Will Replaced Downed "Stars & Stripes"

Goodyear says it plans to launch a new airship in the spring of 2006 to be deployed to its Pompano Beach, FL, operation.

The new airship has been in production for the past two years as a previously scheduled 2006 replacement for the Stars & Stripes, which has operated in Florida since 1992. As Aero-News reported last June, the Stars & Stripes tried, but failed, to outrun a thunderstorm and crashed in a Coral Springs, FL, industrial park.

Goodyear's two other US-based airships, the Spirit of Goodyear, located near Akron, and the Carson, California-based Spirit of America, recently were in New York City to support the company's meeting with financial analysts and investors.

As part of that meeting, with the airships hovering over the Manhattan skyline carrying hurricane relief support messages, Goodyear Chairman and CEO Robert J. Keegan opened the meeting referring to the airships overhead as highly visible evidence of the company's stepped up efforts to become a more market-driven company.

Jon Rich, president of the North American Tire business said the announcement of the new airship is further commitment to that market-driven direction.

"The Goodyear blimps are celebrating their 80th anniversary as a company and American icon, and are a key part of our marketing strategy," said Rich. "Our customers love the blimps. When you think of Goodyear, you think of tires, blimps and racing. We will continue to take advantage of our differentiated products and marketing tools to become competitively advantaged."

Goodyear made the announcement to media during the introduction of one of those differentiated new products, the new Fortera tire with TripleTred Technology for SUVs.

Rich said Goodyear has stepped up its airship marketing activities in the past two years to help drive more business through customer activities, co-promotions and network television relationships - producing significant additional exposure for the company and its products.

Goodyear launched its first public relations blimp, the Pilgrim, in 1925.

And, over the last 80 years has made more than 300 airships to support the company's businesses and for the US Navy.

The company plans to temporarily relocate the Spirit of Goodyear airship to Florida for the winter, while it builds the replacement airship at the company's Wingfoot Lake Airship hangar, near Akron.

FMI: www.goodyear.com