FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, Germany-Zeppelin Industry

[MrBern]

FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, Germany — Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin launched his first flying machine from Lake Constance here in 1900.

A new zeppelin floating inside a hangar in Friedrichshafen, Germany. The zeppelin industry supports a city-owned foundation that generates between $60 million and $80 million a year.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/04/world/europe/04zeppelin.html
In Germany, a City’s Famed Industry Now Helps Keep It Afloat

Perhaps the unlikeliest mission for the new generation of zeppelins was treasure hunter. The prototype ended up in Botswana, where the company DeBeers used it in diamond exploration. That was also where the prototype met its demise last year, wrecked by a dust devil that hit the ship while it was on the ground.

Friedrichshafen remains an economic success, thanks to the many zeppelin businesses. Its region enjoys a remarkably low unemployment of just 2.5 percent. But for the people here it was also important that the zeppelins not remain the brontosaurus of the skies but return to their rightful place over Lake Constance, even if their construction is still not profitable for ZLT Zeppelin Luftschifftechnik.

“I think that it gives the city its image, and also jobs,” said Margit Gutte, a retiree out for a stroll downtown on a recent sunny afternoon. “In any case the city is doing very well thanks to the foundation.”

 

[db5zx]

One of their newest Zeppelins is actually finished and on a tour through Germany and Europe. In September, they will ship it to the US east coast (the Zeppelin ist too small to fly across the Atlantic) and then will fly across the US to its new California home. http://www.airshipventures.com/

Jens

 

[LocktownDog]

Very nice. :eusa_clap

 

[Story]

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?t=29574&highlight=zeppelin