LZ 129 Hindenburg - colorized footage

The Hindenburg made its maiden test flight from the Zeppelin dockyards at Friedrichshafen on March 4, 1936, with 87 passengers and crew aboard.

The Hindenburg used hydrogen (flamable) 

due to U.S. ban on the exportation of helium ( non flamable).

At the time helium was rare and extremely expensive.

The gas was only available as a byproduct of mined natural gas reserves found in the United States.

The Hindenburg's last flight was on May 6 1937.

It was about to land at Lakehurst Naval air station N.J.

when it caught fire and was destroyed.

Of the 97 people on board (36 passengers, 61 crew), there were 35 fatalities as well as one death among the ground crew.