“You really need to point the nose up now, we’re losing altitude fast.”

A lapse in concentration. I pulled back the throttle, directing the nose of the aircraft towards the clear blue Californian sky. The numbers on the altimeter slowly crept up and my co-pilot Andrew looked relieved as I leveled out the aircraft and we continued our lap of San Francisco.

Sort of.

I was actually at the controls of a brand new generation of airship – or rather a “hybrid aircraft” which looks a lot like an airship – in a flight simulator on the outskirts of Bedford.

See Also:

All in the name of wokeness! Agatha Christie’s novels are being purged from anti-woke words and phrases deemed offensive

My view may have been computer-imagined but in just three years these leviathans will take flight with passengers on board. Spanish regional operator Air Nostrum plans to put them into service by 2026, and luxury cruise operators are in discussions about placing orders.

Read more: Independent