Did Akron normally fly nose-down?

Did Akron habitually fly with its nose lower than its stern?

No. The footage shows an intentional nose-down approach to the mooring party, while Akron normally flew level.

The nose-down attitude in the film belongs to Akron's deliberate descent toward the mooring party. It does not represent the airship's normal level-flight attitude. The fatal accident later discussed involved a stern-first descent after ballast and buoyancy problems rather than a habitual nose-down condition. The footage therefore needs to be read in the context of the maneuver underway.