Empire State Building: the heliport that never was

The Empire State Building was constructed between 1930 and 1931, during an era when airships were considered the future of aviation. Airships were large, comfortable, and quiet, capable of carrying large numbers of passengers and cargo.

The engineers who designed the Empire State Building anticipated that airships would become a common mode of transport, and that the building would be an ideal site for landings and take-offs. The top of the building was designed with a 12-meter diameter circular concrete platform, capable of supporting the weight of an airship.

On May 31, 1931, just 11 days after the inauguration of the Empire State Building, the airship Hindenburg landed on the building. The landing was a spectacular event that attracted thousands of spectators.

However, the Hindenburg's landing also marked the beginning of the end for the airship era. Just four months later, the Hindenburg exploded in New Jersey, killing 36 people.

The Hindenburg accident led to a decline in the popularity of airships, and the dream of a heliport on top of the Empire State Building was never realized.

The Empire State Building's helipad was used only once, for the landing of the Hindenburg. Today, the platform is closed to the public and is used only for maintenance purposes.

Curiosities:

• The airship Hindenburg was 245 meters long and 41 meters high.
• The Hindenburg disaster was the greatest airship catastrophe in aviation history until the Pan Am Flight 103 accident in 1988.
• The Empire State Building is the tallest building in New York, with 102 stories and a height of 381 meters.

Imagine the scene: you're flying in an airship, admiring the landscape below. Suddenly, the pilot announces that the airship is about to land on top of a gigantic building. You look out the window and see the building approaching. It's huge, imposing, and seems to touch the sky. What would it be like to descend a floating object from such heights?