The ancient lines and geoglyphs in Nazca, Peru have fascinated mankind for a long time. Just recently they were featured in "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull". In order to make sure the world has a permanent record and to survey the endangered lines a new Project is underway to this with a low flying, low impact Airship. John Christopher from Airship Initiatives most well known for his Zeppelin Tours is announcing a new Project this week: The Airship Nasca Project working with Professor Nick Saunders and the University of Bristol Archaeology Department who himself is involved in on-going research at Nazca with Professor Clive Ruddles of Leicester University. The survey mission is planned to take place in 2010. To read more about the project. Go to the Airship Nazca Website and read the press release that Airship Initiatives has put out. Below are also some more pictures of the project and the concept.
The Airship Nazca Project PRESS RELEASE: Issued 25 July 2008 – for immediate release Announcing the Airship Nazca project Airship Nazca is an exiting new project using an airship as an aerial platform for a photographic and remote-sensing survey of the endangered lines and geoglyphs in Peru, which were featured recently in the film 'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull'. The Lines and Geoglyphs of Nazca and Pampas de Jumana are one of the greatest cultural wonders of our planet. Situated in south-western Peru, 500 square km of arid plains are covered with lines straight as an arrow, fantastic geometric shapes and over seventy drawings of animals, insects and even human figures. These geoglyphs are huge, for example the famous Monkey with its spiralling tail is over 91.5 m across, while the Hummingbird - the symbol for this project and which in Andean mythology represents a special messenger of the gods - has a wingspan of 61 m. Best seen from the air, their purpose and how they were made has intrigued archaeologists and mathematicians ever since their re-discovery. But now they are under threat and may face irredeemable damage as the result of tourism pressure and the impact of climate change. In 2010 Airship Nazca will undertake the most detailed survey of the site ever conducted. “It will raise the profile of Nazca and other sites at risk, emphasising the need to protect the drawings while providing a blueprint of every square centimetre,” commented John Christopher of Airship Initiatives, the project coordinator. Heritage under threat Nazca is one of the most fragile archaeological sites in the world. The plains consist of a powdery gypsum-laden soil covered by a layer of rocks and stones; glacial debris that has been fragmented into small pieces. These stones have a high iron content and through oxidization they have darkened to give the site its distinctive reddish-brown tone. The lines and geoglyphs were created by clearing the stones and piling them to either side, thus exposing and contrasting the stones with the lighter-coloured soil underneath. The reason why the lines and geoglyphs have survived for so long is because of the site's stable climate which has almost no rain. However as reported by UNESCO there is growing concern about the impact of climate change upon many world heritage sites and in Peru there are regional factors with deforestation and erosion blamed for mudslides and flash-floods in many areas. In 2000 unusually heavy rains triggered mudslides in the hills south of the drawings, causing damage to one of the minor lines and prompting one archaeologist to declare it "an important wake up call." The rise in international tourism has brought mixed blessings to many parts of the world. Of concern at Nazca is not the quantity of visitors, but the actions of a few. Because the surface is so fragile any marks made by the tyres of a vehicle, or even a footprint, will last as long as the lines themselves. Tourists are now kept off the main area and see the drawings from the 15 m viewing tower or from light aircraft. Location The Nazca lines and geoglyphs cover the arid plains situated between the Pacific Ocean and the coastal mountains in the south-west of Peru. Location coordinates: 14 degrees 41' 38.3” S, Long 75 degrees 06' 49.6” W Why use an airship? The airship is an ideal stable platform from which to conduct a low-level survey. It can be adapted to carry a range of equipment and instruments, flying low-and-slow or even maintaining station if required. The airship can also take best advantage of the light conditions to photograph the lines and drawings which are shallow and do not show up well on satellite imagery. It will also provide the opportunity to carry equipment and experiments devised by students and school children and some may even get the opportunity to fly in the airship as part of their studies. Crucially, given the fragile nature of the Nazca site, the airship is environmentally non-intrusive and the entire survey will be conducted without leaving a single footprint on the surface. Recent advances in remote sensing technology, especially with Lidar which using pulses of light to produce accurate terrain modelling, should provide the most comprehensive survey of Nazca ever attempted. World Heritage Site The Lines and Geoglyphs of Nazca and Pampas de Jumana were inscribed on to the World Heritage List relatively recently, in 1994. The list, maintained by the World Heritage Programme administered by UNESCO, includes 878 sites which are considered as having outstanding importance. The Airship Nazca project team The Airship Nazca project has been devised by John Christopher of Airship Initiatives, a UK-based company dedicated to putting airships to work. With extensive experience in lighterthan-air flight and operations, Airship Initiatives are involved in a range of airship projects and also act as independent consultants for clients all over the world. The Zeppelin Tours part of their operation organises airship pleasure flights in many countries including Germany, Japan, the UK and in the USA. Airship Initiatives is working with Professor Nick Saunders and the University of Bristol Archaeology Department on the archaeological aspects of the project, and the handling of the data and imagery obtained. Nick Saunders is recognised internationally as an expert on the Nazca lines and geoglyphs and, together with Professor Clive Ruddles of Leicester University, is involved in on-going research at Nazca. For more information or pictures contact: John Christopher, Airship Initiatives Email jc@airshipinitiatives.com Tel +44 (0)870 479 8373 www.airshipnazca.com
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Ever since the Zeppelin NT started with it's passenger service in Japan this winter, there has been quite some coverage. Today we would like to take you around the articles that have been written about the Zeppelin NT with the registration JA101Z. We have covered the Japanese airship already a fewtimes last year. in June, July and November 2007 but let's look at what we haven't covered yet.
The probably most interesting article was sent to us by John Christopher from Zeppelintours it's an article on the Japanese Zeppelin NT which was published in the Tokyo Journal for Winter 2007/2008. You can download the PDF here (3.4MB)
Another really nice article is an experience report called "Up, up and away" from the Japan Times which describes the experience the editor made on his Zeppelin flight. Showing the reader once more that riding a Zeppelin is a completely new experience different from anything else up in the sky. Another article that we found was"World's Biggest Airship to take-off soon in Tokyo" an article by Luxurylaunches.com outlining the operations from this winter. It was posted in late November just when the operations started. At a similar time "New airship era takes off in Tokyo"was released by the Guardian from UK on the start of the passenger operations of the Zeppelin in Japan. And last but not least there was an article by Reuters called "Tourists cruise Tokyo skies in Zeppelin airship" that is also worth reading.
The current flights over Tokyo just ended January 5th 2008 but if you want to fly on the Zeppelin NT in Japan maybe the spring flight schedule we received from John Christopher might interest you
It will be operating over the Osaka area for 19 days from March 20, 2008 to May 7th. There are three flight routes:
Naniwa Cruise: Osaka Area
Bay Area Cruise: Osaka and Kobe Bay Area
Mahoroba Cruise: Nara Area, Yoshino Cherry Blossoms and Asuka Area
Often described as Japan's second city, Osaka is approximately 250 miles to the southwest of Tokyo. It has its west side open to Osaka Bay, and is otherwise completely surrounded by over ten smaller cities, all of them in Osaka Prefecture, with the exception of the city of Amagasaki.
The cost of the Zeppelin flights varies depending on the course and the flight chosen. Flights are scheduled between 13:30-20:00, including the night flight.
Throughout the Holiday Season one usually gets a lot of Christmas cards, these are just four cards that I got this Xmas, anyone else got some nice Airship related Xmas cards?
The first one is from our friends at Airshipventures Brian and Alexandra Hall they are working hard on getting the first Zeppelin NT to the American continent. For news around their venture also check out their well written Blog "Up Ship!"
The second card comes from Zeppelintours by John Christopher from Airshipinitiatives. Your one stop shop for your Zeppelin tourism needs world wide.
The last two cards where sent to the Airship-list by Ken DeLacy and I have to thank him for pointing me to the website where he got them from. These last to cards are out of the Navy Department Library and are part of the Macon collection
Do you have any more airship related Xmas cards or collectibles? Let us know we will be happy to feature them. Or maybe you have other Holiday Cards and collectibles that we could feature ? How a bout new years, easter or thanksgiving ?
The Zeppelin, continues to be one of our top news sources, it seems that there is a never ending stream of news around and about the Zeppelin NT. Today we would like to present a little update that we had just received from Zeppelintours.
John and Ute Christopher of Airship Initiatives tell us that their Zeppelin Tours to Friedrichshafen are going very well. Perhaps the most interesting request so far was from a man in Japan who wanted to take his cat on the flight. (And no, Zeppelin wouldn't permit it.)
They have several accompanied group tours scheduled over the next few months (see below) and as you will see they now offer the option of a three-night stay in Friedrichshafen. There is more new information on the updated website www.zeppelintours.com including a full calendar and prices. Plus lots of new photos and so on.
Forthcoming tours: These include a 60 minute Zeppelin NT flight of course, and all the extras.
8-10 August - Gold Tour with 2 nights in Friedrichshafen 4-7 September - Platinum Tour with 3 nights in Friedrichshafen
In addition they can arrange flights/tours for individuals, and Zeppelin have confirmed that flights will continue at Friedrichshafen until mid-November.
"Hopefully by 2008 we will also be able to offer flights in Friedrichshafen, San Francisco and in Tokyo!" John says. "Of course the 'big plan' is to get a Zeppelin to London and we are continuing to work on this... I have had several airship flights over London in the past and it is a spectacular place to fly. For the moment you can take a virtual London flight on the website."
So take a look at the expanded and improved website, and if you want to discuss getting up in the Zepp then get in touch with John and Ute at customerservice@zeppelintours.com
John Christopher from Airshipinitiatives once more did a trip to Friedrichshafen to Zeppelin with his Zeppelintours this time he brought some exciting news home with him. But before we get to the news we have to make a little detour to Dubai, better to the Spirit of Dubai this was a Skyship 600 that got modified with a new bigger envelope. The Spirit of Dubai was planned to do a "Landmark Journey" from London to Paris via Rome to Kairo and then finally to Dubai to be there for the opening of the Palm the huge artificial island in Dubai. Unfortunately the Airship got into problems with the egyptian authorities and had to stop it's route in Crete around January this year. Since then it had gotten quiet about the airship and the Spirit of Dubai. Until today, and now we come full circle back to John's Zeppelintours he took some pictures and found the missing Spirit of Dubai. The Skyship 600 (reg N605SK) is now in Friedrichshafen at Zeppelin getting a new design, the pictures show the Skyship with it's engines taken off. In the third picture you can see the current Zeppelin NT (reg. D-LZZF) with the Mainau design and in the foreground the first parts of the NT 004, the next and fourth Zeppelin NT.
Thanks again to John Christopher for providing the pictures, they are under full copyright by Zeppelintours and on their Website at Zeppelintours.com there are going to be more soon. Last but not least I want to point to one more thing. Most of us know the official Zeppelin Webcam looking out on the airfield, which unfortunately is out of order right now. But to compensate for this loss we digged out another webcam, from INSIDE the hangar. Since it is night in Germany as the time of writing you don't see much, but as the sun comes around the globe tomorrow you will be able to see the Zeppelin NT.
We do not know how officially unofficial this Camera is or how long it will stay online after we mentioned it here but for those indered here is the address for you to bookmark http://www.immenstaad.info/cam/webpic.jpg
That's it for tonight read you again tomorrow then with something about Ohio.
John and Ute Christopher from Airshipinitiatives launched a new Webiste just about a day ago, check out their new site called Zeppelin Experience Tours at http://www.zeppelintours.com/. They got some great pictures of the Zeppelin and in the photo gallery some with the new artwork with which the Zeppelin is flying right now in Friedrichshafen, Germany.
John Christopher who I just mentioned yesterday has posted an announcement into the Colorado Airshiplist, since it doesn't hve an archive or at least I don'T know of any archive here is the full text. We hope to reach a broader Audience by posting it here too. So John Christoper writes:
It's great to see the Zeppelin NT out and about again.
This artwork on the Zepp is in fact a special project by the artist Stefan Szczesny. The following paragraph comes from his website where you will also see an impression of the finished design - which incidentally is a reclining woman. See http://www.szczesny-online.com/start.php?lang=eng&active=zeppelin
Szczesny designs zeppelin
From April through mid-May 2007, the zeppelin NT will be part of a major event in which artist Stefan Szczesny will transform Mainau Island into a total artwork. The motto for this grand project is: 'A dream of an earthly paradise'. During this period, the zeppelin will also display a design by Stefan Szcezsny, making it part of this marvellous artwork, rounding off the project from up in the air. On trips over Mainau Island during this period, passengers aboard the zeppelin can marvel from on high at the 'earthly dream' - the zeppelin trip will make them one with this wonderful event.
And if you want to come and fly in this Zeppelin and see the island for yourself then why not join one of our Zeppelin Tours to Friedrichshafen - see our website www.airshipinitiatives.com and click on Zeppelin Flights + Tours.
Grant Morgan made an update to his Current Airship Blog he announced 3 new Websites one of them is us, thanks Grant for that. Besides our blog he also mentioned Levante-Vision a site from germany unfortunately the site seems to be offline right now, so I thought I include a lik to a google search allowing you to look at the cached copies of the pages that where available. So check out the chached pages on Google if you are interested. The other Site Grant mentions is Airship Initiatvie a Site dedicated to build business around airships. The Airship Initiatvie are John and Ute Christopher and they are Living in the UK. It's quite an intersting Site, with a lot of information check it out at http://www.airshipinitiatives.com/. To some of you John might be a name that you remember, he was editor of Airship – the journal of the Airship Association, for three years.
Ever since the Zeppelin NT started with it's passenger service in Japan this winter, there has been quite some coverage. Today we would like to take you around the articles that have been written about the Zeppelin NT with the registration JA101Z. We have covered the Japanese airship already a few times last year. in June, July and November 2007 but let's look at what we haven't covered yet.
