Goodyear Blimp turns 100 with unique triple-blimp celebration

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2 days ago

The Brief
June 3 marks 100 years since the first Goodyear Blimp flight.
Since then, the blimps have become icons at games, races, airshows, and other big events.
All 3 current blimps are back home for a three-day tour of Akron, Ohio to celebrate the milestone.
AKRON, Ohio - When you hear the word "blimp," just one thing likely comes to mind: The Goodyear Blimp. That staple of bowl games and big races officially turns 100 years old on Tuesday.
It was back on June 3, 1925 when Goodyear's first blimp, Pilgrim, floated into the sky not far from the company's headquarters in Akron, Ohio. Since then, there have been 31 Goodyear Blimps.
Today's blimps are, in fact, not technically blimps, but rather semi-rigid airships, but they still use helium to stay afloat and have the same look, feel, and unique sound as their predecessors, along with the same purpose.
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As anyone who grew up in Akron – or near another blimp base – can tell you, it's a special day when you see the blimp. This week, as part of the anniversary celebration, fans have a unique chance to see three.
The backstory
As far back as 1910, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company sought a use for its products in the nascent aviation industry. Specifically, the company saw a market for rubber-infused coatings for balloons and lighter-than-air craft – like the ones we came to know as blimps.
Timeline
The first non-rigid airship designed to be flown using helium was the Goodyear Blimp that would be christened Pilgrim. It first flew in 1925 at the company's Wingfoot Lake facility in Suffield, Ohio and eventually logged nearly 95,000 miles as the company's first public relations airship.
1928: The second Goodyear Blimp, Puritan, becomes the country's first permanently licensed airship.
1930: The Goodyear Blimp Defender becomes the first airship in the world to carry a lighted sign.
1941: The attack on Pearl Harbor accelerates Naval airship production. From 1941-1944, Goodyear delivers 154 blimps to the U.S. Navy, most of which were built at the Wingfoot Lake facility.
1946: Goodyear purchases seven blimps back from the Navy, with a five-ship fleet returning to service as Ranger, Volunteer, Enterprise, Mayflower and Puritan.
1955: Goodyear pioneers the world's first live aerial video for a national broadcast, capturing unprecedented views of the Rose Parade and Rose Bowl Game.
1967: Columbia broadcasts Super Bowl I for CBS.
1969: The GZ-20 model America debuts. The GZ-20 would serve as the basis for the Goodyear Blimp for almost 50 years, featuring a bigger lighted sign and other improvements.
2014: Goodyear and ZLT Zeppelin Luftschifftechnik engineers complete the build of Wingfoot One, the first semirigid NT model Goodyear Blimp which uses a light internal frame. Three more NTs follow, completing the current fleet of four airships.
Dig deeper
Goodyear's first public relations airship was named Pilgrim. Then, starting with Puritan in 1928, all airships for the next seven decades were named after America's Cup yacht race winners. That tradition ended in 2005; the current fleet of airships is named Wingfoot One, Wingfoot Two and Wingfoot Three.
RELATED: Goodyear Blimp gets vintage makeover in honor of its 100th anniversary
"Wingfoot," of course, is a reference to the company's corporate logo, the winged shoes of the Roman god Mercury.
In 1916, the lake where the blimp hangar would be built was given the name Wingfoot Lake for the same reason. For decades, it was the site of a park for use by Goodyear employees and their families, but now is a state park open to all.
Local perspective
While Goodyear has been celebrating the blimps' big milestone all year, the main event will be this week in Northeastern Ohio, where residents still step outside to look up when they hear the characteristic drone of the blimps' engines droning overhead.
All three North American blimps – the fourth, based in Europe, will not participate – will fly home to Akron for a series of triple-blimp flyovers at the Wingfoot Lake hangar where they were built, along with other stops around the area.
Blimp fans can see the craft around Akron from Tuesday through Thursday, weather-permitting.
The Source
Information for this story came from Goodyear and previous FOX Local reporting, including flights aboard the blimps.