Airships history

Airships’ History

On September 1783 21st , the manned free flight adventure  begins with Pilâtre de Rozier and the Marquis d’Arlandes, who flew from la Muette until the Butte aux Cailles aboard a hot air balloon. Only ten days later, Charles and Robert fly at an altitude of 3000 meters with an hydrogen balloon. These balloons are not steerable but pushed by the wind.

In 1852, a french engineer, Henri Giffard, conceive and fly the first steerable balloon equipped with a propeller which rally Paris to Saint Quentin en Yvelines.

In 1884, Charles Renard and Arthur Kerbs, achieve the first closed circuit flight aboard the airship « La France » starting from Meudon, depot Y.

In 1990, The Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin fly his first rigid airship.

1910-1914,  the first commercial company in regular transport, DELAG, is created in Germany and carries over one hundred thousand passengers aboard its airships.

May 6th 1937, the Hindenburg airship crashes in New Jersey. This tragic accident brings an end to passengers’ transport in dirigible.