
Anyway, these kinds of planes are old, baby.
But you can fly to Phoenix, AZ for $32* so I guess that’s some consolation.
*Plus fees, baby. Lots and lots and lots of fees.
Down with the landing gear
Up goes the useless prayer
Remember back in the day when San Francisco had it’s very own “world-class” airship, the largest in the world? Well, it looks like we’re losing her to Los Angeles and Fun Diego, slowly but surely.
One of our dirigibles/ is missing/ tonight/ from the skies of the bay area.
First the Redwoods, now this. Who lost the Eureka?*
I’ll miss your piggy tail most of all, Eureka. Sure you’ll come back and visit from time to time, but we want you all to ourselves.
Tell us Airship Ventures, tell us what we did wrong! How can we change?
*Feel free to add this to your list of Pointless Inter-City Rivalries. It’s #87 on mine.
“Our New-Look Airship Returns to the Los Angeles Skies
“It’s been a while since Eureka sailed the skies, spending the past four weeks under wraps in Hangar Two for her annual maintenance. During her month-long tune-up, the airship not only got some new parts, she also got a new look. For the second time this year, we are partnering with Farmers Insurance to fly their brand above communities they serve in California– first stop, Los Angeles!
Join us aboard Eureka March 26 – April 4 for flightseeing SoCal style. Choose to fly along the coast, above L.A. landmarks and Tinseltown icons, or perhaps celebrate spring with an Easter egg hunt from 1000-feet!”
Bye bye Empire, bye bye – after the jump.
NASA is now using the largest Zeppelin in the world to conduct scientific journeys – read all ab0ut it.
Get up to speed about this monstrous thing here and see where it’s been lately by clicking here.
And this is what it’s like UP there.
As seen over the Golden Gate Bridge last week, on a nice, sunny day. Click to expand.
This is what the the Bay Area’s Eureka Zeppelin looks like above San Francisco’s Ferry Building these days. Read all about the new colorful ad for the straight-out-of-Emeryville film Up, after the jump.
And if you live in Los Angeles, like Frank Black, then you’ll see this very same airship above your skies over the weekend. Look for it under the pouring sun.
Click to expand.
Read all about it, after the jump:
Do you have a pilot’s license, a current FAA medical certificate, and little extra pocket change? If so, you can sign up to spend a morning learning about the largest zeppelin that exists in the world and then spend an afternoon flying this low, slow and comfortable aircraft with other pilots over the Bay Area.
AOPA thinks it a good idea, anyway.
As seen from Golden Gate Park: Fly With Me (650) 969-8100. Click to expand:
Read all about it:
A Day To Remember
It’s finally here; your chance to fly a Zeppelin! Led by our experienced pilot and engineer team, this day-long adventure will allow you to see behind the scenes at Airship Ventures and learn the basics of airship flight before trying it for yourself.
Each session is limited to six pilots, giving each pilot at least 30 minutes in the cockpit as well as nearly four hours of total flight time in the Zeppelin. This gives you plenty of time to ask questions and to see the sights of the Bay Area while talking with fellow pilots and our Zeppelin crew.
If you’d like more time in the cockpit, just add additional slots or ask about a custom package.
Or, to gift this experience to someone, talk to us about a special gift package.
Welcome & Continental Breakfast
Covering history and terminology; operations and flight manual review; systems, limitations and performance, and flight safety
Lunch and pre-flight checks at Hangar 2
Closing Reception / log book sign off
Read all about it – Zeppelin service has been firmly established in the San Francisco Bay Area.
As seen over the weekend:
Passing by Coit Tower:
A close up view, click to enlarge. Can you see pilot Fritz Guenther and his Peltor brand headphones? Sure you can.
And an adorable piggly tail in the back:
There we go, back to normal:
The largest zeppelin in the world and frequent San Francisco visitor is mixing things up a bit tomorrow. Instead of flying locally, which is the normal schedule, the Eureka is going on a field trip.
It’s heading from Mountain View’s Moffet Federal Airfield to Monterey for one-hour flights there and then back to Google’s Air Force Base in the evening.
And don’t forget about the special limousine and champagne-filled evening they have planned for New Year’s Eve. It’s going to start at Michael Mina restaurant for a little din-din and then end up above the bay with the fireworks when the clock strikes midnight. It’s only $25,000 per dozen people. Whom will you take with you?
Zeppelin Day Trip to Monterey!
“Airship Ventures is flying to Monterey for the day this Thursday, Dec. 11th! And, if you’re already in Monterey, now is your chance to fly on a Zeppelin tour around Monterey Bay. On Dec. 11, 2008, the Airship Ventures Zeppelin, Eureka, will fly passengers to and from Monterey for the day and offer tours around Monterey Bay.
Departing the Bay Area from: Airship Ventures, NASA Ames Research Park, Moffett Field. Click here for directions.
Agenda – Dec. 11, 2008
8:30 a.m. Airship departs Bay Area for Monterey
10:00 a.m. Airship arrives in Monterey
10:00 a.m. – 2:15 p.m. Monterey Bay one-hour flights offered
4:00 p.m. Airship departs Monterey for Bay Area
6:00 p.m. Airship returns to Bay Area
Call us today as space is limited.
Dial (650)-969-8100! (ext. 111)”
This was the scene this morning at Moffet Field in Mountain View. This huge thing is our new Zeppelin NT from Airship Ventures.
Wouldn’t you like to be Aloft in a Zeppelin? Read the trip report here.
Via the Telstar Logistics Photostream
Click to expand.
It’s now, it’s wow. It’s the brand new Airship Ventures Zeppelin NT (Neue Technologie) and it just arrived gestern.
Read all about it here, here and here, (but of course Terence Chea of the Associated Press should take note that the Hindenburg was fueled with diesel, not “by flammable hydrogen“). Our new dirigible is fueled with gasoline and lifted by harmless helium so everybody should be very safe, unless they try to take out James Bond with the Golden Gate Bridge or something.
The NT04, shown as it looked above Monterey the other day, has a plain Jane appearance right now. The bottom of it says, “TO FLY: 650 969 8100.” Click to expand:
Look and see our our new Zep owning the snooty Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay. (Man, that bus got totally pwned!) See more shots like this on the official blog.
So, look to the skies. You just might end up seeing the largest zeppelin in the world.
