How the East End is in the shadow of the Zeppelin again (but this ...

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Don't mention the Hindenburg. I tried it yesterday and it went downlike a lead balloon.

But maybe when you're 1,000ft over London, in a Zeppelin with aGerman pilot at the controls, it isn't quite the best time tostrike up a conversation about the great airship disaster of 1937.

'We're really so sick and tired of hearing about the Hindenburg,'said Zeppelin captain Fritz Gunther, in an accent like a Max Mosleyparty guest.

'There are so many Jumbos and other aircraft that crash, but peoplestill go on using them every day.'

On the street where you live: The Zeppelin glides over South Londonyesterday, giving a (low-flying) bird's eye view of suburban life
'Look!' he says, dipping the nose of the massive, cigar-shaped shiptowards the spectacular panorama stretching out before us.

'We can fly up, down, sideways, backwards... if the engines cutout, we just float. Why worry?'

In truth, no one is really that worried. The Hindenburg caught firebecause it was filled with hydrogen.

The Stella Artois 'Star Over London' airship is pumped full ofhelium, an inert gas which is capable only of causing you to dielaughing with a comically squeaky voice.

And this latest tourist attraction feels so serene and gracefulthat - barring the scare of the first gust of strong wind - thethought of crashing in flames barely springs to mind.
I joined a band of pioneering passengers yesterday to sample theStar's maiden voyage over the capital. In a one-hour flight fromthe eastern outskirts of London we got a lingering look at allthose fascinating vistas that normally flash by in seconds when youlook out of an aircraft window on its approach to Heathrow.
Gargantuan: The Zeppelin 'Star Over London' is a daunting sight
How often do you get the chance to wave to someone playing bowls ona green so close you can see the score, for example?

Who would have thought you could stick your head out of the windowfor better observation of Greenwich Observatory? And just what isit about the capital's suburban homeowners that compels them toinstall trampolines in about one in four gardens?
Our journey begins at Damyns Hall airfield near Upminster and takesus towards Vauxhall Bridge, Tower Bridge, Westminster and backagain.

The Star takes on passengers two by two to allow it to compensatefor the weight - and I can't help but notice that they chuck outsome extra ballast when they clock my silhouette lumbering acrossthe field. (They must have spotted my heavy rucksack, I reason).

A few minutes later we are suddenly airborne, after a completelyundramatic vertical take-off.

The Star cruises at an altitude of up to 300metres on this trip andis propelled and steered by triple engines at around 28mph.

Spectacular: The airship, piloted by Catherine Broad (l) and FritzGunther (r), offers amazing views
Up close it is a leviathan beast - it is 75metres long, bigger thana Boeing 747, and the largest commercial airship in the world.

Its skeleton is made primarily of aluminium and carbon fibre, andits shell crammed with more than 8,400 cubic metres of gas. At fullstretch it is capable of exceeding 70mph and flying at 9,000ft, for24 hours if necessary. But that is to miss the point of an airship.

To fly in one is like sailing a yacht on a sea without water. Shepitches and rolls a little in the wind but once you get used to it,the urge to look for a parachute quickly disappears.

'Schwimmweste unter den sitz' says the notice beside the seat.
Meanwhile someone chirpily points out that 63 per cent of theHindenburg passengers survived, but if your airliner crashes, yourchances of getting out alive are just about nil. It's the lastmention of the H-word.

But it's OK to mention the war. The last time Zeppelins flew up theThames they dropped First World War bombs out of the windows. Onthis one, you simply wander up and stick your camera out of it. Allof the other windows are non-opening, but curve underneath you toallow maximum vision.


Below us I can see a noisy, boring aeroplane taking off from LondonCity Airport. How ordinary. How dull.

From a starboard window it is possible to spy on people sunbathingin their gardens, children boinging up and down on thosetrampolines, and all the Lowry-like figures going about theirbusiness in the City.

In flight it is strangely quiet inside the Zeppelin gondola. Theengines make about as much noise as a light aircraft but producethe loudest sound when negotiating take off and landing.

The airship's giant, black shadow glides over a town centre andeveryone it touches looks skywards. One of the pleasures of flyingan airship so low is that anyone who hears or spots itinstinctively shades their eyes with their hand as they look up.How important we feel. It's almost as if they're saluting.

This is the first airship of its class to be built since 1940 bythe Zeppelin company, based in Friedrichshafen. Something aboutZeppelins seems to fascinate Germany, and in Friedrichshafen, thelegend of the Zeppelin prevails.

Captain Gunther reveals that they have Zeppelin street names, aZeppelin museum, Zeppelin beer and Zeppelin cookies. And now, a newgeneration of Zeppelins.
Danger in the skies: A Zeppelin is shot down in flames during theFirst World War
He is unmistakably passionate about piloting them. 'If you'reflying a 747 you're working down a checklist,' he says. Pointingaround the cockpit he adds: 'In here, you're still flying. You seethe world from a different point of view.'

When he flew the Zeppelin in Japan recently, a pod of dolphinsbegan dancing around its shadow and following it though the sea.'These are moments you will never ordinarily see,' he says.

Back at base we disembark for a cold beer in the airfield cafe. Onthe wall is a photograph of some celebrated airmen.

One of them is Leafe Robinson. His claim to fame? He was the firstperson to shoot down a Zeppelin.

The airship is operating from Damyns Hall until August 21 and has awebsite with details at www.staroverlondon.co.uk. Flights start at£185 for 30 minutes.