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Naval Airship Carrier Operations
In the late 1940s and early 1950s Airship Squadrons from NAS Lakehurst, New Jersey and NAS Weeksville, North Carolina participated in Hunter/Killer exercises, operating their Naval airships from escort aircraft carriers (CVEs). This photograph depicts a landing of a ZP2K Airship from Lakehurst aboard an escort carrier.
Naval airships in the 1950s made a number of demonstrations of carrier landings to Navy and civilian VIPs, including President Harry S. Truman. (Photograph by Warren Clements)
In this first photograph, taken on June 26, 1950, ZP2K-80, piloted by Lt. John Fahey, is taking off from the U.S.S. Midway (CV-41) after a demonstration of an airship landing for the Chief of Naval Operations and the Commander in Chief, U.S. Atlantic Fleet who were aboard Midway.
In the second photograph ZP2K-80's control car is shown after return from Midway to NAS Weeksville, North Carolina. Rear Admiral Robert Hickey, Commander, Fleet Air Wings Atlantic, flew with Lt. Fahey to observe the June 26 carrier landing on Midway. Fahey placed Admiral Hickey at the rudder control for the landing at home base.
