Goodyear tyre company blimps have flown in North America since 1925 and have provided aerial television pictures at major sporting events since 1955.
Now, after last weekend’s Daytona 500 NASCAR race, the ‘Spirit Of Goodyear’ blimp has flown off to retirement. But don’t worry, the American tyre giant is not abandoning the iconic airships altogether.
One of three current blimps, the ‘Spirit Of Goodyear’ was based near the company’s head office in Akron, Ohio and was launched way back in 2000 - making it the world’s longest continually operating airship (as acknowledged by a ‘Guinness’ World Record).
The other Goodyear blimps are the ‘Spirit Of America’ (based in Carson, California) and the ‘Spirit Of Innovation’ (based in Pompano Beach, Florida). CarShowroom.com.au actually checked-out the ‘Spirit Of America’ during our recent visit to North America – it was being prepared for a major college football game played in Los Angeles while we were there.
But there’s a new chapter in Goodyear blimps about to be written with an all-new model currently undergoing flight tests out of Suffield, Ohio and scheduled to replace the ‘Spirit Of Goodyear’ later this year.
So rest assured, the ‘airship-based’ television coverage we’re accustomed to at NASCAR races, NFL Playoffs, Major League Baseball All-Star games, NBA Finals, NCAA Football games, Preakness and Belmont stakes horse races and PGA Tour golf events will not only continue it will improve.
And for that, we can thank Goodyear tyres.
