One of the first flights, under the new organization, was that of the new Zeppelin Z-1, April 1st, 1909, from Lake Constance to Munich. Before it could land at Munich a heavy southwest wind pushed it back from the field over which it hovered. The Commander decided to “weather the storm” in the air; and for the first time in the history of aerial navigation the airship remained aloft, her nose against the wind, her motors turning over just enough to keep her in the same spot. Eleven hours later the Z-1 was still up but shortly afterward signalled that she was being forced to land because her fuel supply was becoming exhausted. Soldiers detailed for the purpose assisted in mooring her fast in a field near Loiching, where guarded by hundreds she lay all night in the storm, unharmed, though repeatedly assailed by squalls which often swept against her with 40 miles per hour (18 meters per second) velocity. The next day she went up and hopped over to Munich and received a wildly enthusiastic greeting from the thousands who had followed her adventure with personal pride and interest. The Z-1 spent four hours flying over Munich and then turned on her heels and back to her harbor at Friedrichshafen. If there was anything necessary to silence the few critics who still entertained doubts as to the ultimate practicability of rigid airships, that flight of the Z-1 accomplished the purpose. Count Zeppelin meanwhile was rebuilding his “Echterdingen” airship and on May 29th, 1909, he took it out of Manzell toward the north of Germany. He kept on until he reached Bitterfeld before turning back toward Lake Constance. After 38 hours in the air during which he had traversed 683.5 miles (1100 kilometers) he landed at Göppingen for gasoline. In landing the ship struck a tree but the damage was quickly repaired and the rigid was able to return under its own power to the air harbor on Lake Constance. Hailed as National Hero