Blimps, Airships Offer a Glimpse Into the Past (PHOTOS)

By: By Sean Breslin

Published: October 16,2013

 

 

 

 

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St. Louis, Mo.

The Baldwin airship, rising from the ground at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition at St. Louis, Mo. on 1905. (Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

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There was a time when blimps were used for more than a view of a sporting arena from above.
Our love affair with airships was born in the 20th century, and images like the ones you can view above illustrated the beauty of these beasts. Airplanes were still a new invention, which left blimps as the way to get around via the skies, according to Jalopnik.
Then came the Hindenburg disaster of 1937, one of the first catastrophes in history captured on film, according to a Time Newsfeed report. Despite the blimp's ability to cross the Atlantic Ocean twice as fast as a ship, the report states, the fire initiated the end of an airship age.
The blimps that remained use helium instead of hydrogen because helium doesn't ignite, preventing similar airship disasters, reports HowStuffWorks.
(MORE: Could a 'City at Sea' Ever Be a Reality?)
NJ.com recently reported that blimps likely won't be able to fly in chilly New Jersey when the 2014 Super Bowl is played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., so weather will probably keep us from getting those amazing overhead shots of the field.
And though the MetLife Blimp covers about 70 events per year from the air, according to its website, expect it to be on the ground for the Big Game in February 2014. Because the ideal weather conditions for flight are warm, clear days with no precipitation, MetLife spokesman Shane Winn told NJ.com the blimps are usually scheduled to appear at warm-weather events during the winter. A rainstorm can add 400 pounds to a blimp, while snow and ice in February could quickly weigh down an airship even more.
Peruse our gallery of airships at the top of this page to see the surprising luxury of some blimps in the 1900s.

MORE: Incredible Images of Airplanes

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A small jet taking off from Nashville International Airport crosses the supermoon. (iWitness Weather contributor kennedyB)