Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-01-05
ZEPPELIN CREWS
FOR OCEAN FLIGHTS
INTENSIVE TRAINING

NItNNIvE InhInINu
The novel and intensive training
methods for the crews or the great
..Roparations Zeppelin" which - TO
be flown to this country from
Frederichshafen, Germany. during
the coming year, are attracting great
interest here among the Army, navy
and civilian aeronautical experts con-
cerned In the lighter than-air trans
portation industry. Following their
established practice of training All
the sailors" OF these great airsnips
so that they will be in the best possi-
BILE physical and mental condil9n.
the navigating officers of the Zeppelin
organization have commenced the M
tensiye flight training.
"The Preparations Zeppelin" which,
was allotted to this country by the
Versailles conference, is somewhat
larger than the U. S. n. Shenandoah
and will have crew of more than
80, including the officers. This great
ship will be flown from Frederick
shafen. cruising down through part
OF the Alps, crossing part of Italy
and Spain and without stopping will
continue Its voyage to America by
way of the Azore Islands. 1t will
probably enter the country some
where in the vicinity of Newport
News, Va, and will continue on to
st. Louis. Thence up the Mississippi
Valley to Chicago, crossing the city
of Detroit and Lake Erie and finally
landing. for the first time. at Lake
hurst, n. ]. This flight will be about
5000 miles and 1t is likely that the
Zeppelin will be in the air for nearly
q week without coming down. She
will carry an immense amount of fuel
In the 106 tanks, each holding more
than q barrel of gasoline. In addi-
ton to this n large quantity of oil.
provisions and accessories will be
carried. which will be necessary for
the trip. The Zeppelin Company
intends that the ship shall be as per-
feet as possible and its Maybach
motors will function without trouble
of any kind. These are now being
tested, The success of the record
breaking voyage Is largely dependent
upon the crew handling the giant
ship and for this reason these veter-
ans are being given an extraordinary
course of training.
The chief feature Of this is the
actual flight training which Is given
under new conditions All the men
and officers have taken innumerable
flights in Zeppelins and none will
he strangers to flight. But the fact
that they are to make the longest
tight in the world makes II neces-
ssry for them to receive all the
training possible. This Is given III this
way The giant gordola in which
the navigating Instruments. quarters
and necessary fight equipment Is To-
Gated has haoY, Aptohol u,,,.z. -.
four times a month the entire crew
enter the gondola and close them
selves in exactly as If they were
about to "hop Off, for America. They
take provisions, maps and everything
needed for such n voyage.
The commandant OF the hyinr
division OF the Zeppelin Company in
structS the captain of the Zeppelin
that he Is to leave at a specified
time on certain date, usually
, many years ago. The instructions
, may read, You will leave at .
/ clock on the morning OF March 3rd,
1872 and the captain will do so.
! once on board. with his navigating
oiiicer, he Will work out the flight
using the complete weather data of
that date. This data is found in tho
Volumes complied from countless OH,
scrvations made by ship captains
during March in 1899. 1t shows the
conditions of the weather. the veIoc-
, lty OF the wind. the temperature and
= general information of the ocean nj
practically all places during every
hour of the day.
The Zeppelin captain knows the
speed of his ship, how much fuel and
Gil he has. how much provisions
there are on board and all other
data. He knows that n wind of n
certain velocity will slow his shin
uoWn or help her along according
10 IFS direction. He knows that the
storms effect his fight in various
ways and taking everything into con-
Niueratlon. he must work out the en-
IRE voyage. all the way from his
nome port to New York and return
| His crew are busy with their duties
ana do everything they would have
+ To do under the suppositious cir
, cunstances outlined by the old
Mariners reckonings. The entire
| personnel remain on the gondola
! until the full voyage is completed
, The captain keeps n detailed log of
the flight and when they land this
! log is carefully compared with tho
/ ocean data and criticism of the
, flight is written by the chief flight
ot1ccr. It's excellence is the measure
or the efficiency of the captain and
ms men. In this way the Zeppelin
organization Is preparing to astonish
the world with the most remarkable
. Hight ever made. The Goodyear
Zeppelin Company, which controls
all the Zeppelin patents in this
country. is preparing to use the
same method In training crews for
the great "rigids" which are TO he
huilt and put into passenger SER
vice here. Data obtained from the
! 7. >. Weather Bureau will he used
Tor the trans continental flights and
efficient personnel will be trained and
ready by the time the ships are
ready for service.