San Francisco from 1000ft - an Airship ride!
Last Friday, I had the chance to ride in an airship, courtesy of SugarSync. It was a pretty incredible experience. I got to see the Bay Area from a new, and rare, point of view.
The airship held 12 passengers - 2 rows of 6. Every seat's an aisle seat & every seat's a window seat. It was an enclosed cabin, but there were two open windows where you could stick your head (or camera) out for a better view.
Sure, I've flown in planes over the area, but airplanes elevate too quickly to be able to see anything. The airship lingered at 1,000-1,200ft.
We left from the Oakland airport, followed the Bay Bridge across, drifted over Alcatraz, towards Sausalito, then Angel Island, and looped back. The whole trip lasted an hour.
The most fascinating part was seeing the Bay Bridge construction from that angle. You just can't really tell what's going on there from the ground.
Unfortunately, the Golden Gate Bridge was completely smothered in fog - we saw the very very tip of one spire for about 20 seconds, and then it was gone again. Though the fog did make for some pretty breathtaking views itself.
Plus - there was champagne!
Check out Neil Rubenking's article at PCMag for more.