Existing comment:
Balloons to Zeppelins:
Balloons and gliders carried the first airmail. By the 1920s, zeppelins had established postal routes over long distances. The May 6, 1937, Hindenburg disaster ended this golden era of airships. While attempting to land at Lakehurst, New Jersey, the airship burst into flames. Within 30 seconds, it was destroyed. Two-thirds of the passengers and crew survived -- but most mail burned. |