CoolPix: The New Goodyear Blimp (Zeppelin) Is Taking Shape!
Friday, July 12, 2013 at 01:30PM 
(click pic for hi-res) The first all-new Goodyear/Zeppelin airship coming together in Ohio
Technically it's an airship and not a blimp (due to some internal support structure) but Goodyear is sticking with the blimp terminology even tho my small and highly unscientific poll from last fall is showing that about 45% of people say they shouldn't use the blimp term while 37% say it's a beloved term and totally acceptable... not surprising, almost 18% voted for: Really? Does anyone even care about this stuff?
In a rare break with my desire for accuracy and proper detail, I'm ok with the blimp term being used going forward. I'm even more ok with the reality of what fabulous airships these new Zeppelins will be for Goodyear. This unique partnership between Goodyear and Germany's Zeppelin has its roots all the way back to early 1920's when they worked together before WWII on the huge military airships like the USS Macon and the USS Akron. So working together once again is actually a very interesting re-connection.
I've been fascinated with airships since I was about 5 years old. In fact, in 1969 (when I was 8 years old) my dad and I got to ride in the Goodyear Blimp Columbia that was based near Los Angeles. My dad was flying 727's for UAL out of LAX at the time and lived in some apartments right next to the blimp mooring site in Carson California, so I was able to watch it come and go a lot. During our ride, the blimp pilot even let my dad hop in the pilot's seat and fly the blimp for a bit once he found out he was a 727 driver : )
(click pic for hi-res) The Zeppelin Goodyear 'blimp' assembly in Akron Ohio
My only other airship ride was much more recent -- in 2011 when the Farmers Zeppelin NT stopped in Indianapolis on its tour around the country. It was shortly after Oshkosh 2011 where the Zeppelin had spent the week doing commercial rides and just generally filling the Oshkosh sky with pure airship awesomeness. My ride in Indy was fantastic... the Zeppelin NT is an amazing flying machine. It was everything I had hoped for, and more. Unfortunately, that particular Zeppelin NT, operated by Airship Ventures in California, has since been dismantled and returned to Germany after the company encountered financial difficulties.
The new Zeppelins for Goodyear will be the best 'blimps' they've ever had, by far. The one being assembled in Akron Ohio in these pix will be flying in 2014 and two more are planned to join the fleet at some point in the future.
Reader Comments (1)
Most interesting post.
I remember some Gig Young-Doris Day movie from when I was a kid, some 51 or so years ago with Navy Blimps in it.
I would love a ride in an airship.