'Spirit Of Goodyear' Retiring To The Sunshine State, Construction Of New Goodyear NT Airship On Schedule

Like many Ohioans, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company's Akron-based blimp, the Spirit of Goodyear, has become a "Snow Bird" and is leaving northeast Ohio's snow and cold for a retirement in the sunshine and warmth of Florida. The blimp, which has been based at the company's Wingfoot Lake Hangar since its christening 13 years ago, will join The Spirit of Innovation and operate from the company's Pompano Beach, FL airship base this winter before being decommissioned in the spring of 2014.

Beginning next year, the company will begin replacing the current fleet of blimps with new state-of-the-art Goodyear NT (New Technology) airships, the first of which is under construction at the Wingfoot Lake Hangar.

"The Spirit of Goodyear gave up its hangar space for the construction of the new Goodyear NT airship and has been moored outside the past months," said Nancy Ray, director of Goodyear's global airship program. "With winter on the way and the blimp's retirement coming up, it's time for the Spirit of Goodyear to move south."

Farewell flights over the Akron area were planned Wednesday and Thursday, weather permitting, giving area residents a chance to say "goodbye" before it heads into retirement. "Akron loves the blimp and we love Akron," Ray said. "Our pilots and passengers routinely see countless people step outside of their homes and offices or pull over in their cars to watch the blimp. We wanted to make a last flight to say goodbye and give its fans a chance to wave goodbye to the Spirit of Goodyear."

The Spirit of Goodyear will depart Akron on October 11, traveling to State College, PA, to cover the Penn State-Michigan football game for ESPN. Afterwards, the airship will work its way south to the company's Florida blimp base.

Meanwhile, Ray said the company is on schedule with the construction of the new NT airship and it should be ready for test flights in the spring of 2014.

Everything about the new Goodyear NT airship design is larger and more advanced than the current fleet. The current blimp design is 192 ft long with an envelope volume of 202,700 cu ft, while the NT is 246.5 ft long with an envelope volume of 297,527 cu ft.

(Images from file)

FMI: www.goodyear.com/corporate