Last GZ-20-Era Gondola to Live On Among Aerospace Legends

Amid celebrations of its 100th anniversary, Goodyear has donated one of its last remaining GZ-20 blimp gondolas to the EAA’s Aviation Museum. The gondola is now taking its seat among aviation history as two of the company’s current fleet, Wingfoot One and Wingfoot Two, make their way into AirVenture.

The GZ-20 is the last version of the airship that Goodyear flew before making the switch to the Zeppelin NT model. This is a semi-rigid platform, meaning they have a carbon fiber and aluminum inner structure that provides more shape and support than the previous non-rigid design. Goodyear operates three of these blimps under the callsigns Wingfoot One, Two, and Three.

The retired gondola being donated is from one of Goodyear’s oldest GZ-20 blimps. It was built in 1971 and entered service as Europa. The ship remained overseas until, in the late 1980s, it returned to the US to fly as the Florida-based Stars and Stripes. It was retired in 2001 and has remained in Goodyear’s Akron, Ohio, hangar ever since.

That all changed with Goodyear’s decision to give the gondola the retirement it deserves with a spot in the EAA Aviation Museum. It will be used in a youth-focused exhibit, allowing kids to learn about the history of the iconic Goodyear Blimp and better understand how the ship functions.

“We can’t thank Goodyear enough for trusting us to take care of this artifact, and making sure that, in a hundred years, it’s still here. It’s still, hopefully, inspiring young kids to take that first step and learn a little more about aerospace,” said Chris Henry, EAA Aviation Museum manager.

At the same time, Goodyear is celebrating its 100th anniversary by flying not one, but two of its blimps into EAA Oshkosh AirVenture. One of the ships, Wingfoot One, has been outfitted with a 1925-inspired Pilgrim livery. Wingfoot One and Wingfoot Two can be seen either in the air or near the EAA Aviation Museum throughout their stay.

"As we celebrate our blimp program's 100th anniversary, there's no better way to honor its legacy than by inspiring the next generation of aviation enthusiasts," said Michael Dougherty, Goodyear's Chief Pilot. "We hope this exhibit sparks curiosity and dreams of flight on aircraft of all kinds in countless children into the future."

FMI: www.goodyear.com