Goodyear Unveils Its Latest Airship | Aero-News Network
Aero-News Network
RSS icon RSS feed
podcast icon MP3 podcast
Subscribe Aero-News e-mail Newsletter Subscribe

Airborne Unlimited -- Most Recent Daily Episodes

Episode Date

Airborne-Monday

Airborne-Tuesday

Airborne-Wednesday Airborne-Thursday

Airborne-Friday

Airborne On YouTube

Airborne-Unlimited-10.06.25

AirborneNextGen-
10.07.25

Airborne-Unlimited-10.08.25

Airborne-FlightTraining-10.09.25

AirborneUnlimited-10.10.25

Tue, Mar 18, 2014

Goodyear Unveils Its Latest Airship

New Blimp Needs A Name, Contest Underway

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has unveiled an all-new, state-of-the-art version of its world-famous icon, the Goodyear Blimp. The new airship is larger, faster, and more maneuverable and builds on the company's legacy as the world's leading builder and operator of airships.

The new blimp was introduced at an event held at Goodyear's Wingfoot Lake hangar in Suffield, Ohio. The blimp is scheduled to begin test flights over Northeast Ohio later this month before going into service in the summer.

"The completion of the new blimp marks the beginning of a new era for our airship program and reflects Goodyear's commitment to remaining at the forefront of aerial broadcast coverage and support," said Paul Fitzhenry, senior vice president, global communications. "This airship will offer enhanced aerial television coverage capabilities, increased flight range to cover more events and an unparalleled passenger experience."

In conjunction with the unveiling, Goodyear announced the launch of a nationwide contest to name the new blimp.

Assembly of the new blimp began in March 2013 at Goodyear's Wingfoot Lake hangar.  An international team of engineers and technicians from Goodyear and Germany's ZLT Zeppelin Luftschifftechnik worked side by side to complete the build project. Parts such as the tail fins and gondola were built in Germany and shipped to the U.S. for assembly. The balloon-like body of the airship – the "envelope" – is made of polyester with an innovative film from DuPont called Tedlar, surrounding a semi-rigid internal structure, which differentiates this airship from previous Goodyear blimps.

This airship is the first of a new generation of Goodyear blimps that will be different in construction, appearance, and operation than the current fleet of blimps. The new helium-filled airship is 246 feet long, more than 50 feet longer than the previous blimps and just 18 yards shorter than an American football field. The blimp features a new paint scheme while retaining Goodyear's logo and traditional blue and yellow branding on a silver envelope. 

The gondola delivers an unparalleled passenger experience with seating for up to 12 passengers and with improved viewing through larger, wrap-around windows, providing sweeping panoramic views. In addition, a new interior and seating will add to the ride's comfort.

The new airship incorporates the latest in on-board avionics and flight control systems. Whereas pilots of the previous generation of blimps controlled the airships' movements with a manual flight system in use since 1925, the new ship features custom computer-controlled avionics.  Electronic controls work in conjunction with an on-board computer to regulate engine thrust, up-and-down movement, and right-and-left movement. Tail fin operation will be controlled by a joystick device. These advancements result in more precise operation of the airship while in flight, on landing, and on take off. In addition, the new airship has a top speed of 73 miles per hour, compared to the current maximum of approximately 50 miles per hour giving the blimp greater range to cover more events.

Every Goodyear blimp needs a name and, once again, the company is inviting the public to participate in a Goodyear "Name the Blimp" contest. One name will be chosen from the entries and the contest winner will join the Goodyear Blimp for a day of airship activities. In addition, nine runner-up winners will receive a set of Goodyear tires. The contest will close on Friday, April 4.

This will be only the second blimp in history to get its name from a consumer naming contest. The first contest was held in 2006 and featured more than 20,000 unique names. The winning name, Spirit of Innovation, was given to the airship that now operates from Pompano Beach, FL. 

FMI: www.Goodyear.com/NametheBlimp

Advertisement

More News

ANN's Daily Aero-Term (10.13.25): Homing [ICAO]

Homing [ICAO] The procedure of using the direction-finding equipment of one radio station with the emission of another radio station, where at least one of the stations is mobile, >[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (10.13.25)

Aero Linx: European Regions Airline Association (ERA) The European Regions Airline Association (ERA) represents a diverse membership of over 50 airlines and more than 150 associate>[...]

ANN FAQ: Q&A 101

A Few Questions AND Answers To Help You Get MORE Out of ANN! 1) I forgot my password. How do I find it? 1) Easy... click here and give us your e-mail address--we'll send it to you >[...]

NTSB Prelim: CubCrafters Carbon Cub

While On Short Final, About 300 Ft, The Pilot Performed A Forced Landing Near Trees On September 7, 2025, about 0932 eastern daylight time, a CubCrafters Carbon Cub EX airplane, N4>[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Term (10.14.25): Severe Icing

Severe Icing The rate of ice accumulation is such that ice protection systems fail to remove the accumulation of ice and ice accumulates in locations not normally prone to icing, s>[...]

blog comments powered by Disqus



Advertisement

Advertisement

Podcasts

Advertisement

© 2007 - 2025 Web Development & Design by Pauli Systems, LC