Kate Board, the first woman to qualify as a Zeppelin pilot, has described London as the most incredible city to view from above. The 51-year-old pilot, who has flown airships for nearly 30 years, is currently navigating the Goodyear Blimp over the capital until July 14.
From flying lessons to airship command
Board's aviation journey began at age 19 when her father gifted her a flying lesson. "Within seconds I knew I was going to be a pilot," she told MyLondon at Damyns Hall Aerodrome in Upminster, where the blimp is docked. She worked at RAF Manston as a general assistant, trading duties for 20 minutes of flying time, before moving to Virgin Balloon Flights and eventually becoming an airship pilot at 22.
Her first Goodyear event was the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June 1999, where she witnessed three cars flipping. However, the most memorable moment came on New Year's Eve 1999. "I was in the air over Barcelona, and it was just amazing. When the clock struck midnight, the Goodyear Blimp lit up from the inside. The whole city exploded with fireworks all around me," she recalled.
London's unique skyline
While Board has flown over New York skyscrapers and Spanish cities, she considers London unmatched. "In London, we have this wonderful difference, not just high rises like New York. The House of Parliament, Elizabeth Tower, St Paul's Cathedral, Buckingham Palace - I've seen it all," she said. "It's great going past The Shard and The Gherkin too, as you can see the reflection of the airship. You've got that wonderful mix of parks, old buildings, and new buildings, and I haven't really seen that anywhere else."
The 75-metre-long, 18-metre-high airship has been spotted above the London Eye and River Thames, sparking social media buzz. Board noted that people often misjudge its distance: "Everyone always thinks it's closer than it is. We have lots of people say the Zeppelin flew over my house at 50 feet. No, we didn't, we were 1,000 feet above you. It just looks that low because it's so huge."
Breaking barriers in aviation
Board takes pride in being one of the few female Zeppelin pilots. "I am quite proud of the fact that I made it into what was certainly at the beginning of my career a man's world," she said. "The glass ceiling is very much not shattered." She finds inspiration when young girls ask if they can become pilots. "Of course you can! It's all about making people's dreams happen."
One of her most memorable flights involved a woman over 100 years old who held a voucher for the original Zeppelin. "She turned up, and we said, 'Okay, it never expires. You can go flying in this one.' That was her dream. She used to see the old Zeppelins back in the day, and that is infinitely better than anything else."
The Goodyear Blimp, which last visited the UK in 2022, is docked at its German headquarters near Lake Constance when not flying. Its movements can be tracked on Flightradar24.
