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Zeppelin flights for Napa?
The Zeppelin, at a cost of about $15 million, is about 250 feet long and flies at about 1,300 feet. A company is proposing to fly these in Napa County this fall. Submitted photo | Buy photos
Firm plans to launch dirigibles over vineyards this fall
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Comment10 a.m.Move over, hot air balloons.
A company called Airship Ventures wants to fly a Zeppelin the size of a jumbo jet over wine country.
A company called Airship Ventures wants to fly a Zeppelin the size of a jumbo jet over wine country.
Alexandra Hall, chief executive officer of Airship Ventures, based at Moffett Field in Mountain View, said the company is still working out the details, but she’s sure of one thing: The firm wants to make regular flights over wine country.
The Zeppelin, which costs about $15 million, will be about 250 feet long, fly at about 1,300 feet and at a speed of between 30 and 35 mph.
The Zeppelin, which costs about $15 million, will be about 250 feet long, fly at about 1,300 feet and at a speed of between 30 and 35 mph.
“We don’t want to fly so high as to be intrusive, but be low enough to know what you are looking at,” said Hall. “The ride is very relaxing and quiet and you don’t have to get up early in the morning like you do for a balloon ride.”
“We need to come up and do more flight surveys,” Hall said. “Right now we are working on just getting the airship here. We know of at least one spot we can work from right now.”
“We need to come up and do more flight surveys,” Hall said. “Right now we are working on just getting the airship here. We know of at least one spot we can work from right now.”
Hall said she hopes flights could begin in late October or November, depending on a number of factors, including securing a place to land the airship.
Muted reaction
Napa County Airport manager Martin Pehl said a representative from Airship Ventures stopped by his office about a month ago to discuss the possibility of a Zeppelin landing and taking off from the airport.
Pehl’s concern is how the Zeppelin will impact existing air service at the 820-acre airport facility in the south county.
“I’m not sure if we can accommodate them ... (the Zeppelin) is going to take quite a bit of real estate,” Pehl said.
Pehl sail Airship Ventures still needs to get FAA approval. His understanding was flights weren’t expected to happen until sometime in 2009.
“This is the first that I have heard about it,” said Carol Ann Rogers, of Napa Valley Aloft, a ballooning company in Yountville, located at the V Marketplace.
“Napa Valley is a sensitive area. In the 30 years we have been in operation, we try to be sensitive to protect what we all think is so wonderful about this valley,” Rogers said.
Made in Germany
Hall expects a flight around the Napa Valley to last one to two hours. “We need to do some test flights.”
The cost for a ride? Probably between $400 and $500 per person. “We will be setting the prices soon,” Hall said.
The Zeppelin is expected to arrive in the Bay Area in October.
“We envision the first flights to take off before the end of the year ... coming from Moffett Field and dropping people off in Napa County and also being based in the area for several days, flying tourists over the wine country,” Hall said. It would also fly elsewhere in the Bay Area.
“We hope to fly over the beautiful countryside of Napa Valley when flying out of the airport there,” Hall said.
Hall said the company has been looking at several locations for takeoffs and landings — including Napa County Airport, but also locations in Sonoma County. The airship needs an area about 1,000 feet in diameter for landing.
Aboard the Zeppelin, passengers can walk around, open windows, take aerial photos or even chat with the Zeppelin pilot.
As many as 12 people at a time would potentially be able to buy a ticket and float over the verdant vineyards.
Hall envisions the Zeppelin being chartered by an entire group. “We can see potential for usage for weddings ... get married on the airship ... it helps solve the problem of how many people you invite,” she said laughing.
Hall thinks the Napa Valley would be special for a Valentine’s Day Zeppelin flight over the Napa Valley.
Hall said the company wants to bring the experience to Napa Valley because there are people already coming here for balloon rides to enjoy the vineyards from the air.
“There are some excellent ballooning companies here,” she said. “So it made sense to us to see what location choices there are. I’ve seen the wonderful scenery in Germany (from a Zeppelin), which is where Airship Ventures aircraft is being built. I think this would be a wonderful addition to what people can already do ... a welcome addition to how people can experience the wine country.”
Construction of Airship Venture’s Zeppelin was completed in Germany in late May and took about 18 months.
Hall said the company’s Zeppelin — until mid August — will be floating tourists over the River Thames in southern England. Then the airship travels to Holland and will be shipped across the Atlantic to the United States.
Today’s Zeppelin — using non-flammable helium — is nothing like the infamous 804-foot-long Hindenburg that exploded in 1937, which was filled with volatile hydrogen.
Airship Ventures, founded in 2007, moved its operations to Moffett Field in a partnership with NASA that will include partial use of the historic Hangar 2, built in 1942 to house Navy blimps.
Muted reaction
Napa County Airport manager Martin Pehl said a representative from Airship Ventures stopped by his office about a month ago to discuss the possibility of a Zeppelin landing and taking off from the airport.
Pehl’s concern is how the Zeppelin will impact existing air service at the 820-acre airport facility in the south county.
“I’m not sure if we can accommodate them ... (the Zeppelin) is going to take quite a bit of real estate,” Pehl said.
Pehl sail Airship Ventures still needs to get FAA approval. His understanding was flights weren’t expected to happen until sometime in 2009.
“This is the first that I have heard about it,” said Carol Ann Rogers, of Napa Valley Aloft, a ballooning company in Yountville, located at the V Marketplace.
“Napa Valley is a sensitive area. In the 30 years we have been in operation, we try to be sensitive to protect what we all think is so wonderful about this valley,” Rogers said.
Made in Germany
Hall expects a flight around the Napa Valley to last one to two hours. “We need to do some test flights.”
The cost for a ride? Probably between $400 and $500 per person. “We will be setting the prices soon,” Hall said.
The Zeppelin is expected to arrive in the Bay Area in October.
“We envision the first flights to take off before the end of the year ... coming from Moffett Field and dropping people off in Napa County and also being based in the area for several days, flying tourists over the wine country,” Hall said. It would also fly elsewhere in the Bay Area.
“We hope to fly over the beautiful countryside of Napa Valley when flying out of the airport there,” Hall said.
Hall said the company has been looking at several locations for takeoffs and landings — including Napa County Airport, but also locations in Sonoma County. The airship needs an area about 1,000 feet in diameter for landing.
Aboard the Zeppelin, passengers can walk around, open windows, take aerial photos or even chat with the Zeppelin pilot.
As many as 12 people at a time would potentially be able to buy a ticket and float over the verdant vineyards.
Hall envisions the Zeppelin being chartered by an entire group. “We can see potential for usage for weddings ... get married on the airship ... it helps solve the problem of how many people you invite,” she said laughing.
Hall thinks the Napa Valley would be special for a Valentine’s Day Zeppelin flight over the Napa Valley.
Hall said the company wants to bring the experience to Napa Valley because there are people already coming here for balloon rides to enjoy the vineyards from the air.
“There are some excellent ballooning companies here,” she said. “So it made sense to us to see what location choices there are. I’ve seen the wonderful scenery in Germany (from a Zeppelin), which is where Airship Ventures aircraft is being built. I think this would be a wonderful addition to what people can already do ... a welcome addition to how people can experience the wine country.”
Construction of Airship Venture’s Zeppelin was completed in Germany in late May and took about 18 months.
Hall said the company’s Zeppelin — until mid August — will be floating tourists over the River Thames in southern England. Then the airship travels to Holland and will be shipped across the Atlantic to the United States.
Today’s Zeppelin — using non-flammable helium — is nothing like the infamous 804-foot-long Hindenburg that exploded in 1937, which was filled with volatile hydrogen.
Airship Ventures, founded in 2007, moved its operations to Moffett Field in a partnership with NASA that will include partial use of the historic Hangar 2, built in 1942 to house Navy blimps.
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LMW wrote on Jun 30, 2008 10:49 AM:
MarkMiwords wrote on Jun 30, 2008 10:57 AM:
psychochik wrote on Jun 30, 2008 10:58 AM:
napadad wrote on Jun 30, 2008 11:11 AM:
silence dogood wrote on Jun 30, 2008 11:30 AM:
Dwayne wrote on Jun 30, 2008 11:33 AM:
db76 wrote on Jun 30, 2008 11:34 AM:
comment wrote on Jun 30, 2008 11:38 AM:
urte wrote on Jun 30, 2008 11:38 AM:
A bit of a "hairbrained" idea...and while a trip in the balloon is still affordable...$400 to $500 per person...is steep even for the "big shots" in town...so it will all be out of towners...! "
LMW wrote on Jun 30, 2008 11:47 AM:
Unclestuy wrote on Jun 30, 2008 11:54 AM:
jimmie wrote on Jun 30, 2008 12:13 PM:
comment wrote on Jun 30, 2008 12:20 PM:
sickothis wrote on Jun 30, 2008 12:27 PM:
mikeb wrote on Jun 30, 2008 12:38 PM:
Lane wrote on Jun 30, 2008 12:45 PM:
sickothis wrote on Jun 30, 2008 1:05 PM:
Cadence wrote on Jun 30, 2008 1:10 PM:
Maybe the dog police can entice Airship Ventures to glue on a few spy cameras! "
marine1/1 wrote on Jun 30, 2008 1:44 PM:
reason-ator wrote on Jun 30, 2008 1:56 PM:
matt@newspeak wrote on Jun 30, 2008 2:39 PM:
Really bad idea. "
nwnapan wrote on Jun 30, 2008 3:02 PM:
russ wrote on Jun 30, 2008 3:04 PM:
Dwayne wrote on Jun 30, 2008 3:13 PM:
" 4 people can spend an hour in a helicopter for $1,200. Cheaper, smaller, and just as safe. "
Sorry, but I don't fly in anything that's designed to disassemble itself..... "
MarshaMarsha wrote on Jun 30, 2008 3:17 PM:
musikluvr wrote on Jun 30, 2008 3:34 PM:
merri wrote on Jun 30, 2008 4:27 PM:
common sense wrote on Jun 30, 2008 4:34 PM:
reason-ator wrote on Jun 30, 2008 4:39 PM:
Suze wrote on Jun 30, 2008 5:06 PM:
supernova8610 wrote on Jun 30, 2008 5:18 PM:
imantycris wrote on Jun 30, 2008 8:48 PM:
I went for a ride on the Goodyear blimp in LA years back. It was not that spectacular. In fact it was boring.
There have been several unscheduled, close call landings of balloons in my neighborhood. It is very nerve wracking to see a balloon miss my chimney by 20 feet. Hopefully the blimps will not come near southeast Napa "
sotto voce wrote on Jun 30, 2008 8:57 PM:
... (please!) "
boots wrote on Jun 30, 2008 9:17 PM:
plasticpinkflamingo wrote on Jun 30, 2008 10:34 PM:
Just think, in cold weather they could come down really low and use their propellers on the vineyards. They may also blow over small children and dogs, but that's just entertainment for the $500 passengers.
But how about a (drum roll please) Commuter Zeppelin. No rails up and down the valley. Just clear a large enough area for the blimp (OK I know there is a difference between a blimp and a zeppelin) at each stop. It could run from Calistoga, stop in St. Helena and Yountville and Napa then drop commuters at the ferry in Vallejo or continue on to the East Bay or SF, then return. No highway congestion, no bus fumes. Have to be a little cheaper than $500 a ride, but we'll lose a little on each one and make it up in the volume. Government subsidy, that's the ticket!
I can see it all now: blimps moving silently up and down the Valley, gaudy advertising for wineries lit up on the side (and commuter passengers lit up inside at the bar).
But wait, there's more! The best part would be computers set up that can only access the NVR website, so the commuters can make their observations (pun intended) during their commuter ride.
Or how about blimp races? Blimp pizza delivery? Blimp newspaper delivery (Smack - Owww! - oh well, one less NVR reader). Government blimps stationed over Napa, peering into homes with their Homeland Security cameras, observing citizens as if they had no clothes on! Taking pictures of red light runners and strawberry vendors. Hovering over traffic checkpoints to mark the drivers diverting around the checkpoint.
There's something for everyone here. "
Jigs wrote on Jul 1, 2008 10:14 PM:
TFYTMP wrote on Jul 6, 2008 7:53 AM: