This is the second in a series.

As the summer of 1925 began, the Navy Department decided to keep the American-built airship USS Shenandoah on the East Coast because of the fear of Midwest thunderstorms. But as the summer ended, fear of budget cuts to the airship program outweighed that of caution, and the dirigible was ordered on a publicity flight over several state fairs in order to gain public support.

The commander of the Shenandoah, Zachary Lansdowne, had delayed the flight until September, but he was finally overruled.