Image of a zeppelin in the sky
Wernher Krutein/Alamy Stock Photo
Time Machine,

Giant of the Skies

Travel back in time to nearly 100 years ago, when zeppelins ruled the sky.  

By Tricia Culligan
From the May/June 2023 Issue
Lexiles: 700L-800L, Easier Level
Guided Reading Level: Q
Featured Skill: Knowledge Building,

Presentation View
See Student View

Lexile® measure

  • On Level
  • Easier Level
Download and Print
Easier Level
Think and Read: Knowledge Building

As you read, think about what it would have been like to travel around the world in a zeppelin.

Woo-hoo! The crowd cheers in delight. It’s the summer of 1929 in New Jersey, and you’re about to do what no passenger has ever done before: fly around the world. 

You won’t be flying in an airplane or a spaceship. Instead, you’re inside a giant football-shaped aircraft called a zeppelin. A crowd of thousands is gathered around the ship. The engines start, the ship moves across a field, and suddenly, you’re floating in the air!


Woo-hoo! The crowd cheers in excitement. It’s the summer of 1929 in New Jersey. You’re about to do what no passenger has ever done before: fly around the world. 

You won’t be flying in an airplane or a spaceship. You’re inside a giant football-shaped aircraft. It’s called a zeppelin. A large group of people is gathered around the ship. The engines start, and the ship moves across a field. Then you’re floating in the air!

Sueddeutsche Zeitung Photo/Alamy Stock Photo

In 1929, the Graf Zeppelin glided over the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California. Zeppelins flew closer to the ground than airplanes.

Making History

Making History

The first zeppelin was invented in Germany in 1900. These giant flying machines fascinated the world. 

Back then, if you wanted to cross an ocean, you couldn’t just hop on a plane. Airplanes couldn’t yet carry passengers long distances. So you had to take a boat, and the journey could take forever—sometimes up to 10 days.

Then came the Graf (grof) Zeppelin! In 1928, it made history as the first aircraft to carry passengers across an ocean. It zoomed across the Atlantic Ocean in just under four days.

A year later, the Graf Zeppelin took its most exciting journey yet: a trip around the world! Only a few lucky people could afford to travel by zeppelin. This flight carried just 22 passengers—including you!

The first zeppelin was invented in Germany in 1900. These big flying machines shocked the world. 

If you wanted to cross an ocean back then, you couldn’t just hop on a plane. Airplanes couldn’t carry passengers long distances yet. So you had to take a boat. The journey could take forever. Sometimes it took up to 10 days.

Then came the Graf (grof) Zeppelin! In 1928, it made history as the first aircraft to carry passengers across an ocean. It flew across the Atlantic Ocean in just under four days.

A year later, the Graf Zeppelin took its most exciting journey yet: a trip around the world! Traveling by zeppelin cost a lot of money. Only a few lucky people could afford to travel this way. This flight carried just 22 passengers—including you!

A Fancy Hotel

A Fancy Hotel

Sueddeutsche Zeitung Photo/Alamy Stock Photo

Passengers stayed in the gondola of the zeppelin. 

You and the other passengers stay in an area called a gondola, tucked below the belly of the ship. It looks like a fancy hotel! You peek into the cozy bedroom where you’ll sleep. 

Mmmm. What’s that smell? The chefs are hard at work in the kitchen, preparing a tasty turkey dinner that you’ll eat in the grand dining room. Ahead is the control room, where you discover the pilot, Hugo Eckener, steering the ship. 

He invites you to join him and tells you about the Graf Zeppelin. The ship is gigantic—taller than a 10-story building and longer than two football fields. The body is filled with a light gas called hydrogen. This gas lifts the zeppelin into the sky like a birthday balloon. But there’s one big problem: Hydrogen can catch fire very easily. 

But Eckener tells you not to worry: Zeppelins are known for their safety. The Graf Zeppelin has flown more than a million miles without crashing.

You and the other passengers stay in an area called a gondola. It’s found below the ship. It looks like a fancy hotel! You look into the cozy bedroom where you’ll sleep. 

Mmmm. What’s that smell? The chefs are hard at work in the kitchen. They’re making a tasty turkey dinner that you’ll eat in the big dining room. Ahead is the control room, where you see the pilot, Hugo Eckener. He’s steering the ship. 

Eckener invites you to join him. He tells you about the Graf Zeppelin. The ship is huge. It’s taller than a 10-story building and longer than two football fields. The body is filled with a light gas called hydrogen. Hydrogen gas lifts the zeppelin into the sky like a birthday balloon. But there’s one big problem: Hydrogen can catch fire very easily. 

But Eckener tells you not to worry: Zeppelins are known for their safety. The Graf Zeppelin has flown more than a million miles without crashing.

The Print Collector/Alamy Stock Photo (Dining Room, Bedroom)

Traveling in the Graf Zeppelin was like staying in a fancy hotel. It had bedrooms, a kitchen, and a dining room!

The Trip of a Lifetime

The Trip of a Lifetime

Eckener leads you out of the control room to one of the giant glass windows. Unlike most airplanes, zeppelins fly close to the ground. You gaze in wonder at the world below.

Over the next three weeks, you see spectacular sights. You sail over the Atlantic Ocean and watch dolphins diving in the sea. You fly over glittering castles in Europe and snowy mountains in Asia. You soar over the Pacific Ocean to California, reaching the Golden Gate Bridge just as the sun is setting. Before you know it, you’re back in New Jersey! 

Sadly, zeppelins won’t soar through the skies for much longer. In 1937, the largest zeppelin ever built, the Hindenburg, will catch fire and burst into flames. After this terrible accident, people will worry that zeppelins aren’t safe and will stop flying on them. Soon airplanes will become an easier, and safer, way to travel.

But for now, it’s 1929, and these giant airships rule the sky. And you’re one of the few people to have traveled around the globe, on the trip of a lifetime. 

Eckener takes you out of the control room to one of the big glass windows. Unlike most airplanes, zeppelins fly close to the ground. You look in wonder at the world below.

Over the next three weeks, you see amazing sights. You fly over the Atlantic Ocean and watch dolphins diving in the sea. You fly over shiny castles in Europe and snowy mountains in Asia. You fly over the Pacific Ocean to California. You reach the Golden Gate Bridge right when the sun is setting. Before you know it, you’re back in New Jersey! 

Sadly, zeppelins won’t soar through the skies for much longer. In 1937, the largest zeppelin ever built will catch fire and burst into flames. It was called the Hindenburg. After this terrible accident, people will worry that zeppelins aren’t safe and will stop flying on them. Soon airplanes will become an easier and safer way to travel.

But for now, it’s 1929, and these giant airships rule the sky. You’re one of the few people to have traveled around the world on the trip of a lifetime. 

THINK AND WRITE

Imagine you just got back from a trip around the world on the Graf Zeppelin. Using details from the story, write a letter to a friend about your favorite parts of the trip.

THINK AND WRITE

Imagine you just got back from a trip around the world on the Graf Zeppelin. Using details from the story, write a letter to a friend about your favorite parts of the trip.

video (1)
Audio ()
Activities (6)
Skills Activities
Answer Key (1)
video (1)
Audio ()
Activities (6) Download All Quizzes and Activities
Skills Activities
Answer Key (1)
Can't Miss Teaching Extras

Read another incredible story that takes place in the sky, “Disaster in Space,” about three astronauts who fought for survival 240,000 miles from Earth. Make sure to look at the Resources tab for an interesting video about the history of American space travel. 

For more on zeppelins, read “The Flaming Sky,” the historic and tragic story about the Hindenburg. 

Imagine what it would be like to survive another transportation tragedy in “Into the Darkness”—a spectacular story about a young survivor of the Titanic. 

Students will be on the edge of their seats when they learn about “The Halifax Explosion,” a disaster in Canada that injured thousands—and shocked the world. 

Text-to-Speech