Oh, the humanity!
Those were the timeless words uttered by radio reporter Herbert Morrison when the last hydrogen airship ever to float above American soil — the Hindenburg — crashed and burned in a field in New Jersey in 1937.
The Eureka, a modern-day Zeppelin that has run tours a thousand feet high above the Bay Area, isn't capable of crashing and burning; it runs on inert helium rather than flammable hydrogen. But it is — thanks to the rising cost of helium — capable of running out of cash.
Airship Ventures, the company that bought the Eureka from the Zeppelin factory in Germany and began flying it in 2009, announced Wednesday that it had been forced to suspend operations and issue refunds to passengers who'd booked flights on the vessel.
It wasn't certain whether Airship Ventures itself would be going out of business. CEO Brian Hall told SFGate there was a "two-week window" for a new corporate sponsorship deal to save the Zeppelin. (The Eureka has in the past been sponsored by Pixar, which used it to promote the movie "Up", as well as by Farmers' Insurance.)
The Eureka takes up to 12 passengers at a time for champagne cruises around the Bay Area from Moffett Field, near Google. It would often take longer trips up to wine country in Napa and Sonoma, or down to LA for the weekend. It has flown more than 20,000 passengers in 3 years. (We took a ride on it back in May.)
Despite that level of engagement — and having piloted his company through one of the worst recessions in American history — Hall had to face the fact that helium is 10 times more expensive now than when he began in 2009.
San Francisco would be sorry to see the Eureka vanish for good. The bullet-shaped Zeppelin — much sleeker than a blimp, longer even than a Boeing 747 — has become almost as much of an icon for residents as the Golden Gate bridge it flies over.
But Hall held out hope that a "white knight" would save the Zeppelin. It costs $5 million to sponsor the vessel for a year; peanuts to Bay Area tech giants such as Apple, Facebook, Oracle or Google.
And the CEO isn't going down without a fight, launching a "save Eureka" campaign on Facebook and Twitter:
RT! I need a sponsor ASAP or they're going to ship me back to Germany in PIECES! #saveeureka #zeppme #geekship ow.ly/fiSia
— Airship Eureka (@AirshipEureka) November 15, 2012
As one commenter suggested, the Zeppelin might be a good candidate for a Kickstarter campaign. Oh, humanity?
The first time you see Eureka, it's hard not to think of the Hindenberg era. (Of course, they are powered by completely different gases -- helium, not hydrogen)
Note how small the twelve-berth carriage is compared to the helium-filled skeleton that lifts it.
The Zeppelin is guided in with a stars-and-stripes windsock.
The crew guide her in.
Boarding the Zeppelin is about the most difficult part -- you're trying to tie a giant helium balloon down long enough to climb into its cabin up a set of moving stairs.
The crew throws in ballast to keep the balloon down.
Of course, under FAA regulations, every air-going vessel must have a safety demonstration.
Ready for takeoff.
Passengers prepare as the Zeppelin lifts off from Moffett.
The Google HQ is right next to Moffett field in Mountain View, the Eureka Zeppelin's first home.
Note that the Zeppelin's landing gear -- a single wheel -- stays down.
The Zeppelin flies over Mashable's SF offices.
What, you thought this thing flew itself?
The pilots will hear your requests. If your house is reasonably close to the route, they may fly over it.
There are two pilots on every Zeppelin flight. With little to do except monitor the slow-moving airship and steer with their pedals, they develop a healthy banter.
Airship Ventures actually encourages you to chat with the pilot.
Sound studio recording deck or Zeppelin control panel?
A Zeppelin is significantly easier to operate than a plane.
Some of the pictures you can get in the California sunlight look unreal.
in the Naval dockyards off Oakland.
This is what the view from every seat looks like.
Not surprisingly, most people who don't have cameras have their phones out for pretty much the whole flight.
A special rounded glass wall at the back is great for panoramic shots.
over the Golden Gate.
If this was the view from your office, you'd be smiling too.
There are worse places to ferry people.
A view of the new span of the San Francisco Bay Bridge and its single tower, to be completed in 2013.
It looks so peaceful from up here.
There's plenty of back and forth between windows once you're allowed to take your seatbelt off.
heading towards downtown San Francisco.
Note the GPS unit the pilots use to guide themselves, in the lower left corner.
Another hidden landmark it's hard to see from any other form of transport.
Yes, that's how low you fly.
As the Eureka comes into land at Oakland, a hint at its tremendous size.
Yes, you are allowed to stick your head out.
The interior may not look as opulent as the 1930s airships, but sipping champagne in the sky remains the same.
Nothing better at the end of a hard day's airship flying than complimentary champagne.
Even when the airship is leaving, you can get some great shots.
The first time you see Eureka, it's hard not to think of the Hindenberg era. (Of course, they are powered by completely different gases -- helium, not hydrogen)
Note how small the twelve-berth carriage is compared to the helium-filled skeleton that lifts it.
The Zeppelin is guided in with a stars-and-stripes windsock.
The crew guide her in.
Boarding the Zeppelin is about the most difficult part -- you're trying to tie a giant helium balloon down long enough to climb into its cabin up a set of moving stairs.
The crew throws in ballast to keep the balloon down.
Of course, under FAA regulations, every air-going vessel must have a safety demonstration.
Ready for takeoff.
Passengers prepare as the Zeppelin lifts off from Moffett.
The Google HQ is right next to Moffett field in Mountain View, the Eureka Zeppelin's first home.
Note that the Zeppelin's landing gear -- a single wheel -- stays down.
The Zeppelin flies over Mashable's SF offices.
What, you thought this thing flew itself?
The pilots will hear your requests. If your house is reasonably close to the route, they may fly over it.
There are two pilots on every Zeppelin flight. With little to do except monitor the slow-moving airship and steer with their pedals, they develop a healthy banter.
Airship Ventures actually encourages you to chat with the pilot.
Sound studio recording deck or Zeppelin control panel?
A Zeppelin is significantly easier to operate than a plane.
Some of the pictures you can get in the California sunlight look unreal.
in the Naval dockyards off Oakland.
This is what the view from every seat looks like.
Not surprisingly, most people who don't have cameras have their phones out for pretty much the whole flight.
A special rounded glass wall at the back is great for panoramic shots.
over the Golden Gate.
If this was the view from your office, you'd be smiling too.
There are worse places to ferry people.
A view of the new span of the San Francisco Bay Bridge and its single tower, to be completed in 2013.
It looks so peaceful from up here.
There's plenty of back and forth between windows once you're allowed to take your seatbelt off.
heading towards downtown San Francisco.
Note the GPS unit the pilots use to guide themselves, in the lower left corner.
Another hidden landmark it's hard to see from any other form of transport.
Yes, that's how low you fly.
As the Eureka comes into land at Oakland, a hint at its tremendous size.
Yes, you are allowed to stick your head out.
The interior may not look as opulent as the 1930s airships, but sipping champagne in the sky remains the same.
Nothing better at the end of a hard day's airship flying than complimentary champagne.
Even when the airship is leaving, you can get some great shots.
No hay comentarios:
Publicar un comentario