​Navigating the Modern Goodyear Zeppelin NT Over London’s Skyline

Airships have always garnered attention, from the first experimental flights in Germany in 1895 when the zeppelin design was patented to the modern Goodyear blimps flown over sporting events.

Today the Goodyear Zeppelin NT (New Technology) provides scenic flights over Europe, resulting in a travel experience like no other. Jürgen Schelling was a passenger during a flight over central London in July and said the view is incredible from the airship and the ground.

“Because the airship moves slowly at an altitude of just 1,000 feet above the ground, thousands of passersby have plenty of time to marvel at this unique sight,” said Schelling, who is an airplane pilot and aviation editor at German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. “It makes a leisurely journey through the metropolis at 35 knots, traveling along the Thames past Tower Bridge, Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, and Buckingham Palace, coinciding with the Changing of the Guard.”

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The Goodyear airship is usually based at Lake Constance southeast of Germany’s Black Forest, which borders Switzerland.

The airship arrived on July 1 via Calais, France, overflying the English Channel and the White Cliffs of Dover before heading to London.

The zeppelin operated out of Damyns Hall Aerodrome (EGML), a facility north of London where vintage aircraft launch off grass runways. For two weeks the airship made daily flights on behalf of the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.

Schelling describes the daily routine.

“Each morning, after warming up the three Lycoming IO-360 engines, the pilot signals the ground crew to prepare for liftoff,” he said. “Then [the] non-flammable helium-filled airship, owned by Deutsche Zeppelin-Reederei in Friedrichshafen, is then uncoupled from the overnight mooring mast mounted on a large truck. The truck driver quickly moves the vehicle away from the Zeppelin’s designated flight path. The flight crew advances the throttles and the airship climbs steeply. London comes into view just seconds after liftoff, and cruising altitude is reached shortly thereafter. From there, the journey continues at the speed of a small motorcycle.”

The flight crew is made up of captain Marko Hollerer, captain Kate Board, and on several occasions, Zeppelin chief pilot Fritz Günther. The three take turns alternating between the roles of pilot flying and pilot monitoring.

Typically, the Goodyear Zeppelin operates out of Friedrichshafen or Essen-Mülheim in Germany from aerodromes with significantly less traffic. London can present a challenge, so crew coordination is critical.

As a native of Great Britain, Board handles radio communications with English ATC controllers with ease. London’s airspace is among the busiest in Europe. The London City Airport (EGLC) is on the Thames River in the city center, so getting permission from ATC to enter the airspace there requires a mix of luck and timing.

Once clearance is granted, the crew must remain highly vigilant in this geographically unfamiliar and busy operational environment. Navigation is done by specific landmarks in London. The zeppelin cannot fly any lower than 1,000 feet agl. The pilots split their time between looking outside through panoramic windows and glancing at the Garmin 500H avionics, which display the ship’s performance numbers and aid in navigation. 

Zeppelins are very weather sensitive. Flights sometimes have to be canceled on short notice because the winds are too strong. German Zeppelin NTs fly under EASA regulations—VFR by day or night.

When the weather is good, the sightseeing flights take place daily, concluding with landings at Damyns Hall Aerodrome, where the ship takes on 100LL avgas.

Technical Specifications

The zeppelin measures 246 feet long—about the same as a Boeing 747 fuselage—and 63 feet wide, with a seating capacity of up to 15 passengers. 

Despite the size, the airship is remarkably agile with the ability to change direction much faster than a blimp, a non-rigid airship. The Zeppelin NT can even perform a 360-degree turn on the spot, much like a helicopter, can fly backward, and hover.

Airships have always had endurance beyond airplanes and helicopters, making them the perfect platform for environmental research flights over the ocean.

The airship has a maximum airspeed of 60 knots and a service ceiling of 9,000 feet. Despite its slow speed the pilots must always be prepared for a sudden need for a change of plans.

“With fixed-wing aircraft, you only need plan A or B,” said Günther, the chief pilot. “With a zeppelin, you always have to have plans A, B, C, and D ready.”

The Zeppelin NT is certified for single-pilot operations, however, two pilots are used during multihour ferry flights or international journeys.

Günther, a former military pilot, has logged thousands of flight hours. Board also boasts thousands of hours and is one of only two women certified as zeppelin pilots in the world. Hollerer is the youngest member of the team but also has thousands of hours in the cockpit.

Pilot Training and Requirements

Becoming a zeppelin pilot in Europe requires a combination of flying skills, luck, and timing. There are just six Zeppelin NTs in the world—three flown by Goodyear in the U.S.. The airships in America are permitted to operate under IFR to better facilitate long-distance ferry flights across North America. 

Professional pilots with hundreds or thousands of hours in airplanes or helicopters must significantly adjust their mindset to fly a zeppelin. It has significantly less thrust than most airplanes and helicopters and a large surface area exposed to the wind. Things happen much slower in a zeppelin than they do in an airplane or helicopter.

The Deutsche Zeppelin-Reederei in Friedrichshafen, a subsidiary of ZLT Zeppelin Luftschifftechnik, trains its own airship pilots. Applicants must come to training with a commercial pilot certificate, ideally for helicopters rather than airplanes. Helicopter pilots are already proficient in hovering and accustomed to flying backward, though fixed-wing pilots can also make the switch to lighter than air (LTA) if they demonstrate the right aptitude. 

Applicants must have a minimum of 1,000 flight hours as PIC to be considered for employment.

The training course consists of 93 hours of theory and at least 50 hours of flight training. After training is completed the candidate takes the airship pilot examination for EASA’s Commercial Pilot License Airship (CPL-A). Even then, a newly qualified zeppelin pilot must fly for 150 hours under supervision of an experienced captain before being allowed to fly solo with passengers.

On days when British ATC does not grant clearance for flights over central London, the pilots explore the surrounding region instead. A “midfield crossing” of London’s Gatwick Airport (EGKK), one of Europe’s busiest, offers a welcome change of pace for the pilots.

Other favorite flyovers are the Brands Hatch motor racing circuit or the famous Canterbury Cathedral.

Passenger changeovers at the end of each flight are done efficiently, safely, and quickly, with the engines still running, thanks to the experienced ground crew. Most people get off the ship grinning and with the story of a lifetime to share.