The Goodyear Blimp is the collective name for a fleet of blimps operated by Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company for advertising purposes and for use as a television camera platform for aerial views of sporting events. The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company was founded in 1898 by Frank Seiberling. Advertising is a form of Communication that typically attempts to persuade potential Customers to Purchase or to consume more of a particular Brand A professional Video camera (often called a television camera even though the use has spread is a high-end device for recording electronic moving images (as opposed Goodyear began producing airship envelopes in 1911 and introduced its own blimp, Pilgrim, in 1925. Terminology In some countries airships are also known as dirigibles from the French (fr ''diriger'' to direct plus -ible) meaning "directable" WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout

The Spirit of Goodyear has a distinctive yellow stripe under the logo.

Fleet

Goodyear blimp

Today there are three blimps in the fleet:

• Spirit of America, based in Carson, California, near Los Angeles
• Spirit of Goodyear, based in Suffield Township, Ohio, near Cleveland
• Spirit of Innovation, based in Pompano Beach, Florida, near Miami

All three craft are outfitted with LED sign technology Goodyear calls "Eaglevision. Carson is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West Suffield Township is one of the eighteen townships of Portage County, Ohio, United States. Cleveland is a City in the US state of Ohio and the County seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state Pompano Beach is a City in Broward County, Florida, along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean just to the north of Fort Lauderdale. " This allows the aircraft to display bright, multi-colored, animated words and images.

Goodyear also has blimps operating in other parts of the world. These airships are built and operated by The Lightship Group of Orlando, Florida. Orlando is a major City in central Florida, USA and is the County seat of Orange County Florida.

Lifting agent

The blimps are filled with helium. Helium ( He) is a colorless odorless tasteless non-toxic Inert Monatomic Chemical The helium is maintained under low pressure, so small punctures do not pose serious consequences for the blimp. Pressure (symbol 'p' is the force per unit Area applied to an object in a direction perpendicular to the surface In fact, one inspection element of the blimps is to look into the envelope for pinpoints of light which are indicative of small holes. The blimps have infrequently been hit by small-arms fire from the ground. Also, birds can hit blimps and make small beak holes. These incidents have not resulted in any serious consequences to the blimp or its crew.

The blimps are equipped with internal bladders in the envelope, and as the blimp ascends or descends these bladders expand or contract to compensate for density changes and to maintain uniform pressure in the envelope.

Classes

The three modern types of Goodyear blimps, since the 1960s, are: GZ-19, GZ-20 and GZ-22. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout

The GZ stands for Goodyear-Zeppelin, stemming from the partnership Goodyear had with the German company when both were building airships together. However these three classes came many years after this partnership had dissolved during the start of World War II. The GZ-1 was the USS Akron, the U. Construction and commissioning Construction of the ZRS-4 commenced on 31 October 1929 at Springfield Township Ohio, by the Goodyear-Zeppelin Corporation, and on S. Navy's flying aircraft carrier.

• GZ-19: Introduced in 1963 and discontinued in 1978 after the loss of Mayflower (N38A). The design for this class resembles the U. S. Navy's L class blimp. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout

• GZ-20: This class is what the current American fleet is composed of. Introduced in 1969, with the America (N10A) and Columbia (N3A) being the first two. This class is slightly longer than GZ-19.

• GZ-22: The only airship in this class was the Spirit of Akron (N4A). Originally built in 1987 to show the U. S. Department of Defense that airships were still militarily viable, it was the largest and most technically advanced ship Goodyear ever had in its public relations fleet, featuring fly-by-wire technology. However, Spirit was lost in 1999 and the company has not built one since, most likely because of the large expense to build and operate one due to its size and advanced technology.

Dimensions

According to the Goodyear website, the three active GZ-20 blimps are 192 feet (58 meters) long, 59. 5 feet (18 meters) tall, and 50 feet (15 meters) wide.

For comparison, the largest airships ever built, the Zeppelin company's Hindenburg, LZ-129, and the Graf Zeppelin II, LZ-130, were 804 feet (245 meters) long and 135 feet (41 meters) in diameter. A Zeppelin is a type of Rigid airship pioneered by the German Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin in the early 20th century based on designs he had outlined WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Design and development See also Hindenburg_class_airship#Design_and_development, L1=''Hindenburg''-class airship The design of LZ-130 incorporated That is, over four times as long and over twice as wide as the current Goodyear blimps. The largest blimp ever made by Goodyear was the U.S. Navy's ZPG-3, at 403 feet (121 meters) in length.

Blimps are non-rigid (meaning their shape is not maintained by a rigid internal structure) and dirigible (directible/steerable) airships. Terminology In some countries airships are also known as dirigibles from the French (fr ''diriger'' to direct plus -ible) meaning "directable" That terminology is seldom used in connection with blimps, being associated more with the great rigid airships of the past.

Names

Since 1925, Goodyear had named its blimps after the U. S. winners of the America's Cup yacht race. The America’s Cup is the most prestigious Regatta and Match race in the sport of Sailing, and the oldest active Trophy in international This naming method is attributed to then-Goodyear CEO Paul W. Litchfield, who viewed the airships as being like yachts in the sky. Although that practice deviated with the introduction of the Spirit of Akron in 1987, the Florida-based Stars & Stripes would be the last to carry this honor, ending in 2005. Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the The Europa, introduced in 1972, was actually the first Goodyear blimp not named after a cup winner. However it was based in Europe and an American winner's name would have had no meaning to Europeans.

The America's Cup winners names: Pilgrim, Puritan, Reliance, Defender, Volunteer, Resolute, Vigilant, Mayflower, Ranger, Rainbow, Enterprise, Columbia, America, Stars & Stripes.

Non-cup winners names: Europa, Spirit of Akron, Eagle, Spirit of Goodyear, Spirit of America, Spirit of Innovation, Spirit of Europe, Spirit of the Americas, Spirit of the South Pacific, Ventura.

Passengers

The GZ-20 blimps Goodyear operates in the U. S have seating for only six passengers. No seatbelts are required.

The only passengers that Goodyear will allow on the blimps are corporate guests of the company and members of the press. No public rides are offered. This has been Goodyear's long standing policy. However, for over 50 years, it had to offer limited public rides at its Miami, FL winter base on Watson Island as part of its land-lease deal with the city in order to operate from the island. Watson Island is an Island in Biscayne Bay, close to Downtown Miami, Florida. That practice ended in 1979 when the base was moved to Opa-Locka, FL. Opa-locka is a City located in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States.

Night signs

For years, Goodyear has fitted its blimps with a night sign. From neon tubes, to incandescent lamps to LEDs, these signs have helped the company advertise its products and also deliver public service messages from various organizations such as local governments.

• Neon-O-Gram Originally called NeonGoodyear, was first fitted on Defender back in the 1930s. Neon tubes on the sides of the blimp which usually just spelled out Goodyear.
• 10 Panel Incandescent Bulbs
• Skytacular: In the mid 1960s, the GZ-19 Mayflower (N4A) was fitted with over 3,000 incandescent lamps of red, yellow, blue and green on both sides that for the first time featured animation. Usually moving stick figures, ticker messages or colorful patterns. A small jet engine had to be attached to the blimp's car in order to power the Skytacular night sign.
• Super Skytacular: Same technology as Skytacular, but with more than 7,000 lamps on both sides. Super Skytacular was fitted on the new longer GZ-20 blimps in 1969.
• EagleVision

Crashes

• The Wingfoot Air Express, while transporting passengers from Chicago's Grant Park to the White City Amusement Park, crashed through the skylight of the Illinois Trust & Savings Bank on July 21, 1919, killing one crewman, two passengers, and ten bank employees. The Wingfoot Air Express was a Dirigible that crashed into the Illinois Trust and Savings Building in Chicago on Monday July 21, 1919 Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. Grant Park (originally named Lake Park is a large Park (319 acres or 1 Events 356 BC - Herostratus sets fire to the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of the World Year 1919 ( MCMXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common ^[1]

• The Spirit of Akron, tail number N4A, crashed on October 28, 1999 in Suffield Township, Ohio, when it suddenly entered an uncontrolled left turn and began descending. Events 306 - Maxentius is proclaimed Roman Emperor. 312 - Battle of Milvian Bridge: Constantine Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) Suffield Township is one of the eighteen townships of Portage County, Ohio, United States. The pilot and technician on board received only minor injuries when the blimp impacted with trees. The NTSB report claims that improperly hardened metal splines on the control actuators sheared, causing loss of control. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB is an independent U ^[2]

• The Stars and Stripes, tail number N1A, crashed on June 16, 2005 in Coral Springs, Florida, when it was caught in a strong thunderstorm that eventually pushed the aircraft into trees and powerlines. Events 1487 - Battle of Stoke Field, the last dying breath of the Wars of the Roses. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Coral Springs, officially chartered July 10 1963 is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States approximately northwest of Fort Lauderdale Florida A tree is a perennial Woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or There were no injuries in the crash, although the pilot and passenger were trapped for a number of hours until the powerlines could be de-energized. ^[3] The NTSB accident report claims the cause of the accident to be the pilot's "inadequate in-flight planning/decision which resulted in an in-flight encounter with weather (thunderstorm outflow), and downdrafts. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB is an independent U An updraft or downdraft ( air pocket) is the vertical movement of Air as a Weather related phenomenon . . "^[4]

The Goodyear Blimp in popular culture

• The Mayflower (N4A) appears in the Beatles 1965 movie 'Help'.

• A Goodyear blimp can be seen in several shots of the Deep Purple live at the California Jam in 1974, released on DVD.

• The Goodyear blimp is shown in the 1974 H. B. Halicki film, Gone in 60 Seconds. This is about the 1974 film For the 2000 remake see Gone in Sixty Seconds (2000 film Gone in 60 Seconds is a 1974 During a night scene at Ascot Park, the blimp marquee is shown displaying the message "LOCK YOUR CAR OR IT MAY BE GONE IN 60 SECONDS"

• In an episode of That '70s Show, it is revealed that Leo(Tommy Chong) mistook it for a UFO that told him he was going to have a 'good year'. Ascot Park can refer to Ascot Park California - dirt racing track in Gardena California Ascot Park New Zealand - suburb in Porirua New That '70s Show is an American television sitcom that centered on the lives of a group of teenagers living in the fictional town of Leonard Chingkwake is a character on the Fox Sitcom That '70s Show. Thomas "Tommy" B Kin Chong (born May 24 1938 is a Canadian Comedian, Actor and Musician who is well-known for his stereotypical

• In 1976 Goodyear allowed use of its blimps for the filming of the movie Black Sunday based on the novel by Thomas Harris, about a distressed former P. Thomas Harris (born April 11, 1940) is an American Author of crime Novels most notably The Silence O. W. blimp pilot that helps Middle Eastern terrorists attack the Super Bowl with a lethal device attached to the airship's car. professional American football, the Super Bowl is the Championship game of the National Football League (NFL Two blimps were used for the conclusion. The base scenes were shot in Carson, CA using the Columbia (N4A). Carson is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The Super Bowl scenes were shot in Miami, FL using the Mayflower (N1A), which was smaller than Columbia. This led to visual errors where the blimp changes in size.

• In the 1986 movie Flight of the Navigator, the audience is teased at the beginning of the movie when a large ominous shadow passes over a crowd of people. Flight of the Navigator is a 1986 Disney Science fiction Film about a 12-year old boy David who is abducted by an alien space craft The camera then pans over and shows a shot of the Goodyear Blimp passing at low level.

• Rapper Ice Cube's 1993 single "It Was a Good Day" contains the line "Even saw the lights of the Goodyear Blimp, and it read, 'Ice Cube's A Pimp'". O'Shea Jackson (born June 15 1969 better known by his Stage name Ice Cube, is an American Actor, Screenwriter, producer, and "It Was a Good Day" is a 1993 single by American Gangsta rapper Ice Cube from his third solo album The Predator.

• Rapper Nas's single "If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)" contains a line "I take a glimpse into time watch the blimp read 'The World Is Mine'". Nasir Jones, nɑːˈsiər (born September 14 1973 better known by his Stage name Nas, nɑːz formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper " If I Ruled the World (Imagine That " is a 1996 hit hip hop single by Nas featuring Lauryn Hill of The Fugees. That line refers to the Goodyear Blimp when it say 'blimp', and also references the aforementioned scene from Scarface.

• Rap group Three Six Mafia notes that they "keep the dope fiends higher than the Goodyear Blimp" in their song "Sippin' on Some Syrup". Three 6 Mafia (formerly Triple 6 Mafia) is an Academy-Award winning American Rap group originating from Memphis, Tennessee " Sippin' On Some Syrup " is a track from Three 6 Mafia 's 4th studio album When the Smoke Clears Sixty 6 Sixty 1.

• In the 1989 film Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure the protagonists invent an anachronistic sighting of the Goodyear Blimp in order cause a distraction and escape from a group of cowboys who are chasing them. Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure ( 1989) is an American comedy / Science fiction Movie in which two Slackers

• In the 1991 comedy film What About Bob?, Bill Murray's character, Bob Wiley, says of his psychiatrist Leo, after Leo's violent outburst: "He's so high above us, we're like ropes on the Goodyear blimp. What About Bob? is a 1991 Comedy movie directed by Frank Oz which stars Bill Murray and Richard Dreyfuss For the British actor see Billy Murray (actor. William James "Bill" Murray (born September 21, 1950) is an "

• The Goodyear blimp is parodied in the Pixar film Cars as the Lightyear Blimp, which has the same colors as the blimp. Cars is a 2006 animated Feature film produced by Pixar and directed by both John Lasseter and Joe Ranft. In real life Goodyear promoted the movie by covering up the Good and the Winged Foot and replacing it with the words Light.

• In Stroker Ace, Clyde Torkle expands his advertising by promoting his company, Clyde Torkle's Chicken Pit on the neon text of the GoodYear Blimp at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Stroker Ace is a 1983 action/comedy movie filmed in North Carolina and Georgia, about a NASCAR driver played by Burt Reynolds. Lowe's Motor Speedway (formerly Charlotte Motor Speedway) is a speedway in Concord North Carolina, north of Charlotte.

• In All Marketers are Liars, Seth Godin references the Goodyear Blimp as a "shining example of old media. Seth Godin (born July 10, 1960) is an American author of business books and a popular speaker with appearances at Google TED and a number of charities "

• The blimp appears in NASCAR Thunder 2002, NASCAR Thunder 2003, NASCAR Thunder 2004, NASCAR 2005:Chase for the Cup, NASCAR 06 Total Team Control, NASCAR 07, and NASCAR 08. NASCAR Thunder 2002 is a Racing simulator Video game developed by EA Tiburon and published by EA Sports that came out for the PlayStation NASCAR Thunder 2003 is a Racing simulator published by Electronic Arts in September 2002 for PlayStation, PlayStation 2 NASCAR Thunder 2004 is a Racing simulator by EA Sports, released in 2003. NASCAR 07 is the tenth installment of the EA Sports ' NASCAR video game series. NASCAR 08 is the eleventh installment of the EA Sports NASCAR series.

• Photograph of four Goodyear Blimps. [1]

• The Tragically Hip song Titanic Terrarium contains the line "His greatgrandfather worked for Goodyear/he'd see the blimp on Sundays/wonder what the driver knew about making rubber tires. The Tragically Hip is a Canadian rock band from Kingston Ontario, consisting of Gordon Downie (lead vocals and occasional acoustic "

References

Bibliography

• "The Goodyear Blimp". Quintessences: the Quality of Having It, pp 44-45. New York: Black Dog and Leventhal, 1983.

External links

• Official Website