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GROUP OF AVIATION COMPANIES LIGHTER-THAN- AIR MANUFACTURING (ZEPPELINS / AIRSHIPS) AND OPERATIONS CARGO SERVICES / PASSENGER SERVICES WDL has been based at the Essen-Mülheim airport since 1955 and started business with sightseeing flights, a flying school and banner advertising towed by aircraft. At times WDL had up to 40 aircraft in operation for aerial advertising all over Germany. In the 1960s WDL established the ‘Seebäderdienst’ (Seaside Resort Service) offering scheduled passenger flights to the islands of the North Sea. The company has since expanded to Cologne/Bonn airport, where it now operates Europe’s largest airfreight fleet of Fokker F 27’s (12 aircraft). Furthermore WDL operates five BAe 146’s and two Learjets 55 for passenger flights. www.wdl-aviation.de In the late 1960’s, WDL began operating in the airship sector with the German blimp D-LEMO, at that time inflated with hydrogen and operated for BRAUN-SIXTANT. The high acceptance and the success of the airship operation for advertising purposes inspired Mr. Theodor Wüllenkemper, the owner of the company, to construct a bigger, better and safer, i.e. helium-inflated airship. The maiden flight of the first airship of this type, WDL 1, was in 1972. The second airship was constructed at the same time and sold in Japan. The same year a strong storm destroyed the hangar at the
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Essen-Mülheim airport and two airships on the ground. This, though, did not distract the
owner of WDL, Mr. Theo Wüllenkemper, from his aim. He rebuilt everything and WDL has since become the only manufacturer of “big” non-rigid airships worldwide. Production of the new airship,
type WDL 1 B, started in 1988. With an envelope volume of 7,200 m³ and a length of 60m it is today’s biggest non-rigid airship-type certified for advertising and other commercial purposes.
The fascinating lamp field, so called NIGHT SIGN©,
is unique, measuring 33x8 m with 9,000 colored bulbs fixed to the envelope. It can be used at night to show illuminated letters, brand logos and cartoons. At present WDL has four airships regularly
in operation for advertising purposes, which are flying for big companies all over the world.