luable, divides the outward journey into two main
stages, the first from East Fortune to Trinity Bay, Newfoundland, a
distance of 2,050 sea miles, and the second and more difficult stage
to Mineola Field, Long Island, 1,080 sea miles. An easy journey
was experienced until Newfoundland was reached, but then storms and
electrical disturbances rendered it necessary to alter the course, in
consequence of which petrol began to run short. Head winds rendered the
shortage still more acute, and on Saturday, July 5th, a wireless signal
was sent out asking for destroyers to stand by to tow. However, after an
anxious night, R.33 landed safely at Mineola Field at 9.55 a.m. on July
6th, having accomplished the journey in 108 hours 12 minutes.

She remained at Mineola until midnight of July 9th, when, although
it had been intended that a start should be made by daylight for the
benefit of New York spectators, an approaching storm caused preparations
to be advanced for immediate departure. She set out at 5.57 a.m.
by British summer time, and flew over New York in the full glare
of hundreds of searchlights before heading out over the Atlantic. A
following wind assisted the return voyage, and on July 13th, at 7.57
a.m., R.34 anchored at Pulham, Norfolk, having made the return journey
in 75 hours 3 minutes, and proved the suitability of the dirigible
for Transatlantic commercial work. R.80, launched on July 19th, 1920,
afforded further proof, if this were needed.

It is to be noted that nearly all the disasters to airships have been
caused by launching and landing--the type is safe enough in the air,
under its own power, but its bulk renders it unwieldy for ground
handling. The German system of handling Zeppelins in and out of their
sheds is, so far, the best devised: this consists of heavy trucks
running on rails through the sheds and out at either end; on descending,
the trucks are run out, and the airship is securely attached to them
outside the shed; the trucks are then run back into the shed, taking the
airship with them, and preventing any possibility of the wind driving
the envelope against the side of the shed before it is safely housed;
the reverse process is adopted in launching, which is thus rendered as
simple as it is safe.

VI. THE AIRSHIP COMMERCIALLY

Prior to the war period, between the years 1910 and 1914, a German
undertaking called the Deutsche Luftfahrt Actien Gesellschaft conducted
a commercial Zeppelin se