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Hindenburg: Difference between revisions
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{{Useful Notes}}
{{quote|''Oh, the humanity!''|Herbert Morrison}}
On May 6, 1937, the German airship LZ 129 ''Hindenburg'' was about to land at Lakehurst Naval Air Station in Lakehurst, [[Joisey|New Jersey]], after a trans-Atlantic flight from Frankfurt, Germany with 70 passengers aboard. The gigantic airship was a zeppelin -- a lighter-than-air craft like a blimp, but with a rigid internal frame -- and was filled with hydrogen rather than the usual helium.<ref>Helium was only available in the United States at the time, and that country wasn't selling it to any European power.</ref> It was the largest flying machine ever built at 263m in length, about four times the length of a Boeing 747 (and looking especially ''big'' considering since it was usually seen at a much lower altitude in flight), and was used as a commercial craft, like a luxury liner.
One cannot overstate the appeal of these magnificent airships. People would drop what they were doing and rush outside to see one pass overhead. They would take pictures. It was the kind of thing you told your grandchildren about, especially if you got to tour one while it was landed or -- OMG! -- ride in one. Cross the technological sophistication of the "Concorde" and the grandeur of "RMS Titanic" and you'll have some idea.
Due to heavy weather conditions, the ship was already late, and Captain Max Pruss had kept in the air for a few additional hours longer than expected until a storm over Lakehurst cleared up. At around 7 p.m., the ''Hindenburg'' came into Lakehurst and attempted an in-air anchoring (called a "flying mooring") in heavy winds. Newsreel cameras were rolling and veteran radio newscaster Herbert Morrison of WLS was making a test recording (on special phonograph disks) of what he thought was going to be a routine landing with subsequent passenger interviews.
The world knows what happened next. With the ''Hindenburg'' only a few feet from its mooring mast, it caught fire and came crashing down in a spectacular fireball. The horrified Morrison kept right on talking, describing exactly what was happening until he was overcome with smoke and emotion and had to step inside the hangar to recover himself. He subsequently reported on rescue efforts and even interviewed survivors. In total, the disaster claimed the lives of 35 people.
Nobody is sure what happened that day, inquiries held afterwards suggested everything from a lightning strike to deliberate sabotage, although most [[Myth Busters|recent tests]] indicate that it was a combination of factors. The most likely scenario is that a discharge of static electricity ignited a small amount of leaked hydrogen gas, which quickly grew into an unstoppable chain-reaction. Whatever caused it, the crash of the ''Hindenburg'' is an iconic moment in the histories of aviation and broadcasting. It was the end of the use of airships for passenger flights.
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{{tropelist|The ''Hindenburg'' and its horrific last flight are examples of the following:}}
* [[Broadcasting in the United States]] - A historic moment remembered (and replayed) even today.
* [[Cool Airship]] - It remains the largest object made by man to ever fly.
* [[Intrepid Reporter]] - Herb Morrison is remembered as a hero by radio and television newscasters. He had a long and successful life and career. His assistant Charlie Nehlsen, who actually operated the disc recording machine, should also be remembered; he had the presence of mind to adjust the needle back onto the disc after the massive explosion had jarred it askew (you can hear this, right after Morrison says, "It burst into flames," if you listen carefully).
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== Western Animation ==
* An episode of ''[[The Critic]]'' featured characters traveling Hindenburg Airlines, whose motto is "Oh The Humanity!"
* ''[[DuckTales]]'' managed to combine this airship with the ''Titanic'' in one episode.
* Parodied on ''[[Family Guy]]'':
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{{reflist}}
[[Category:Hollywood History]]
[[Category:Hindenburg]]
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