to insure the nursing home inhabitants first, imagine some senile old fart in regression start's taking shots at them? thinking they're back in the blitz

You could make it more exciting by aiming massive spotlights at them and buzzing them with Sopwith Camels.

It's not a balloon! D'you hear?... It's not a balloon ... It's an airship ... an airship ... d'you hear?

Quote "They will be able to take in all the sites as it goes over the River Thames."

I assume these are the building sites for the Olympics - can't wait !!

Zeppelins have been flying over Tokyo since last fall. I am guessing the vulture fact checker for this story went through one of the engines and ended up as my icon.

...that having been fired, the person will now be highered?

Yes, I know. Coat ---> door...

Having had a look at the company's website, they're essentially just blimps. There are plenty of other companies that fly sight-seeing blimps. They don't look anything like the WWII-era scary things.

Obviously these will do well because they have the Zeppelin brand name, but it would be far cooler if they were modelled after the original Zeppelins.

As a matter of interest - did the original Zeppelins really mount bombing raids? I would have thought they'd just be used on spying trips; think about how heavy bombs would be.

We should be ok, so long as they're not replaced by Zeppelin Vistas, which will be so bloated they won't take off.

Mine's the one with inbuilt parachute.

@Ian Ferguson - they definitely were used for bombing raids. Not a massive payload but enough to scare the living daylights out of the poor buggers on the ground. Real blow to morale too.

Presumably you would get a good view of the Dome? Easy target to hit...<evil_laugh> and there's 10 downing street....and no.11....wait...there's all of Whitehall....</evil_laugh>

Paris, cos the Zeppelin has a higher IQ.

'Semi-rigid'

Fnar Fnar

Ian,

Yes, Zeppelins did mount bombing raids: they made several appearances over London and made some significant raids on maritime centres on the East Coast of England during the First World War.

@ Michael - But best remember

The blitz was world war 2, zeppelins were used during world war 1.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/02/04/uktv_history/

@Ian Ferguson

quote - They don't look anything like the WWII-era scary things.

Thats because they were used in World War 1;

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/02/04/uktv_history/

As they are neutral or lighter than air, would modern Zeppelins be suitable for trans-atlantic cruising with a better passenger/fuel ratio than a jet plane or a cruise ship? Could run them on peanut diesel or hydrogen!?

Mine's the one with the 'oh the humanity' slogan on the back

... they're not going to call the company Cybus Industries.

Next thing you know they'll be introducing a metal exo-skeleton "upgrade" for the human body...!

Paris - because she looks like the dead heat in a Zeppelin race!!

Why helium? Surely they just need to save all that hot air from the boardroom....

Put sauerkraut on the menu and the passengers can generate enough methane

"What would happen if the Zeppelins get hijacked and flown into the Gherkin?"

Lots of city workers with high pitched voices?

"What would happen if the Zeppelins get hijacked and flown into the Gherkin?"

we get a slightly more tasteful skyline

Paris is more like a dead heat in a peanut race. Kelly Brook on the other hand..

> Obviously these will do well

I doubt it, the guy running the company was bankrupt twice, and you could see on the show how clueless he was.

These will fall like a lead balloon.

I was having a Breakfast down a side street in Croydon, when a copper (a Policeman) came in & told us an unexploded Zeppelin bomb had been found next door & told us all to get out NOW. I got no re-fund! This was about 1980.

IT angle? I worked (still do!) for BT (OK ,it was Post Office Telecom's then.)

"did the original Zeppelins really mount bombing raids?"

Yes, my dad recalled seeing one over Portsmouth in WWI, nicely illuminated with searchlights. Being 2 or 3 at the time, he found the unusual nighttime excursion and the sight of the shiny cigar thing in the sky as the family fled in terror great fun.

@Chris Williams

"made some significant raids on maritime centres on the East Coast of England during the First World War."

and also the South Coast.

but these craft will contain helium, not hydrogen, so when they crash they won't burst into flames. Instead, they'll spill helium, meaning the passengers will be be able to call for help from any passing bats.

Or do a Bee Gees "It's a tragedy" tribute on the way down.

I've used the "Joke" icon because I'm not being totally serious here. I hope you realise theat.