Around 7:00 p.m. local time, at an altitude of , the "Hindenburg" made its final approach to the Lakehurst Naval Air Station. This was to be a high landing, known as a "flying moor", because the airship would drop its landing ropes and mooring cable at a high altitude, and then be winched down to the mooring mast. This type of landing manoeuvre would reduce the number of ground crewmen, but would require more time. Although the high landing was a common procedure for American airships, the "Hindenburg" had only performed this manoeuvre a few times in 1936 while landing in Lakehurst.