Goodyear to swap out three-blimp fleet for real Zeppelins

[Blue_Tires]

There isn’t a more familiar flying machine anywhere than the Goodyear Blimp.

Actually there are three Goodyear Blimps based in the United States: the Spirit of Goodyear in Akron, Ohio; the Spirit of Innovation in Pompano Beach, Fla.; and the Spirit of America in Carson, Calif.; as well as leased blimp operations in Europe and China.

Major events attended by large crowds just wouldn’t be the same without a Goodyear Blimp overhead, providing aerial TV coverage and flashing messages on its electronic signs.

Now with the existing blimps nearing the end of their life cycles, Goodyear will “take the next evolutionary step in our airship program," said Nancy Jandrokovic, Goodyear’s director of Global Airship Operations.

On May 3, Goodyear announced a new pact with the German Zeppelin manufacturer ZLT Zeppelin Luftschifftechnik “to supply The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company with airships well into the next decade.”

The Zeppelin LZ N07–101 model airships will be built with teams from both companies at Goodyear’s Wingfoot Lake Airship Hangar near Akron, Ohio, Goodyear said. Construction of the first airship will start in 2013; it is expected to fly in 2014.

Goodyear said that the new airships will be 246 feet long, considerably larger than the current 192-foot-long ships. The airships, each to be powered by three Lycoming IO-360 engines, will “fly faster, carry more passengers, and include state-of-the art avionics and flight control systems.” Each will cost about $21 million including technical support.

http://www.aopa.org/aircraft/articles/2011/110505goodyear_to_replace_blimp_fleet.html?WT.adv=adv1

[snooper2]

1. Now that's a cool job title

"Director of Global Airship Operations"