Historic Halloween Steampunk Airship Ride With Victorian Rockers Abney Park

Okay, all of you people who love to hate on steampunk, STFU. Because this is awesome, and I'd love to go myself. The band Abney Park, who you may have seen at Bay Area Maker Faire earlier this year with their wild musical instruments, is teaming up with Airship Ventures to make history:

On October 31st, Airship Ventures will return airship travel to the people --- with the first commercial airship flight in the U.S .in over 70 years, aboard the largest Zeppelin in the world! And you can come along on this flight into history with Abney Park! Hell, if you want us too, we can even play you a few songs on the flight!

(...) The Flight will be in the Bay Area,and the opening day of the California Steampunk Convention.

No mean jokes about the steampunk convention. Focus with me here. These things are so cool.

Also, the Airship Ventures pilot who will steer this baby is the world's first and only female Zeppelin pilot -- she just got her visa in Munich, I'm told, and is headed to the Bay Area for these flights. How cool is that?

Tickets on the inaugural flight are $785. More info on signing up here, and press release from Airship Ventures here.

Below, a video from Airship Ventures (more here and more photos here):

"A Zeppelin NT flies into Friedrichshafen airport, landing after a turn into the wind. The pilot holds the airship down by its engines. The small ground crew take the steps to help the passengers alight. "

(Thanks, Robert and Brian)

• [Anonymous]

  Of course functionally, the Zeppelin NT resembles the smaller semi-rigids, the Italia and Roma more than it resembles the Graff Zeppelin or the Akron. The framework allows a greater fineness ratio than a blimp, but it it still needs pressure to maintain it’s shape.

• [dexgarvey]

  The convention is October 31st through November 2nd, 2008 in Sunnyvale, California.

  A VIP pass gets you into the concert with preferred seating, or you can buy a ticket for the concert only. We look forward to seeing you all there, but we do expect a sellout.

  Dex Garvey
  The California Steampunk Convention 2008
  http://www.steampunkconvention.com

• [Xeni Jardin]

  @Matt, @Lea, perhaps I am being too defensive; I apologize if so.

• [Mojave]

  I was lucky enough to snag a ride a few years back in a blimp which was basically the same size as this ship.

  It.Was.Awesome.

  Totally in agreement with the comment about Gates not owning at least one Zeppelin. You can’t take it with you Billy boy. Live a little!!

• [pstarr]

  haysus that’s cool!

• [Dirigible Diva]

  The pilot’s name is Kate. She’s been flying blimps for 11 years and just got her Zeppelin rating. She used to fly one of the snoopy blimps and the Hood blimp over Boston. Check out the blog airshipventures.blogspot.com for more info

• [Todd Sieling]

  That’s awesome. I’m really rooting for a new age of airships and slow travel by sky. A week aloft to cross the country would beat travel by train in my book.

• [KthulhuKultist]

  #3 “If Abney Park are “bad” steampunk, please give an example of good.”

  I’ll give you TWO examples: Sleepytime Gorilla Museum and Thomas Truax. Although I’d never stoop to pigeonholing them as such, and they’re certainly not jumping on the bandwagon, they’re more authentically “steampunk” than Abney Park could ever be, aside from the cosmetic/cosplay elements.

• [icky2000]

  @Lea, I can afford it but it’s not my sort of thing.

  @Matt, snide comments aren’t my definition of humor.

  @Xeni, I don’t think you were being too defensive.

  I don’t know much about airships but the price seems pretty reasonable given what you’re getting. Of course, not everyone could afford the price even as a special event. Others could, but would opt not to. Regardless, no one person’s budget or preferences are universal. If the price were $500 would it be okay to label that affordable? $300? $50?

• [frankieboy]

  @15, KTHULHUKULTIST, whoa, thanks for turning me on to Sleepytime Gorilla Museum. Really interesting, creepy, well done, music not bad. A quick look at “A Hymn to the Morning Star”, copping the Murnau vibe big time, stealing all over the place, but that’s cool. Thought I heard a little Roxy Music influence, music and costumes. Great use of clips and bits of this and that, edited together on the computer, I guess. But I’ve got to check them out more, I’m pretty sure I’ll be enjoying them. Gotta love the whole “concept” package; music, theater, art direction like mad! Thanks a lot. (and I was expecting a lot of hot-air balloon gas with this post!!)

• [FoetusNail]

  Love STGM, must find out more about Thomas Truax. Thanks

• [airship]

  If I had the money, I’d be there in a heartbeat (check out my user name).

  I’ve visited the airship museum in Germany, and took a blimp ride over Vegas at night.

  I hope the future is as airship-ridden as all the old illustrations predicted.

• [MarlboroTestMonkey7]

  Love Abney Park!
  NP: Stigmata Martyr & Breathe

• [dccarles]

  “The small ground crew take the steps to help the passengers alight.”

  I hope that wasn’t a Freudian slip.

  And I hope they’re using helium and non-thermite-based dope.

  –Devin

• [morcheeba]

  #6, Re: You’re only really successfull when you own a zeppelin.

  … I’m pretty sure a monorail is an acceptable substitute.

• [Paul Dreyer]

  Oh, the (random-metal-bits-of-watch-parts-laden) humanity!

  Certainly, there must be some folks up in the Bay Area who could assemble together a group of biplane flying air pirates by the day of the concert. That… would… be… EPIC.

• [Anonymous]

  It would be totally awesome if they could have a contest for ONE free ticket. Give us poor kids a chance to go too. I mean the contest could be something like design some promo material (posters and whatnot). Maybe next year.

• [AirPillo]

  So what happens when the border guards decide they don’t like this historic pilot?

• [FoetusNail]

  Personally, I think 15 bucks including tip is too much to pay for a haircut, but if I ever get within riding distance of that airship… BTW 785 is 165 less than a regular two hour tour. They have secured a group rate.

  AIRSHIP: High on my list of things to do, if I should live so long, is taking my boys to Friedrichshafen. How much was the Vegas ride?

• [HaltingPoint]

  For those harping on the price, just keep in mind the fact that you’re also getting a live concert…not so expensive for the experience when you take that into consideration.

  I’m really looking forward to this convention. While I’m unfortunately unable to attend this year, I’m proud to have just signed up as a sponsor (you’ll see my ad on the bottom of the conference guide front cover!) and am hoping for really great things for this show.

  I really think there are some great people involved in the steampunk community and the fact that they have several Etsy crafters exhibiting I think shows that this is going to be about as authentic a show as you can get.

  I wish Robert and the rest of the people putting this on the best of luck and hope I can make it next year.

  God I wish I could get on that airship!

• [Lea Hernandez]

  Xeni: no problem, just feeling the cranky pinch of chronic underemployment coupled with lousy economy + the frustrated feeling that it would be nice to look at something like this and go “I’m so there!”

  Didn’t mean to harsh the mellow.

  By which I mean: no problem and thanks. Next time, I’ll try to get noticed for being funny instead of a jerk.

  Yay, Steampunk!

• [abq halsey]

  I believe Lea make sets a good point in that passenger airship travel has always been an expensive luxury, and always will be.

  Fixed wing aircraft will always be faster, and will be used by passengers who value their time over luxury.

  Zeppelins will be used to deliver cargo to inland areas w/o ports, and for carrying bored rich people who have the time to take long trips, but are no longer interested in cruise ships.

• [buddy66]

  she just got her visa in Munich, I’m told, and is headed to the Bay Area for these flights.

  That’s cool, but I’d be more interested in when she got her pilot license.

• [bjacques]

  Zigarette?

  Seriously, I would be sorely tempted if it weren’t so far away. Friedrichshafen would be closer for me. The ride costs the same, but it’s only an hour and no Abney Park, alas. Maybe next season, if I don’t have to fill my car with euros just to get to the next gas station.

  All the best. Pix and vids, or it didn’t happen.

  When in London, do check out Abney Park (the cemetery). It’s Highgate Cemetery’s less pretentious cousin and a great place for a picnic. On Stoke Newington Church Street, opposite there’s a pub, Booth’s, that serves a good pint.

• [star35]

  I live right next to the real Abney Park, which is a fantastically overgrown cemetery in Hackney, London (if Cory hasn’t visited it during his stay, he really should). It’s where Amy Winehouse’s “Back to Black” was filmed btw.

  I’m kind of weirded out by the fact that these folks are using the name.

• [Anonymous]

  you may want to check, I’m pretty sure this is sold out.

• [vespabelle]

  The perfect gift for my dad (who formerly worked with airships at Moffet field) who is turning 73 in a month!

• [Vanwall]

  LTA All The Way! Wish I had the s’molians to go. Ah well, at least I once roamed a gondola from the LZ113 Zeppelin, that’ll have to suffice for now.

• [mujadaddy]

  I, for one, welcome our lighter-than-air, brass-fitted overlords.

• [Lea Hernandez]

  “Tickets on the inaugural flight are $785.”

  Oh, so affordable! This is really cool, but tell me who can afford it.

  • [Xeni Jardin]

    @Lea, times are tough for many. Some people will find this affordable and a special experience worth parting that sum for. I think it’s lame to sneer at them or at people offering cool goods or services that do cost money.

• [Anonymous]

  Does this female pilot have a name?

• [Anonymous]

  good steampunk band:

  Creature Feature

  I am good friends with the lead singer Curtis. We used to play in bands years ago. Their sound is very Nightmare before Christmas.

  Anyhoo,

  he is one of the top rated bands on myspace. They definitely are worth checking out.

  cheers,

  Johnny

• [retrojoe]

  It’s not that I hate steampunk, it’s that I hate bad steampunk (e.g. random bits of watch parts assembled in a very random fashion and called “steampunk”).

• [FoetusNail]

  Dr. Eckner would have loved those engine pods. Now, try to imagine an airship over three times as large as the 246 ft. Zeppelin NT (new technology) and you will have the Graf Zeppelin at 776 ft. B. Gates not being in possession of an airship proves he doesn’t really understand how to enjoy his billions, but that’s just me.

• [Daemon]

  You’re only really successfull when you own a zeppelin.

• [Matt Staggs]

  @Xeni Was she really sneering? I didn’t think so. It seemed to me that she was more just stating a fact, albeit in a humorous way.

• [Mousewrites]

  I’d go if I had the money.

  Saw Abney Park in Seattle about 2 weeks ago. Very fun show, and the band is about as UNpretentious as you could get.

• [Kieran O’Neill]

  #3: If Abney Park are “bad” steampunk, please give an example of good.

  Anyway, I think it’s completely awesome that they’ve actually acquired an airship, given the band’s fictional back-story.