'Hendrick's Air' To Make Cross-Country Flight

Airships have long been used as a marketing tool, and their shape can lend itself to some creative ways to present a message. Goodyear, MetLife, and others have recognizable airships that appear at events across the country.

To that end, Hendrick's Gin is launching Hendrick's Air. This new ambitious venture will commence with its flagship (and only) aircraft: a massive dirigible christened The Flying Cucumber. It may be the only instance in which flying and alcohol can safely mix.

"Hendrick's Air" will launch its "fleet" based on a single  dirigible. In contrast to the hub-and-spoke structure of conventional airlines, all Hendrick's Air flights will depart and arrive from the same point, which Hendrick's National Brand Ambassador Jim Ryan says "emphasizes the excitement of the flying experience itself.  As we see it, flying in excess of 500 miles per hour becalmed by such conveniences as in-flight TV and noise-canceling headphones feels no different than sitting in one's living room. We are offering a return to the true glamour of flight."

The 130-foot long, 44-foot tall Flying Cucumber is adorned with a giant "eye in the sky" which exudes both whimsy and a dashing sense of purpose. It will launch with a coast-to-coast voyage beginning in April and culminating in August, granting expeditionary flights to fellow unusualists in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Austin, Dallas, South Florida, New Jersey, New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Ann Arbor, Indianapolis, and Chicago.

The Hendrick's dirigible has been engineered to follow what Ryan describes as "a slow and low" flight pattern, maintaining a "civilized speed of 35 mph." The Flying Cucumber's sub-1000-foot cruising altitude allows for what Mr. Ryan termed "an invigorating view of the marvels below."

(Image provided by Hendrick's Gin)

FMI: www.hendricksair.com