Source: Navy Lakehurst Historical Society
With funding literally almost gone, the Navy’s MZ-3A airship left Florida in late February. Destination… Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst to be deflated and put into “mothballs”. The airship arrived at Lakehurst on the afternoon of Monday, February 27.
Upon arrival, the crew was sent to a conference room where it was learned via conference phone call that funding had indeed been extended and that the airship will be re-deployed in the next few weeks for another 3-6 month operational period.
The old phrase of “Deflate, Crate, Head for the Gate” has been cast aside yet again.
Source: Navy Lakehurst Historical Society
The following is a video of the MZ-3a as it flew over North Carolina on February 22, 2012.