Strahl Strahl is an airship in " Final Fantasy XII " and " " . In " Final Fantasy XII " , the " Strahl " is the player party ' s main airship , and is owned by the party members Balthier and Fran . Nono works as its mechanic . Gameplay . The player cannot move around the inside of the " Strahl " . Instead , boarding the " Strahl " in " Final Fantasy XII " will bring up the map of the world and a list of destinations the party can fast - travel to , similar to " Final Fantasy X " . The " Strahl " becomes available after visiting Balfonheim Port after the events in Giruvegan . The player can board the " Strahl " at any aerodrome , as well as certain locations on the field . In an aerodrome the player must speak to the woman in the counter marked Private Airships . If the player looks out the window in an aerodrome , they can see the " Strahl " outside . On the field , there is anchor on the ground where the " Strahl " can be boarded . These spots are marked on the player ' s map . List of locations where " Strahl " can be boarded : Story . " Final Fantasy XII " . The " Strahl " is a new prototype ship for the Archadian Empire , but its unique folding - wing design proved too expensive and the ship was going to be scrapped . When Balthier escaped Archades , he stole the " Strahl " . The airship has since been upgraded so much it no longer resembles its original design . The " Strahl " has been Balthier ' s airship ever since he stole it from the Archadian Empire when he decided to abandon his old way of life and become a sky pirate . Balthier and Fran lend its use to Vaan ' s party until they head to the Tomb of Raithwall . Since the tomb is located in a jagd , the airship is unable to fly there . Balthier renders the airship invisible and leaves it hovering over the Dalmasca Westersand with the moogle mechanic Nono looking after it . The " Strahl " is damaged when the 8th Archadian Fleet explodes nearby , and it ' s up to Nono and his moogle mechanics to repair it . Later , Reddas gives the party a new skystone that allows airships to fly over jagd . Balthier teaches Vaan how to fly the " Strahl " in the event the former has to " do something heroic . " After the installation of the new skystone , the " Strahl " can reach anywhere in Ivalice . As the Sky Fortress " Bahamut " is about to engage with the Resistance above Rabanastre , the party flies the " Strahl " to it to stop Vayne . After defeating Vayne , Balthier and Fran stay behind to restore the " Bahamut " < nowiki > ' < / nowiki > s power by fixing the ship ' s glossair rings . Vaan takes control of the " Strahl " and flies the rest of the party to safety . Believing Balthier and Fran to have perished in the " Bahamut " < nowiki > ' < / nowiki > s crash , Vaan and his friend Penelo look after the " Strahl " until , one day , they enter the hangar and find the ship stolen . The pair finds a note from Balthier declaring that the " Strahl " is back in the hands of its rightful owner , and he and Fran are on their way to new adventures , having found an entirely unexplored continent . Balthier and Fran fly the " Strahl " to the Cache of Glabados where Vaan and Penelo join them on Vaan ' s new airship . As the floating island begins to crumble Vaan loses his airship , and the party uses the " Strahl " to return to Rabanastre . Balthier and Fran go on their separate way and only meet up with Vaan ' s party much later when Balthier attempts to destroy the second Auralith . In the event ' s aftermath an earthquake shakes the island and the " Strahl " is damaged . Balthier and Fran board the " Galbana " , the airship used by Vaan ' s party , while Nono is tasked with repairing the " Strahl " . Later , Nono relates a message that the " Strahl " is in danger and the party hurries to the airship to find it guarded by their aegyl friends . The party wipes out the enemy sky pirates and their Yarhi and save the " Strahl " . After Feolthanos has been felled the sky continent of Lemurés begins crumbling . The party boards the " Strahl " and watches the " Galbana " fly away , guided by what is left of Feolthanos ' s anima . Other appearances . " Itadaki Street Portable " . Skycity of Bhujerba appears as an area and " Strahl " can be seen on the background . Musical themes . The music that plays when Balthier first shows Vaan the " Strahl " in " Final Fantasy XII " is the theme of Phon Coast . Unlike other " Final Fantasy " games , " Final Fantasy XII " doesn ' t have an airship theme . Etymology . It is also the first part of the German word for the Jetstream Winds - " " Strahl " strom " , as befitting for a fast , agile airship .