Bet you always wondered -

[NutmegCT]

Yesterday was the anniversary of the Hindenburg's first flight in 1936. But when you saw the 1975 movie, did you wonder about these folks?

The Hindenburg: Fact and Fiction

Captain Lehmann:

Countess Ursula:

Captain Pruss:

By the way, if you want an interesting read, take a look at the US Commerce Department's report of the May 1937 disaster:

Dept of Commerce report

 

[PAUL161]

It's amazing how Hollywood re-writes history and twists the true stories around to their liking and mar the names of people whom they never knew. Problem is, a lot of people who watch the movies, believe it as the truth! I was stationed at Lakehurst and in a blimp squadron. ZP-753, in hangar #6. There were still stories about tiny bits of the Hindenburg still on the roof of number one hangar. Couldn't be true after all those years, but that's how stories go. There are claims that some small pieces still survive in private collections which could be very true.
Interesting note, as old as number one hangar is, the doors are still operated by the same gearing operation that was on it when built. Hows that for quality! Another thing about old #1, it has it's own weather pecularity in it. The roof is so high and the hangar gets so cold in the winter, that under the right weather conditions and if I remember correctly, about this time of the year and in the fall, clouds will form up in the roof area and when saturated, moisture will fall like a light rain for maybe 30 seconds or so. Crazy but true, I've seen it! PJ

 

[bugimike]

Fascinating!! I have visited the Naval Air-station at Lakehurst...talk about some huge hangars!! (they still service blimps there such as the Seaworld blimp and the Goodyear blimp!)

 

[Basil]

When I was doing site surveys for the North Warning system (on Baffin Island and Labrador) we were flying around the mountains in a Bell jet helicopter. Our pilot's name was Ed Pruss...his great uncle was Max Pruss. On our very first flight on the very first day, we had an oil seal fail shortly after take off and had to do an emergency landing!

 

[hilsideser]

Yikes!

 

[DART]

As a child in Ohio, every time the family would drive past the Goodyear facility in Akron I would be told about how the hanger was so big it would rain inside. I believe!

 

[JPSmit]

The space shuttle building has its own environment as well

 

[bugimike]

By coincidence yesterday, on the way home from work after reading this, what should I see floating in the sky but this... :laugh:

 

[coldplugs]

As a child in Ohio, every time the family would drive past the Goodyear facility in Akron I would be told about how the hanger was so big it would rain inside. I believe!

Heck, I've got a <span style="font-style: italic">cellar</span> where that happens sometimes!

Re rainy buildings - The Lockheed "L1011" building in Palmdale CA had that issue as well. I don't know what it's (the building) called today.

 

[Twosheds]

A friend of mine is a lighter-than-air archivist at the National Air & Space Museum. He told me that they interviewed a woman who, as a little girl, saw the Hindenburg fly over her schoolhouse one day. All the children ran after it. The teacher called them back, but the little girl disobeyed and kept running.

As punishment, she had to stay after school and write on the blackboard 100 times:

"I will not run after the Hindenburg."

 

[PAUL161]

A friend of mine is a lighter-than-air archivist at the National Air & Space Museum. He told me that they interviewed a woman who, as a little girl, saw the Hindenburg fly over her schoolhouse one day. All the children ran after it. The teacher called them back, but the little girl disobeyed and kept running.

As punishment, she had to stay after school and write on the blackboard 100 times:

"I will not run after the Hindenburg."

Wow, isn't that nice. Another, I guess, little known story. I know I've never heard it before. She must have been up there in years when she was interviewed. Thanks for telling the story, very nice. PJ

 

[aeronca65t]

I see Hanger 01 at least twice a week. A few years ago, I bought a small retirement home for my parents.
That house is within walking distance of Lakehurst NAS so I see the hanger every time I go down to vist dear old Dad. Actually, I'm heading there right now and will see the hanger in a few hours.

I've seen the Hindenburg plaque many times.

As children, our family lived about 6 miles from the NAS. When one of my brothers was in high school, he used to ride his bike to the base as part of an after-school co-op job. Mostly he helped move helicopters and sweep up around them. That little experience led him to get interested in helicopter engineering. Today he holds the title of <span style="font-style: italic">Fellow</span> at Sikorsky Helicopter, where he is employed.
They run part of a local vocational school program inside the hanger these days. They also fly these flyweight rubber-band airplanes inside it (a local club). The things are set up to rise almost to the roof and then glide back. They fly so slow it's almost freaky. The slightest breeze will wreck them, so the hanger is prefect to fly them in.

When we were kids, we'd see blimps from Lakehurst fly over all the time. We'd wave to the sailers and we could see them waving back.
We also saw the Blue Angles fly over our house at about 500 AGL, totally supersonic.
Good old days.

There's a "Blue Angles" A-4 Skyhawk "gate guard" mounted on a pedestal right outside the main gate at the NAS. I'll see that today too.

 

[PAUL161]

Nial, I remember the little feather light airplanes. The guys would fly them every once in a while in the hangars and as you say, only with the doors closed. It's amazing just how fragile they were. If I remember correctly, they had endurance contests with them and see who's airplane could stay up the longest.

 

[bgbassplyr]

Made out of broom straw and microfilm.....or 1/32" square balsa covered with soap film.

 

[aeronca65t]

Yeah, most folks call those micro-weight model planes, "indoor planes". Even the prop is built up from balsa and film.

The forward flight speed is like 1 mph.

Here's one..