Gallery

 

From Friedrichshafen to S____ D___???

Baltimore—Washington International Airport is close to a location that almost became a major player in the historic international Zeppelin flights of the 1930’s. Dr. Hugo Eckener flew over the area (part of Anne Arundel County) in the Graf Zeppelin in 1928, between Washin9ton and Baltimore. The purpose of the survey flight was to find a terminus for the newly formed International Zeppelin Transport Company (Reederei) in the United States. One farmer was startled at the awesome sight as the 721—foot Graf flew low over his land. One advantage to this location, according to Roy Dodd, a native of these parts, is that the approach from the Chesapeake Bay offered ideal 1andinc patterns in this era before radar. Roy also has a clipping from 1930 that shows Dr. Eckener and some Baltimore counsellors and brokers standing in a field, discussing the possibilities of turning it into a landing site. According to an article in the Baltimore Sun, Eckener’s first choice was “a large field north of Glen Burnie”, which now is close to BWI airport.

Plans changed when the Graf Zeppelin began its regular service between Germany and Brazil. Dr. Eckener acain flew over the original site in the 811—foot Hindenburg in 1936, probably because bad weather in Lakehurst forced the ship to travel farther south before landing. Since the Glen Burnie contract hadn’t been consumated, President Roosevelt gave Dr. Eckener permission to establish docking facilities at our home base for U.S. Navy dirigibles and blimps, Lakehurst, NJ. The base was host to the Zeppelins until May 6, 1937, when the Hindenburg went down in flames.

There but for a quirk in history, we may have seen headlines that read: HINDENBURG ENDS ITS DAYS AT SCHMUCK’S DUMP. For that is the name of the area surveyed by Dr. Eckener in 1928!

 

Danzig Report Vol. 1 - Nr. 71 - April - May - June - 1991, Page 20.