A CENTURY OF AIRSHIPS
Buoyant Flight in 20th Century Motion Media
Edited by Richard G. Van Treuren

THE BOOK

Gleaned from many museums and web sites, this seven chapter book is a complete list of all known airsip film, whose descriptions read like a history not found elsewhere.

From "Happy Hooligan" around the turn of the century to the Goodyear Lightship floating over the Vatican at the moment of Y2K, A CENTURY OF AIRSHIPS lists every known scrap of motion media recording buoyant flight for the past 100 years. For the documentarian, it's a searcher's guide to finding images. For the student of history, it reveals what the public received as information on the subject. For "helium heads" it's a list of what Orson Welles called "A Ribbon of Dreams." Gleaned from numerous museums and 40 web sites, more than 4000 airship entries were processed in best known chronological order. Sit back and enjoy the show!

FOREWORD

In 1980, I traveled to Pensacola, Florida, for the first meeting of what would become the Naval Airship Association. There I met Rear Admiral Leroy B. Simpler, a member of the U.S.S. Macon's heavier-than-air unit. Admiral Simpler had a projectionist run a 16 mm film showing the giant airship conducting aircraft and spy basket operations. Eagerly listening to his stories of the flying aircraft carriers, I urged the Admiral to consider producing a short film covering the history of these unique vehicles.

At the same meeting, I met Captain Frank Buckley, an airshipman who told me about film that was available in the National Archives. I ordered all NARA had listed, and hastily spliced together a movie that I inflicted on any home visitors who are not quick enough to protest. I tried to drown out the clattering projector by playing suitable music on a cassette recorder.

Many years later, both Admiral Simpler and Capt. Buckley had passed away, and the film was all but worn out from repeated showings. Home video had come into being, and I thought someone would surely chronicle the history of the rigid airship in this new medium. But when I attended the 1989 NAA Reunion, I found there was only one hook-on pilot left, and no one seemed interested in producing a video history. I decided that, if no one else would, I would do it. Two years later, I rolled out my proud but crude first effort. One of my most cherished possessions is a letter from RADM Miller in which he wrote "it was quite a piece of work," just before he went on to his reward.

During the research this first project, visits to the National Archives made me aware that there was actually a great deal of unedited film on airships. With the most gracious sponsorship of two kindly old Navy blimp men, we were able to purchase all the World War II footage therein. A team of eager "helium heads" pitched in to help. Two years later we rolled out our first digital effort, “The Blimp Goes To War... Again.” Yet with the internet came more revelations. There was a great deal more film to be had… at a price.

Sadly, most of the private sources must cover rather enormous costs of obtaining, maintaining, and marketing film libraries, and therefore charge fees not affordable by amateur historians. However, in the interested promoting more complete airship video histories, we have compiled this collection of known motion media covering airships. For those looking to produce a video history, it can serve as a reference to begin Internet searches. Others will find it reads very much like a history unto itself: not just what happened, but rather what the public was informed was happening. Finally, we offer a list complied of Hollywood's airship treatments.

Richard G. Van Treuren, Edgewater, Florida

Paperback $17.95