Graf Zeppelin World Cruise

Graf Zeppelin LZ-127, the most successful airship of the 20th century, broke many aviation records and set a standard which all airshipmen could only hope to meet. Even amid these accomplishments, its 1929 flight completely around the world (with an additional two transatlantics) stands out as a most incredible achievement. With little taxpayer help, the airship had been built with private investment and donations. The world cruise was privately sponsored, and additional operational funds were raised from sales. This demonstration captured the world’s attention, paving the way for a worldwide network of long-distance travel via luxury airship. In a setback even worse than some fatal accident, hope for such a peaceful system disappeared with the stock market crash just weeks after Graf was safely docked back home. This video attempts to piece together bits and pieces from many sources for a more complete history. Not any one of the three separate edited film presentations assembled about the flight at the time tells the whole story, let alone how the ship came to be, or what happened afterwards. Too many people think they have learned all they need to know by watching a few seconds of the Hindenburg’s outer cover burning. Instead, the LZ-127 story should be required learning for anyone involved with airships.