It was one of the worst airship disasters in history, and yet few people today remember it.

That is why Bermudian filmmaker Lucinda Spurling has written a film script about the 1930 R-101 airship disaster.

October 5, marks the 80th anniversary of the disaster of the R-101 hydrogen dirigible airship explosion over France that killed 48 people. There were only six survivors.

Ms Spurling's script, 'The Empire of the Air' follows the R-101 on its maiden voyage from England to India, and was part of the Imperial Airship programme.

"A lot of people haven't heard of it because it was overshadowed by the Hindenburg disaster in New Jersey in May 1937," said Ms Spurling. "The reason it is overshadowed is because there was film of the Hindenburg crash. In that disaster, 35 people died. There was no film of the R-101 crash.

"After the R-101 crash they switched to helium because it was safer," she said. "This unparalleled disaster ended the Imperial Airship programme paving the way for development of the aeroplane for commercial air travel."

She said that ironically, parts of the scrap metal structure of the R-101 was sold and used to build the Hindenburg.

'The Empire of the Air' is based on the book, 'The Airmen Who Would Not Die', by John G. Fuller. Ms Spurling optioned the exclusive rights to adapt the book into a film. The film script is complete and she is currently seeking production partners.

The film is set in London between the wars. In the film, an airman dies in the 1920s while attempting a transatlantic record. Ten years later, he returns through a spirit medium to warn his wife of the coming crash of the airship, R-101. Unable to prevent one of the worst aviation disasters in history, the wife and medium work together to uncover the hidden evidence that will prove a government cover up.

"It is a true story with a moral against empire building and it challenges one of the most mysterious questions of our existence, is there life after death?" said Ms Spurling.

After the actual disaster, spirit medium Eileen J. Garrett, who was very famous in England at the time, claimed to be channeling dead crew members from the R-101. She made many statements that were later proved to be correct.

"Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who was heavily into spiritualism, is a character in the script," said Ms Spurling. "Many people were naysayers but at that time spiritualism was recognised as a respected pursuit, more so than today.

"Eileen Garrett had a vision that the R-101 would crash. The officers were warned but didn't do anything about it. After the crash the officers came back through the medium to explain what went wrong and why it crashed."

There was a Court of Inquiry to investigate the cause of the crash, but it released no satisfying answers to the general public.

It was one of the worst airship disasters in history, and yet few people today remember it.

That is why Bermudian filmmaker Lucinda Spurling has written a film script about the 1930 R-101 airship disaster.

October 5, marks the 80th anniversary of the disaster of the R-101 hydrogen dirigible airship explosion over France that killed 48 people. There were only six survivors.

Ms Spurling's script, 'The Empire of the Air' follows the R-101 on its maiden voyage from England to India, and was part of the Imperial Airship programme.

"A lot of people haven't heard of it because it was overshadowed by the Hindenburg disaster in New Jersey in May 1937," said Ms Spurling. "The reason it is overshadowed is because there was film of the Hindenburg crash. In that disaster, 35 people died. There was no film of the R-101 crash.

"After the R-101 crash they switched to helium because it was safer," she said. "This unparalleled disaster ended the Imperial Airship programme paving the way for development of the aeroplane for commercial air travel."

She said that ironically, parts of the scrap metal structure of the R-101 was sold and used to build the Hindenburg.

'The Empire of the Air' is based on the book, 'The Airmen Who Would Not Die', by John G. Fuller. Ms Spurling optioned the exclusive rights to adapt the book into a film. The film script is complete and she is currently seeking production partners.

The film is set in London between the wars. In the film, an airman dies in the 1920s while attempting a transatlantic record. Ten years later, he returns through a spirit medium to warn his wife of the coming crash of the airship, R-101. Unable to prevent one of the worst aviation disasters in history, the wife and medium work together to uncover the hidden evidence that will prove a government cover up.

"It is a true story with a moral against empire building and it challenges one of the most mysterious questions of our existence, is there life after death?" said Ms Spurling.

After the actual disaster, spirit medium Eileen J. Garrett, who was very famous in England at the time, claimed to be channeling dead crew members from the R-101. She made many statements that were later proved to be correct.

"Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who was heavily into spiritualism, is a character in the script," said Ms Spurling. "Many people were naysayers but at that time spiritualism was recognised as a respected pursuit, more so than today.

"Eileen Garrett had a vision that the R-101 would crash. The officers were warned but didn't do anything about it. After the crash the officers came back through the medium to explain what went wrong and why it crashed."

There was a Court of Inquiry to investigate the cause of the crash, but it released no satisfying answers to the general public.

"Stuff was not coming out in the inquiry because it was a whitewash," said Ms Spurling.

Although the R-101 was known to be unairworthy and not ready for flight, political pressure forced it into the air anyway.

"Britain wanted to be the first before the Germans to fly as far as India," said Ms Spurling. "There was an Imperial Conference coming up. The British Secretary of State for Air was pressuring them to go even though the officers were saying it was not airworthy. It actually failed its airworthy inspection but the airworthy certificate was rubber stamped and they were sent on their way. It was totally wrong and would not happen today.

"Of course, they crashed. Over France the ship became a raging inferno."

Although they seem impossibly slow by today's standards, airships were used by the Germans quite a bit during the First World War.

"People often forget that," said Ms Spurling. "They were very slow moving, but they would come across to drop bombs on England. That was before the British had airship technology, but they mostly stole it from the Germans and developed their own between the wars. They developed it not only as a military technology but also commercially."

At that time airplanes were considered too cumbersome to play much of a role in future air travel. The R-101 could hold 100 passengers. They were also faster than the average ocean liner. An ocean liner would take four weeks to get to India. A plane would take eight days but would have to stop 21 times. An airship would get from Britain to India in five days and only have to stop once.

"So it was considered revolutionary," said Ms Spurling. "The R-101 flight was supposed to be the first flight to India and they were going to link the British Empire. There weren't a lot of civilians on board. They were mostly officers, crew and dignitaries. The crash has been described by some writers as 'political murder'."

Over France, R-101 dove twice and then exploded. What actually caused the crash is still debated.

"The dispute is over what caused the crash," said Ms Spurling. "It could have been the engines, or the electrics or fires in the control room. The cover of the airship was rotten. There were several explosions."

People involved in the inquiry were made to sign a confidentiality agreement that lasted until after the death of the person leading the inquiry. After this man's death, more information surfaced.

"The Royal Aeronautical Society launched a new investigation," said Ms Spurling. "They were able to find some of the proof. There were things like officers' diaries that had gone missing for the inquiry that they were able to find 30 years later. These were said to exist in the medium transcripts."

This October, Ms Spurling plans to attend an anniversary church service in Cardington, England where the R-101 airship was originally built. Victims of the disaster are buried in St. Mary's Church yard in Cardington. Relatives of the airmen who died and relatives of the few who survived are expected to attend the service.

The completed script is meant to be a commercial project. Ms Spurling is now looking for an agent or director to come on board.

"It would be something I would want to sign over to a production company," she said.

Ms Spurling has produced several award winning documentaries including 'Rare Bird' (2006), and the 'Lion and the Mouse' (2009). Her films have been shown at film festivals around the world and also appeared on American PBS staions. This is her first script that has no Bermuda connection.

For more information about her films go to her website at www.afflarefilms.com or email her at afflarefilms@mac.com .

"Stuff was not coming out in the inquiry because it was a whitewash," said Ms Spurling.

Although the R-101 was known to be unairworthy and not ready for flight, political pressure forced it into the air anyway.

"Britain wanted to be the first before the Germans to fly as far as India," said Ms Spurling. "There was an Imperial Conference coming up. The British Secretary of State for Air was pressuring them to go even though the officers were saying it was not airworthy. It actually failed its airworthy inspection but the airworthy certificate was rubber stamped and they were sent on their way. It was totally wrong and would not happen today.

"Of course, they crashed. Over France the ship became a raging inferno."

Although they seem impossibly slow by today's standards, airships were used by the Germans quite a bit during the First World War.

"People often forget that," said Ms Spurling. "They were very slow moving, but they would come across to drop bombs on England. That was before the British had airship technology, but they mostly stole it from the Germans and developed their own between the wars. They developed it not only as a military technology but also commercially."

At that time airplanes were considered too cumbersome to play much of a role in future air travel. The R-101 could hold 100 passengers. They were also faster than the average ocean liner. An ocean liner would take four weeks to get to India. A plane would take eight days but would have to stop 21 times. An airship would get from Britain to India in five days and only have to stop once.

"So it was considered revolutionary," said Ms Spurling. "The R-101 flight was supposed to be the first flight to India and they were going to link the British Empire. There weren't a lot of civilians on board. They were mostly officers, crew and dignitaries. The crash has been described by some writers as 'political murder'."

Over France, R-101 dove twice and then exploded. What actually caused the crash is still debated.

"The dispute is over what caused the crash," said Ms Spurling. "It could have been the engines, or the electrics or fires in the control room. The cover of the airship was rotten. There were several explosions."

People involved in the inquiry were made to sign a confidentiality agreement that lasted until after the death of the person leading the inquiry. After this man's death, more information surfaced.

"The Royal Aeronautical Society launched a new investigation," said Ms Spurling. "They were able to find some of the proof. There were things like officers' diaries that had gone missing for the inquiry that they were able to find 30 years later. These were said to exist in the medium transcripts."

This October, Ms Spurling plans to attend an anniversary church service in Cardington, England where the R-101 airship was originally built. Victims of the disaster are buried in St. Mary's Church yard in Cardington. Relatives of the airmen who died and relatives of the few who survived are expected to attend the service.

The completed script is meant to be a commercial project. Ms Spurling is now looking for an agent or director to come on board.

"It would be something I would want to sign over to a production company," she said.

Ms Spurling has produced several award winning documentaries including 'Rare Bird' (2006), and the 'Lion and the Mouse' (2009). Her films have been shown at film festivals around the world and also appeared on American PBS staions. This is her first script that has no Bermuda connection.

For more information about her films go to her website at www.afflarefilms.com or email her at afflarefilms@mac.com .