The EUREKA was built in Germany by ZEPPELIN. It is the ONLY commercial passenger airship in the United States, and is one of a pair of operational Zeppelins. The Eureka is owned by Airship Ventures of California. Its maiden voyage was in 2008 in Germany. It was purchased for about $18 million by San Francisco residents Alex Hall and her husband, who own Airship Ventures. At 246 feet long, it’s 15 feet longer than a Boeing 757, and 50 feet longer than the biggest blimp. The Eureka is NOT a blimp. It is a diridgeable. Its framework is made of a light metal and carbon-fiber. It is covered by a synthetic canvas. Its engines are mounted on the hull and not on the passenger cabin like blimps. This means a quieter ride for sightseers. Maximum speed is 80 mph. Flights start at $375 per person. One of Eureka's pilots is a female — the ONLY female Zeppelin pilot in the world.