Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin (1838 — 1917) who was active in Fried richshafen on Lake Constance came from an old, noble family in Mecklenburg. He was the creator of the first really usable, dirigible, rigid airship, in which he invested his whole fortune and lost through the disaster at Echterdingen. But an unusual national donation by the German people helped Count Zeppelin to continue building airships. I myself have seen the airship LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin which was built after the 1st World War several times on its flights in Germany. It was capable of flying to America and transporting as many as a jet plane nowadays. It was even more spacious and flew at a height of 20.000 ft. and at 80 m.p.h. In 1928 the giant silver cigar flew majestically and glistening in silver over towns and villages, always sending its greetings and special thanks to those people who had donated money by dipping his nose. The people stood with tears in their eyes on streets and roofs. What a destiny! What a sight! It was the beginning of the first regular transatlantic passenger airflight, continued by LZ 129 Hindenburg, which was destroyed by arson in Lakehurst/USA in 1 937.This meant the end of the Zeppelins.  Since the 2nd World War we have been crossing the Atlantic in the jet planes, but every time I sit in a plane I still think of the pioneering deeds of the old airship constructors.