German-made airship set to give Chicagoans a lift next weekend
Click HERE to go to original Chicago Tribune article and video from within the zeppelin.
— Captain Jim Dexter takes passengers up for a spectacular 360-degree view of the earth aboard an aircraft he dubs "the ultimate skybox."
It's the largest flying airship in the world, a Zeppelin NT4 (New Technology) named Eureka, painted with the livery of its current corporate sponsor, Farmers Insurance Group.
The German-made airship represents somewhat of a paradox, albeit enjoyable for its passengers. At 246 feet in length, the zeppelin is 15 feet longer than a standard Boeing 747 and its glass cockpit is equipped with some similar state-of-the-art avionics.
Yet the top speed is 78 mph carrying a maximum of 12 passengers and two crew members, according to Airship Ventures Inc., a California company that owns and operates the vehicle.
