On Sunday February 9th, 2003 the third Zeppelin NT took off from the airport in Friedrichshafen for its first flight. The two test pilots Dominique Manière and Fritz Günther as well as the flight test engineer Klaus Strasser on board were totally satisfied with the result of the two hour flight. All flight tests went so smooth that they could even enjoy the nice winter scenery at Lake Constance.
Now the airship will conduct further test flights. After successful completion of the test flights it will be used for passenger flights of the Deutschen Zeppelin Reederei. With the second airship in passenger operations it will be easier to offer flights from different locations. In 2002 flights were already offered from Berlin and Stuttgart.
The following photographs of the first flight were kindly provided by Zeppelin Luftschifftechnik GmbH.
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| The big moment: the Zeppelin goes off mast | Picture perfect take off | Leaving for the test flight |
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| High pass before landing | Shortly before touch down | Taxiing back to the hangar using the mast truck |
