Chris Zell <chrisz...@wetmtv.com> wrote: Saying "except for the explosion" is rather Pythonesque. Hopefully, they > have enough helium. >
I am sure they will. They don't waste it. They only need to replace that which leaks out. It tells you something about people in the 1930s that they were willing to fly in these things. The Hindenburg cost more than a first-class ocean liner. It was only a little faster; 3 days versus 5. You could make the trip in perfect safety and the same level of luxury on a ship, yet the Hindenburg was booked full on every trip, I believe. You would think that after the R101 explosion in 1930 no one would want to fly in one. People were more cavalier about danger even in the 1950s and 60s. Everyone knew that cigarettes cause cancer even before the 1964 Surgeon General's report, yet people smoked. There was great resistance to seat belts when they were first introduced. I have never understood why. Years ago I read a document published in the 1950s (I think it was) saying something like: 'The best way to reduce casualties and injuries in an automobile collision would be to use belts to hold the passengers in their seats, but obviously this method is out of the question. . . ." - Jed
