stations. This enabled all Zeppelin
pilots to be thoroughly informed before setting out on a flight. The
special data supplied by the Zeppelin stations was more adequate for
airship requirements than that from the Government official weather
bureau. Wireless equipment was installed late in 1913.

Many Long Commercial Flights

The average commercial flight was from 37 to 62 miles (60 to 100
kilometers) from 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 hours. When the flights were from one airship
harbor to another they often lasted four and sometimes eight hours. The
fare was determined by the length of the flight, or the mileage. Round
trip flights, which were comparatively short, cost from 25 to 50 dollars
(one to two hundred marks.) The long distance trips ranged from 60 to
150 dollars (250 to 600 marks). Many single flights were made over the
North Sea. The "=Victoria Louise=" often flew to Helgoland, Sylt and
Norderney, the "=Hansa=" to Copenhagen and the "=Sachsen=" to Vienna.
These flights were characterized as pleasure trips; and as such none was
undertaken during the winter months. Instead, the Zeppelins underwent a
thorough overhauling. Sometimes, however, a Zeppelin was kept in service
all winter to train airship personnel of the army or navy.

Naturally "DELAG" became noted for its successful operations; and its
ships were repeatedly chartered by the military or naval personnel for
training flights.

Developed Airship Navigation

The "DELAG" has been credited with the entire development of airship
navigating technique. For one thing, it was the only organization of its
kind, training airship personnel in practical operations. The "DELAG"
airships and airship crews were used almost exclusively for training
purposes when war was declared. At that time there were two other
airship construction companies in Germany, Schuette-Lanz and Parseval.
Both of these organizations procured their airship pilots from the
trained personnel of the "DELAG."

[PLATE 49: The "DELAG" Passenger Zeppelin "Nordstern."

Rear view of rear power gondola containing two 260 horsepower
Maybach motors.]

Zeppelins Operated Safely

All of the flights listed in the following table were made without a
single injury to passengers or crew. The =Deutschland= had been repeatedly
damaged while entering or leaving her shed and was rebuilt. The
"=Schwaben=" was burned at her moorings during a severe storm. It is now
known that all these accidents coul