Agreed. My favourite sound on UA-cam. And on a nerdy note, I remember reading that after the Shenandoah crashed, some ghoulish but enterprising local businessman went out, cut strips from the skin of it and tailored them into raincoats called 'Shenandoah Slickers'.
There were still airships floating around when I was a kid, back in the 90's. It wasn't rare for me to see one or two every now and then. I was very confused when they stopped appearing.
The Hindenburg desaster has spectacular, iconic footage, quite rare for that time. That's why everyone still knows about it almost 90 years later, while accidents with more fatalities are forgotten.
I'd say that the casualties being mostly civilians is also a contributing factor, but I have to concede that having actual footage is the bigger influence.
Old photos of airships hovering over cities are so surreal. Today, it feels like we're stuck in our technology, it makes me want to go back to a time of innovation and wonder. I probably wouldn't get on one of those airships though...
Yeah no! Look at airplane travel… safest mode of transportation with less than 1% chance of death yet still so many crashes and mishaps. These airships were falling out of the sky every other week!
@@mikezerker6925 Regardless of this so called fact, I rather stay clear of any form of flight, because a lot of the time, when something major goes wrong, it tends to end up with people dying and personally, I want to live!
Pretty sure you can omit "for giant airships" there. [/"obligatory" New Jersey jab] But yeah, it's a bit weird. Wonder if it was primarily caused by typical weather patterns in that area at the time or something else.
if you look up D-LZFN at flightradar you‘ll find a modern airship that does regular flights from Friedrichshafen, Germany. But it’s just a sightseeing flight, landing back where it started.. It flies with Helium, so it should be safer than the original Zeppelins at least 😅
Been a fan of this channel for ages and ages now. Loved it since several years ago and the quality has never dropped since. Thanks for another great video on a topic I'd never heard of.
😂 Right?! I liked that group picture with the man nicknamed "Lucky". He'd survived other airship crashes. Looked like he was seriously, at that point, doubting his life choices.🙃 I hope he retired. Thank you for your service, sir.🇺🇸 Wonder if he ever flew in an airplane after that.🤷🏼♀️
My Great-Uncle was a Crewman on board the Akron when she went down. I was fortunate enough to be able to attend both the 60th and 70th Anniversary Memorial services at Lakehurst, NJ
I thank him for his service to our country. My condolences to your family. My dad was in the Navy. Worked on an aircraft carrier. Never flew. The military is so diverse. Opportunities are endless for what they can do no matter what branch they enlist in.
I've also seen that, can't remember where. It was quite a long time ago, possibly part of a documentary or something. It was a terrible thing to watch.
I remember watching footage of that accident when broadcast on an aviation history series called Reaching for the Skies. This was about 40 years ago, and I remain horrified. RIP Nigel Merton Henton, RIP Robert Harold Edsall.
The home of the USS Macon, Hangar One at the airfield now named for Admiral Moffett in Mountain View, CA, is still there and a renovation project which started over a decade ago is nearly complete. There was a lot of toxic material used in its construction, making the renovation a challenge. It remains one of the largest freestanding structures in the world, measured by usable interior space.
Don't forget the other airship / blimp hangars remaining around the country. I myself have visited Hangar B at (former) Naval Air Station Tillamook, which is now a small (ironic!) Air Museum. Only about a third of the hangar is actually used as a museum- the rest is cold storage, both for locals and some of the other historical organizations who've arranged their large items in a way that can also be seen by museum patrons, but in my opinion it's worth it to see one of the largest freestanding wooden buildings in the world. Unfortunately Hangar A burned down in the 90s.
Parts of a recent Star Trek movie were filmed there. The hangars for the British R100 & R101 are still there in the U.K. I've seen them from a train window. A friend of mine has a piece of fabric from the R100 after repairs were done in Montreal.
At one time there were three of those hangars at Moffett Field, complete with train rails running through. And when the weather was right, it could rain inside (or so I've been told)
Like, I know this is a low bar, but thank you for pronouncing Akron correctly 😭 You're the first UA-camr I've come across to actually look up the pronunciation and used it.
More than lucky, he was strong enough to tie the rope around him and keep his grip long enough to be rescued, on top of having the clarity of mind to actually do it. Although the smartest men were the ones that did let go of the rope while still on the ground.
There is a woman in Oklahoma who saw the Hindenburg crash. She was a young girl when it happened. She says memories like that will never leave you. She thought the people jumping out were ants.
I don't think it's a myth, but it's not the whole story either. I believe they added a mooring post to the top to increase its overall height and surpass the Chrysler building. The mooring station wasn't fit for purpose and airships faded out of use but the main objective of becoming the largest skyscraper in Manhattan was achieved!
There is film of the only docking attempt. Small turbulence is still gonna be like banging the ship against the dock. They might have suspected, further on the whole ship would swing crazy wild around like the tether car did. King Kong falling off and part of the tower too!
@@echodelta9 But there was no dock....no ramp....it was a stunt done (and in terrible 40mph conditions).....but there was no 'docking station' where people could have gotten off. No 'dock' ever existed.
@@nickbumble2240 Nope. Empire State added a spire but no 'docking station' or any way to get people from an airship to the building....EVER. They didn't even attempt to make a way for people to go from an airship to the building. The spire was completely unrelated.
I have a primordially smooth brain, every time he posts, I click, class at seven be damned, watching this at 3:am my time shout out viewers in the US West!!
Pity you aren't here. You posted 3 hrs ago. It's 9:21 here. You coulda been brushing your teeth, watching a little wake me up on your way to class if you lived here. Lol
When I was a kid in the 70s one of the first models I ever built was of the USS Akron. It hung in my bedroom for years. And ever since I was a kid I have loved those airships. I think there are some of the most beautiful things humanity has ever created.
They are certainly graceful. I always thought it would be a great way to travel - slow and leisurely, and not so high that you couldn't see a lot of detail on the ground. Precarious in bad weather, though.
The one in the video is still there, they have just about finished restoring it. It has so much volume it can develop its own weather system inside, just like the main building at Boeing.
@@somethingsomething404 as far as I know from research and people that had parents working there. the short answer is no. what I gathered is mainly condensations building up but not close to what you'd think. I also live in Akron right down the road from even the good year blimp hanger. ps every year the good year blimp takes about 25 pot shots from people being people in a year
The giant hanger is still in Akron, Ohio and it now supports a fleet of Goodyear blimps. We see them frequently in this area of Ohio. A few weeks ago, I saw three flying in a line while driving through Suffield, OH. Yes, airships are mostly obsolete. But, not these. They are used to get video of football games and other events among other things and must be profitable.
My grandfather's photography studio developed photos of the wreck of the Shenandoah, and he kept copies. They're absolutely fascinating to look through.
If there are any unpublished photos I'm sure an airship historical society would love to have the images. Many such things get lost over time so please make sure these don't join them.
I think that one of the main reasons (other than the iconic film footage) that the Hindenburg is much better known is that disasters involving civilian deaths tend to draw more attention than those involving servicemen and women. While most viewers of this channel have likely heard of the RMS Titanic, I would guess that far fewer know anything about the deadliest shipwreck of all time, the sinking of the M/V Wilhelm Gustloff. Also, airships and blimps are not the same thing. Airships were built with a rigid airframe, blimps are more like a balloon. In WWII, the Army used blimps, not airships. Oops, I was wrong - just checked and see that dirigibles, zeppelins, and blimps are all classified as airships; dirigibles and zeppelins having rigid airframes.
That's right. A blimp is not a zeppelin and a zeppelin is not a blimp, but blimps and zeppelins (and dirigibles) are airships. (Dirigible is French for "steerable", named at the time to differentiate them from any balloon-type airship that was not steerable, so I guess technically anything that we would think of as an airship is also a dirigible. I think the term became outmoded pretty early on, but somehow it stuck around anyway.)
The name "blimp" came from the British who classified airships as "A" for rigid ones and "B" for non-rigid, or "limp" ones. They ran the letters together and got "Blimp"
@@nhmooytis7058 Ha! Yes and yes. Also from Akron born and raised. I have been all over the country and Akron definitely isn't as bad as some make it out to be. But hell maybe I am a bit biased or just used to it. 🤷😅
I was wondering the other day about such vehicles-we used to see them here in the Midwest in the 1960s and 70s (and possibly the early 80s?) on a somewhat regular basis. But they were rare enough even then that I remember my mom deciding to follow one on local roads for a while just for the fun of it-we’d been on our way to a nearby town but abandoned that destination for a little while. I miss seeing these wondrous blimps.
Every year growing up I was able to see one floating over my house, covering the Arlington Million. This would have been through the 80s. It was something you knew was special and now is such a unique memory.
The Hindenburg, part of DELAG Airways company, was constructed by the Zeppelin company in Austria, from memory. During DELAG's operations, the Hindenburg was the only fatal accident in the company's long, accident free reputation known for it's safety, as well as the luxurious appointments. And a company fort making safety their number one concern. Most passengers survived.
I live near Lakehurst. I’ve held pieces of the Akron as well as the Hindenburg, Shenandoah, and Los Angeles working at local historical societies. I’ve also been inside the hangar where they were all stored (except for the Hindenburg). The hangars are unreal to stand in, they’re so huge.
I struggle to stay awake to your videos. Not because the content is dull (it's not!!), but your voice is so soothing it lulls me to sleep. I fight to pay attention to them and often have to rewind because I missed a few minutes 😂
I've heard of the USS Akron crash and the effect it has on the development of airships in the U.S. but this is the first time I've heard more people died from the crash than in the Hindenburg disaster. That fact doesn't seem to get covered as much (which is a shame ) but I guess the reason is because the Hindenburg was witnessed by many people and covered live on the air as it occurred and was captured on film
Thank you! Been always aware of Hindenburg, but had no idea of this one. Your channel is awesome, i'm a long time fan, thank you for making amazing content, one of the channels that make UA-cam worth..
Airships are still being made in the US at T-Com in Elizabeth City NC. They are tethered with long lines that allow the ships to ascend several thousand feet. They are outfitted with cameras, FLIR, etc and are used by countries for reconnaissance. They are double walled and can withstand small arms fire.
I visited an air museum near the Oregon coast as a young man and it was all inside a gigantic blimp hanger. At one time it was the largest freestanding wooden structure west of the mason/dixon. It was a real experience that I hope to never forget despite age doing a number on my brain already.
Miracoulsy there is one of those Sparrowhawks is still in existence. Only 7 were ever made and most interwar aircraft are long gone either to the scrapyards or the second world war. It's a true gem.
A story on the Shenandoah would be interesting. I’ve heard so many stories about people descending on the crash site and looting the dead not to mention stealing parts of the airship and the ship’s log. It might have answered questions about the events leading up to the crash.
My favorite book series involves what-if ideas like dirigibles being the dominant method of flight. The first book is Hard Magic. It's a 1930s alternate history where some people have powers, like controlling certain elements or gravity.
In your US airship history you did not mention commercial blimps, which still exist today. Especially the Goodyear blimp, which was special. Contests were sometimes held in which the prize was a ride aboard the blimp. And I remember the day I saw the Goodyear blimp fly over my house in 1985. That’s something you don’t see every day.
fun fact the current generation are no longer blimps, they are semi rigid airships built by the Zeppelin company(yes its still around). I mean nobody with a working brain will stop saying "Goodyear Blimp" though. If one goes to a sporting event you tend to know its important if you see the blimp. Additionally when that World Series earthquake happened in San Francisco, the GY Blimp provided first aerial footage to broadcast, ABC Sports had them go as far away from Candlestick as they could without losing the microwave downlink to the broadcast truck.
Three previous accidents. Design flaws. Ignored weather conditions. Insistence on using a dubious design. No life jackets despite flying over water. All adds up to a disaster.
10:04 Wow and I thought that crew sleeping spaces onboard naval vessels and submarines were tight and scary. Those "bunks" don't look very comfortable and knowing you are in a "room" that has a thin wall separating you from a very long fall. Also the noise of the engines and the wind outside. Don't know how anyone could sleep there no matter how tired they were.
I first learned about the USS Akron from an A&E documentary on airships. I still have the January 1992 National Geographic magazine on the sister ship - the USS Macon, I continue to use this magazine as a source when discussing the Akron and the Macon. I have actually seen the last surviving Curtis F9C Sparrowhawks, when it was still at the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida during my trip in June 2001. The US Army had its own airship disaster too - the USS Roma, which occurred on 21 February 1922, at Norfolk, Virginia, after the airship with 45 crew members on board, crashed straight into the ground and high voltage wires, after structural failure in the steering and the rigid airframe, this accident killed 34 including the captain. The Roma disaster was the worst airship disaster up to that point, the Roma remains the first and only American airship to use hydrogen for lift, and this accident ended the US Army's zeppelin programme.
In WW1 the briitish used small airships, basically a wingless airplane fuselage slung under a balloon-used to hunt for submarines, they had a longer range than heavier than air ships-perfect for patrols.
As someone who does not like heights (at all), you would not believe the spike my blood pressure had when those four crewmen were lifted into the air. Perhaps it’s a good thing that airships never caught on.
We came across an old WW2 airship hangar at Elizabeth City, NC. The Navy blimps there would go out to sea and hunt for the many U-boats that plagued the North Carolina coast and sunk a lot of ships within sight of land. Now Elizabeth City is home to a USCG C-130 squadron that hunts icebergs.
You failed to mention the role of blimps in anti-submarine patrol. One of their primary WWII duties. And I'm kinda surprised at the lack of comments on this and the Macon being steampunk aircraft carriers.
Not so much steampunk as diesel punk (maybe), and kinda carriers, but not in the way we think of carriers. How Airships like Macon and Akron were to be used was for a reconnaissance role for the fleet, with their aircraft pulling double duty as both fighter cover and an extension to their scouting range, which already would be fairly large compared to the fleet. Their (relative) speed advantage and range offered incredible autonomy, meaning they could just cruise at altitude, spot ships from way out either using their planes or just their own eyes, radio it in and get out of dodge before the enemy could intercept, in theory. In practice even flying was a problem as airships are terribly susceptible to bad weather conditions, as shown with the accidents. What made sure airships were not used for fleet reconnaissance was that even by the 30s increases in aircraft performance and radar meant that they would've been very easy targets for interception, with or without escorts or AA guns, flying at altitude not being as realistic anymore and being slow compared to conventional aircraft (and constrained even more by wind current). So the navy put the money towards planning more actual carriers; blimps (which were cheaper and easier to build) ended up being used for ASW and general maritime patrols, particularly on the west coast were there was lots of coastline and not enough ships to go around, and where massed formations of Japanese Aircraft were unlikely to just show up.
@@barrag3463 Definitely dieselpunk, but most people are barely familiar with steampunk, so while I thought about using dieselpunk, I just stuck with steampunk. (Really, it makes me think of Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura and other pulp-type games settings.)
Mate of mine is from there, and all I know about it from them is that yeah that place has to be cursed! Edit: but as my mate says, the curse gave us Devo, so... 🤷🏻♂️
Never been this early! The Hindenburg disaster was always fascinating to me, nice to see you cover the USS Akron as well! Def not as well known haha. Edit-- Got too ahead of myself on the first comment lol
@@JasperNightlynx Don't worry, I'm rarely early on a video on any channel either so when I am, I get a dopamine rush and write anything that comes to my brain just to get a comment up. Lol! 🤣😂 I never comment "first" though even when I am because it's so overplayed. But I don't hate on those who do either. Honestly it's meaningless, but still kinda fun. 🙂🙂🙂
11:19 actually given development over the past fifteen years, airships are likely going to make something of a comeback as freighters (faster than a boat but more efficient than an airplane)
I doubt it. Airships only hold an advantage over helicopters, since they don't need to spend energy to maintain stationary flight. To go from point A to point B, the airship just doesn't have any edge to stand out. You want your cargo to be delivered either cheaply or quickly (ideally both). An airship isn't even close to the speed of an airplane, and it costs more than regular shipping.
Oh man, with all these crashes, I wonder how the safety of airships compares with planes and cars if you consider fatalities and miles or hours traveled.
I lived just a few blocks in Mountain View CA from Hangar One at Moffett Field where the Akron’s sister ship the Macon (which crashed in 1935 off Point Sur) was kept. It’s YUGE!
I've had an interest in airships and airship disasters since I first saw the newsreel footage of the Hindenburg disaster many years ago at the age of eight. Reading about the various accidents and crashes that the US airship fleet - including the Los Angeles, which was constructed by the Zepplin Company, suffered, part of me believed that, despite the Navy's adherence to strict discipline, the airship commanders and crews always had a somewhat complacent attitude toward operating airships. I felt this attitude was likely due to the fact that the US airships used "safe" helium instead of "dangerous" hydrogen.
my grandpa was in the navy in Vietnam, I sent him this and he told me the wreckage of the Hindenburg was still there in situ in NJ when he did his training there.
Man there's always something magical about that opening piano. Thanks for keeping it all these years
Agreed. My favourite sound on UA-cam. And on a nerdy note, I remember reading that after the Shenandoah crashed, some ghoulish but enterprising local businessman went out, cut strips from the skin of it and tailored them into raincoats called 'Shenandoah Slickers'.
There were still airships floating around when I was a kid, back in the 90's. It wasn't rare for me to see one or two every now and then. I was very confused when they stopped appearing.
It IS magical, I know we're in for a well told story
I find myself humming the tune a lot lol
loooool, that opening piano gives very like... 2009 Animal Planet show covering cryptids across North America. 😭😭I kinda love it
The Hindenburg desaster has spectacular, iconic footage, quite rare for that time. That's why everyone still knows about it almost 90 years later, while accidents with more fatalities are forgotten.
I'd say that the casualties being mostly civilians is also a contributing factor, but I have to concede that having actual footage is the bigger influence.
Also quotable dialogue.
@@DisFantasy “Oh, the humanity!” is now locked into our collective memory forever more.
Someone recently used AI to clean the footage up and add color to it. It's pretty spectacular, but I still prefer it the way it was.
@@jus10lewissrDo you have a link to that?
Old photos of airships hovering over cities are so surreal. Today, it feels like we're stuck in our technology, it makes me want to go back to a time of innovation and wonder. I probably wouldn't get on one of those airships though...
I live in a place where an aiship is almost up every day. Tourists can make a tour around the Lake with it. It's pretty expensive though.
Yeah no! Look at airplane travel… safest mode of transportation with less than 1% chance of death yet still so many crashes and mishaps.
These airships were falling out of the sky every other week!
The irony of using helium and then drowning is tragic.
@@mikezerker6925 Regardless of this so called fact, I rather stay clear of any form of flight, because a lot of the time, when something major goes wrong, it tends to end up with people dying and personally, I want to live!
In Akron Ohio this is still a regular sight. Goodyear flies a large blimp when the weather is nice.
Be it the USS Akron, the Hindenburg, the USS Vito Spatafore or the USS Dom Gamiello, New Jersey seems to be cursed place for giant airships.
The good ship lollipop
Graveyard of parade floats
New Jersey is just a cursed place in general man
Pretty sure you can omit "for giant airships" there. [/"obligatory" New Jersey jab]
But yeah, it's a bit weird. Wonder if it was primarily caused by typical weather patterns in that area at the time or something else.
Probably due to the Lakehurst Naval Air Station being in New Jersey.
6:54 to be able to tie a line around yourself whilst hanging from it is an impressive feat of strength!
True. And remember that he was as sailor. They tend to be good with ropes and knots.
Still wild to me that 2/3rds of the Hindenburg passengers/crew survived the crash. Great video!
Yeah, Hindenburg was in a good place to emergency evacuate.
If they were to come out with a safe, modern Hindenburg style airship I would 100% go on a cruise. Would be so cool.
There have been recent experiments with large airships, but the intent is transport of cargo.
Everything is safe until it crashes
@@berzerkbankie1342 But some things are more likely to crash than others, e.g. a formula 1 race car vs the family minivan
@@misterflibble6601 based on engineering devoted to safety, statistics and driver skill, the F1 car is safer then a minivan.
if you look up D-LZFN at flightradar you‘ll find a modern airship that does regular flights from Friedrichshafen, Germany. But it’s just a sightseeing flight, landing back where it started..
It flies with Helium, so it should be safer than the original Zeppelins at least 😅
I love this channel. Your voice is so soothing and respectful given the subject matter. Thank you.
I agree 👍🏾!
Same
agreed, I listen before bed
Been a fan of this channel for ages and ages now. Loved it since several years ago and the quality has never dropped since. Thanks for another great video on a topic I'd never heard of.
Captain: "Alright sailors! Who wants to go in the spy basket?"
Sailors: 😳 👀
Captain: "Don't be shy now..."
😂 Right?!
I liked that group picture with the man nicknamed "Lucky". He'd survived other airship crashes. Looked like he was seriously, at that point, doubting his life choices.🙃
I hope he retired. Thank you for your service, sir.🇺🇸
Wonder if he ever flew in an airplane after that.🤷🏼♀️
My Great-Uncle was a Crewman on board the Akron when she went down. I was fortunate enough to be able to attend both the 60th and 70th Anniversary Memorial services at Lakehurst, NJ
I thank him for his service to our country. My condolences to your family. My dad was in the Navy. Worked on an aircraft carrier. Never flew. The military is so diverse. Opportunities are endless for what they can do no matter what branch they enlist in.
For some reason, i remember seeing footage of the Akron lifting off with those four crewmen. That was just horrible.
I've seen it too and it is horrifying, and one of those things I wish I had never seen.
I've also seen that, can't remember where. It was quite a long time ago, possibly part of a documentary or something. It was a terrible thing to watch.
I remember watching footage of that accident when broadcast on an aviation history series called Reaching for the Skies. This was about 40 years ago, and I remain horrified.
RIP Nigel Merton Henton, RIP Robert Harold Edsall.
I saw it only a few days ago.
This isn’t a reupload?
The home of the USS Macon, Hangar One at the airfield now named for Admiral Moffett in Mountain View, CA, is still there and a renovation project which started over a decade ago is nearly complete. There was a lot of toxic material used in its construction, making the renovation a challenge. It remains one of the largest freestanding structures in the world, measured by usable interior space.
Don't forget the other airship / blimp hangars remaining around the country. I myself have visited Hangar B at (former) Naval Air Station Tillamook, which is now a small (ironic!) Air Museum. Only about a third of the hangar is actually used as a museum- the rest is cold storage, both for locals and some of the other historical organizations who've arranged their large items in a way that can also be seen by museum patrons, but in my opinion it's worth it to see one of the largest freestanding wooden buildings in the world. Unfortunately Hangar A burned down in the 90s.
Parts of a recent Star Trek movie were filmed there. The hangars for the British R100 & R101 are still there in the U.K. I've seen them from a train window. A friend of mine has a piece of fabric from the R100 after repairs were done in Montreal.
At one time there were three of those hangars at Moffett Field, complete with train rails running through. And when the weather was right, it could rain inside (or so I've been told)
@@johncentamore1052 The other two are still there. They're not quite as big, and were meant to house blimps used for surveillance during WWII.
Cardington, Bedfordshire in the UK are other hangers
Like, I know this is a low bar, but thank you for pronouncing Akron correctly 😭 You're the first UA-camr I've come across to actually look up the pronunciation and used it.
How do other people say it? Ak-RON?! lol
He's so good at pronunciations.
@@bethpedone8771, I’ve heard some say AY-kron or Ah-CRONE.
Unlike Shenandoah though 😅
@@ItsJustLisaoh wow 😳 i’ve never heard it mispronounced… i’m not sure how i’d react to hearing someone call it A-kron though lol
That one dangling survivor is so lucky he was probably scared shitless
In this case we call it "jettisoning ballast".
More than lucky, he was strong enough to tie the rope around him and keep his grip long enough to be rescued, on top of having the clarity of mind to actually do it. Although the smartest men were the ones that did let go of the rope while still on the ground.
@@moteroargentino7944 true
You can still see the former Goodyear Aerodock, where the USS Akron was built, while driving on US224 by the Akron OH airport.
Yes. Triplett Blvd too
There is a woman in Oklahoma who saw the Hindenburg crash. She was a young girl when it happened. She says memories like that will never leave you. She thought the people jumping out were ants.
I remember being told that the Empire State building was built with a docking station for airships cause they thought they'd be so popular
Sadly, as cool as that would be, it's a myth.
I don't think it's a myth, but it's not the whole story either. I believe they added a mooring post to the top to increase its overall height and surpass the Chrysler building. The mooring station wasn't fit for purpose and airships faded out of use but the main objective of becoming the largest skyscraper in Manhattan was achieved!
There is film of the only docking attempt. Small turbulence is still gonna be like banging the ship against the dock. They might have suspected, further on the whole ship would swing crazy wild around like the tether car did. King Kong falling off and part of the tower too!
@@echodelta9 But there was no dock....no ramp....it was a stunt done (and in terrible 40mph conditions).....but there was no 'docking station' where people could have gotten off. No 'dock' ever existed.
@@nickbumble2240 Nope. Empire State added a spire but no 'docking station' or any way to get people from an airship to the building....EVER. They didn't even attempt to make a way for people to go from an airship to the building. The spire was completely unrelated.
I have a primordially smooth brain, every time he posts, I click, class at seven be damned, watching this at 3:am my time shout out viewers in the US West!!
Pity you aren't here. You posted 3 hrs ago. It's 9:21 here. You coulda been brushing your teeth, watching a little wake me up on your way to class if you lived here. Lol
I'm an RN, have no concept of time outside of work, and also click automatically. Love this channel!
When I was a kid in the 70s one of the first models I ever built was of the USS Akron. It hung in my bedroom for years. And ever since I was a kid I have loved those airships. I think there are some of the most beautiful things humanity has ever created.
I agree! They are such a magical thing
They are certainly graceful. I always thought it would be a great way to travel - slow and leisurely, and not so high that you couldn't see a lot of detail on the ground. Precarious in bad weather, though.
Though the airships were quite massive, what truly impresses me is the size of their HANGARS.
The one in the video is still there, they have just about finished restoring it. It has so much volume it can develop its own weather system inside, just like the main building at Boeing.
@@marvindebot3264like it can rain inside the building?
@@somethingsomething404 as far as I know from research and people that had parents working there. the short answer is no. what I gathered is mainly condensations building up but not close to what you'd think. I also live in Akron right down the road from even the good year blimp hanger. ps every year the good year blimp takes about 25 pot shots from people being people in a year
@@somethingsomething404 Yes. It can develop fogbanks and clouds as well.
The giant hanger is still in Akron, Ohio and it now supports a fleet of Goodyear blimps. We see them frequently in this area of Ohio. A few weeks ago, I saw three flying in a line while driving through Suffield, OH. Yes, airships are mostly obsolete. But, not these. They are used to get video of football games and other events among other things and must be profitable.
There is a movie called "Here Comes the Navy" from about 1933 with James Cagney. Parts are filmed on the Macon and also the USS Arizona.
10:09 the building in the foreground is called Moffet field. It’s an airship hanger. It’s so tall that clouds and fog will form in the roof.
I was stationed at Moffett Field in VP31 in Hanger 1.
The building is Hangar One, the NAS Moffett Field.
Interesting documentary as always. Love this channel! Always recommend it to people. :)
I can't believe I never even knew about the Akron. Beautifully told story, thank you. 💝 Love from here in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
One of the Planes was on the ground being serviced and survived. It is now in the Navy Museum in Pensacola, Florida.
There's another example in the Smithsonian.
My grandfather's photography studio developed photos of the wreck of the Shenandoah, and he kept copies. They're absolutely fascinating to look through.
If there are any unpublished photos I'm sure an airship historical society would love to have the images. Many such things get lost over time so please make sure these don't join them.
Always look forward to a Tuesday morning video by FH
What a great bit of content as always 😊
I think that one of the main reasons (other than the iconic film footage) that the Hindenburg is much better known is that disasters involving civilian deaths tend to draw more attention than those involving servicemen and women. While most viewers of this channel have likely heard of the RMS Titanic, I would guess that far fewer know anything about the deadliest shipwreck of all time, the sinking of the M/V Wilhelm Gustloff.
Also, airships and blimps are not the same thing. Airships were built with a rigid airframe, blimps are more like a balloon. In WWII, the Army used blimps, not airships. Oops, I was wrong - just checked and see that dirigibles, zeppelins, and blimps are all classified as airships; dirigibles and zeppelins having rigid airframes.
That's right. A blimp is not a zeppelin and a zeppelin is not a blimp, but blimps and zeppelins (and dirigibles) are airships.
(Dirigible is French for "steerable", named at the time to differentiate them from any balloon-type airship that was not steerable, so I guess technically anything that we would think of as an airship is also a dirigible. I think the term became outmoded pretty early on, but somehow it stuck around anyway.)
The name "blimp" came from the British who classified airships as "A" for rigid ones and "B" for non-rigid, or "limp" ones. They ran the letters together and got "Blimp"
The fact that no airship had any floatation devices when flying over water blows my mind.
I live in Akron and can confirm the curse is still alive and well. This city is merely a shell of her former glory...
Not as sad as Youngstown. Ever been to Stan Hywet Hall?
@@nhmooytis7058
Ha! Yes and yes. Also from Akron born and raised. I have been all over the country and Akron definitely isn't as bad as some make it out to be. But hell maybe I am a bit biased or just used to it. 🤷😅
@@fawlkes2246 I thought Cleveland was bad then I went to Toledo! 😄
I was wondering the other day about such vehicles-we used to see them here in the Midwest in the 1960s and 70s (and possibly the early 80s?) on a somewhat regular basis. But they were rare enough even then that I remember my mom deciding to follow one on local roads for a while just for the fun of it-we’d been on our way to a nearby town but abandoned that destination for a little while. I miss seeing these wondrous blimps.
Every year growing up I was able to see one floating over my house, covering the Arlington Million. This would have been through the 80s. It was something you knew was special and now is such a unique memory.
New Jersey hates airships.
Watching from Akron where they still build them!
No we don’t and the Lakehurst hangers still house blimps.
The Hindenburg, part of DELAG Airways company, was constructed by the Zeppelin company in Austria, from memory. During DELAG's operations, the Hindenburg was the only fatal accident in the company's long, accident free reputation known for it's safety, as well as the luxurious appointments. And a company fort making safety their number one concern. Most passengers survived.
At the time it was the safest way to travel long distances and was considered luxurious. They had scheduled flights much like airlines do today.
Airships just look 100% scketchy. Like something a mad scientist would dream up
"MWAHAHAHA! BEHOLD MY BLIMP OF BLIGHT! MY DOOM BALLOON! BOW BENEATH ME HUMANITY!"
@@lofthouse23 🤣
Thank you for this video. I didn't know about this case.
I live near Lakehurst. I’ve held pieces of the Akron as well as the Hindenburg, Shenandoah, and Los Angeles working at local historical societies. I’ve also been inside the hangar where they were all stored (except for the Hindenburg). The hangars are unreal to stand in, they’re so huge.
I struggle to stay awake to your videos. Not because the content is dull (it's not!!), but your voice is so soothing it lulls me to sleep. I fight to pay attention to them and often have to rewind because I missed a few minutes 😂
That’s why I turn on subtitles and read along. I blame my adhd because it’s like that for most videos I watch.
This one was just wonderful, Mr. Fascinating. I love your channel!
I've heard of the USS Akron crash and the effect it has on the development of airships in the U.S. but this is the first time I've heard more people died from the crash than in the Hindenburg disaster. That fact doesn't seem to get covered as much (which is a shame ) but I guess the reason is because the Hindenburg was witnessed by many people and covered live on the air as it occurred and was captured on film
Thank you!
Been always aware of Hindenburg, but had no idea of this one.
Your channel is awesome, i'm a long time fan, thank you for making amazing content, one of the channels that make UA-cam worth..
Absolutely fascinating.
Wow, both this and the Hindenburg happened in New Jersey 😮.
As did Action Park and the Haunted Castle at Six Flags. Coincedence?
Living in the Akron area most of my life, it’s always great driving by the Airdock that’s provided so much history.
Love your channel. Keep up the amazing work. 😊
Airships are still being made in the US at T-Com in Elizabeth City NC. They are tethered with long lines that allow the ships to ascend several thousand feet. They are outfitted with cameras, FLIR, etc and are used by countries for reconnaissance. They are double walled and can withstand small arms fire.
RIP to all, and thanks FH for covering one of my ALL TIME fav aviation subjects.
I visited an air museum near the Oregon coast as a young man and it was all inside a gigantic blimp hanger. At one time it was the largest freestanding wooden structure west of the mason/dixon. It was a real experience that I hope to never forget despite age doing a number on my brain already.
What a great channel. Always good stories, always interesting, tasteful, well written, yhe intro & outro music, the whole nine yards some say.
"The planned spy basket was abandoned altogether."
Us: The planned spy basket was abandoned.
“It’s an entirely different kind of flying all together!” 😂
Surely you didn't get that from Airplane.
@@stevenstice6683 Yes I did, and don't call me Shirley 😂
What a truly fascinating episode!❤
My dad's side of the family is from NJ and I've never heard of this before! Thanks for sharing!!
Miracoulsy there is one of those Sparrowhawks is still in existence. Only 7 were ever made and most interwar aircraft are long gone either to the scrapyards or the second world war. It's a true gem.
Cool stuff
A story on the Shenandoah would be interesting. I’ve heard so many stories about people descending on the crash site and looting the dead not to mention stealing parts of the airship and the ship’s log. It might have answered questions about the events leading up to the crash.
That piano is creepy hypnotizing. 👀
Always a well read great story. 👻
That man truly is lucky wow.
If I survived two incidents like that, I'd be worried what was gonna get me.
*G'Day from Australia everyone*
Good morning, from Canada, Australia!
Good belated morning, Australia!
So interesting!
Love your videos!!
Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for this interesting documentary.
The creepy cool music is on, I...must...DANCE! *wiggles in seat to the beat*
Excellent video! Well-researched. Great job!
My favorite book series involves what-if ideas like dirigibles being the dominant method of flight. The first book is Hard Magic. It's a 1930s alternate history where some people have powers, like controlling certain elements or gravity.
I saw an airship a few years ago, it gave me the creeps. There is something sinister about these things.
I really enjoy your channel! Have learned so much.
I have such a soft spot for airships. I can't help wishing they were still around.
In your US airship history you did not mention commercial blimps, which still exist today. Especially the Goodyear blimp, which was special. Contests were sometimes held in which the prize was a ride aboard the blimp. And I remember the day I saw the Goodyear blimp fly over my house in 1985. That’s something you don’t see every day.
fun fact the current generation are no longer blimps, they are semi rigid airships built by the Zeppelin company(yes its still around). I mean nobody with a working brain will stop saying "Goodyear Blimp" though. If one goes to a sporting event you tend to know its important if you see the blimp. Additionally when that World Series earthquake happened in San Francisco, the GY Blimp provided first aerial footage to broadcast, ABC Sports had them go as far away from Candlestick as they could without losing the microwave downlink to the broadcast truck.
I was driving on the Shoreway in Cleveland and one was behind me about to land at Burke Lakefront Airport, there was a Browns game that day!
Her Hanger still stands today, and is actually used by GoodYear for their Blimp.
thanks for shared this information.
Three previous accidents. Design flaws. Ignored weather conditions. Insistence on using a dubious design. No life jackets despite flying over water. All adds up to a disaster.
10:04 Wow and I thought that crew sleeping spaces onboard naval vessels and submarines were tight and scary. Those "bunks" don't look very comfortable and knowing you are in a "room" that has a thin wall separating you from a very long fall. Also the noise of the engines and the wind outside. Don't know how anyone could sleep there no matter how tired they were.
I first learned about the USS Akron from an A&E documentary on airships. I still have the January 1992 National Geographic magazine on the sister ship - the USS Macon, I continue to use this magazine as a source when discussing the Akron and the Macon. I have actually seen the last surviving Curtis F9C Sparrowhawks, when it was still at the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida during my trip in June 2001. The US Army had its own airship disaster too - the USS Roma, which occurred on 21 February 1922, at Norfolk, Virginia, after the airship with 45 crew members on board, crashed straight into the ground and high voltage wires, after structural failure in the steering and the rigid airframe, this accident killed 34 including the captain. The Roma disaster was the worst airship disaster up to that point, the Roma remains the first and only American airship to use hydrogen for lift, and this accident ended the US Army's zeppelin programme.
In WW1 the briitish used small airships, basically a wingless airplane fuselage slung under a balloon-used to hunt for submarines, they had a longer range than heavier than air ships-perfect for patrols.
The incident of the four crewmen dangling on a rope inspired a similar incident in the James Cagney-Pat O’Brien vehicle “Here Comes the Navy.”
My mother worked at San Julian NAF during World War II. It was home to an airship command. We have many pictures of the blimps on the base.
As someone who does not like heights (at all), you would not believe the spike my blood pressure had when those four crewmen were lifted into the air.
Perhaps it’s a good thing that airships never caught on.
We came across an old WW2 airship hangar at Elizabeth City, NC. The Navy blimps there would go out to sea and hunt for the many U-boats that plagued the North Carolina coast and sunk a lot of ships within sight of land. Now Elizabeth City is home to a USCG C-130 squadron that hunts icebergs.
I grew up next county over in Portage, Ohio. My brother lives near 224 & 91 - right down the road from the hangar in Akron.
You failed to mention the role of blimps in anti-submarine patrol. One of their primary WWII duties.
And I'm kinda surprised at the lack of comments on this and the Macon being steampunk aircraft carriers.
Most airship enthusiasts have never heard the word "steampunk."
Not so much steampunk as diesel punk (maybe), and kinda carriers, but not in the way we think of carriers.
How Airships like Macon and Akron were to be used was for a reconnaissance role for the fleet, with their aircraft pulling double duty as both fighter cover and an extension to their scouting range, which already would be fairly large compared to the fleet. Their (relative) speed advantage and range offered incredible autonomy, meaning they could just cruise at altitude, spot ships from way out either using their planes or just their own eyes, radio it in and get out of dodge before the enemy could intercept, in theory.
In practice even flying was a problem as airships are terribly susceptible to bad weather conditions, as shown with the accidents. What made sure airships were not used for fleet reconnaissance was that even by the 30s increases in aircraft performance and radar meant that they would've been very easy targets for interception, with or without escorts or AA guns, flying at altitude not being as realistic anymore and being slow compared to conventional aircraft (and constrained even more by wind current).
So the navy put the money towards planning more actual carriers; blimps (which were cheaper and easier to build) ended up being used for ASW and general maritime patrols, particularly on the west coast were there was lots of coastline and not enough ships to go around, and where massed formations of Japanese Aircraft were unlikely to just show up.
@@barrag3463 Definitely dieselpunk, but most people are barely familiar with steampunk, so while I thought about using dieselpunk, I just stuck with steampunk.
(Really, it makes me think of Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura and other pulp-type games settings.)
I remember years ago that one of the Goodyear Blimps floated over our village, it seemed ginormous.
I live in Akron and see them on occasion. One time they had 3 flying around!
Very informative 😊
7:31 as a native Ohioan, Akron is definitely cursed😂
I hear there's a goblin there.
Mate of mine is from there, and all I know about it from them is that yeah that place has to be cursed!
Edit: but as my mate says, the curse gave us Devo, so... 🤷🏻♂️
@@relwalretep Devo actually got started in Kent, but Akron co-opting them is VERY Akron-like behavior 😂
Never been this early! The Hindenburg disaster was always fascinating to me, nice to see you cover the USS Akron as well! Def not as well known haha.
Edit-- Got too ahead of myself on the first comment lol
You must have commented before watching the video and either misread the title or didn't read it yet either. Haha! 🙂
@@bubzilla6137 You got me there! I was way too excited that I got here so quick lol, edited my og comment to make more sense!
@@JasperNightlynx Don't worry, I'm rarely early on a video on any channel either so when I am, I get a dopamine rush and write anything that comes to my brain just to get a comment up. Lol! 🤣😂 I never comment "first" though even when I am because it's so overplayed. But I don't hate on those who do either. Honestly it's meaningless, but still kinda fun. 🙂🙂🙂
@@bubzilla6137 Haha, glad I'm not the only one that gets that flustered dopamine rush!
Again. Another great history lesson.
11:19 actually given development over the past fifteen years, airships are likely going to make something of a comeback as freighters (faster than a boat but more efficient than an airplane)
Airships will not make a comeback. They are far too unstable and dangerous. Don't people ever learn from history?
They've been saying that for decades, but it hasn't happened yet.
I doubt it. Airships only hold an advantage over helicopters, since they don't need to spend energy to maintain stationary flight. To go from point A to point B, the airship just doesn't have any edge to stand out. You want your cargo to be delivered either cheaply or quickly (ideally both). An airship isn't even close to the speed of an airplane, and it costs more than regular shipping.
@@moteroargentino7944i could see them as an air equivalent to cruise liners
I am so glad that airships never caught on. Those things were death traps.
The incredible lack of foresight, not having life jackets onboard an airship that travels over large bodies of water.
Good video thanks 👍
Oh man, with all these crashes, I wonder how the safety of airships compares with planes and cars if you consider fatalities and miles or hours traveled.
I only had to stay up till 2am to be this early to the video
Man... I remember when you had around 200k subs. Excellent work
I lived just a few blocks in Mountain View CA from Hangar One at Moffett Field where the Akron’s sister ship the Macon (which crashed in 1935 off Point Sur) was kept. It’s YUGE!
Man really great content
Interesting video. A tragic event.
2am video drop for me in California! Thanks for making the end of my day more entertaining!!
Nice video!
I've had an interest in airships and airship disasters since I first saw the newsreel footage of the Hindenburg disaster many years ago at the age of eight. Reading about the various accidents and crashes that the US airship fleet - including the Los Angeles, which was constructed by the Zepplin Company, suffered, part of me believed that, despite the Navy's adherence to strict discipline, the airship commanders and crews always had a somewhat complacent attitude toward operating airships. I felt this attitude was likely due to the fact that the US airships used "safe" helium instead of "dangerous" hydrogen.
my grandpa was in the navy in Vietnam, I sent him this and he told me the wreckage of the Hindenburg was still there in situ in NJ when he did his training there.