airship Italia ready for departure

The past two weeks have been busy ones as everyone in the Italia crew and many more besides has worked hard to ensure that all is ready for departure. Over 3000 kg of fuel are aboard, over 1000 kg of equipment, plus food and supplies to sustain the aviators during a journey that may bring many hazards. Meteorologist Finn Malmgren has his eye on a small depression approaching the Alpine region. But hopefully it will not stop a departure in the early hours of tomorrow morning. The media would like a daytime departure attended by a fanfare of bells and whistles, but the Italia’s commander, Umberto Nobile, prefers to make a quiet departure under cover of darkness.