‘Spirit of Goodyear’ Retiring, High-Tech Blimp on the Way
Everyone's familiar with the Goodyear blimp. But new, high-tech blimps are on the way, and Goodyear will be retiring its Ohio-based Spirit of Goodyear blimp, reports Deborah Lockridge in her All That's Trucking blog.
The Spirit of Goodyear blimp will give up its spot in the Wingfoot Lake Hangar near Akron, Ohio, for the new Goodyear New Technology blimp.
2 min to read
The Spirit of Goodyear blimp will give up its spot in the Wingfoot Lake Hangar near Akron, Ohio, for the new Goodyear New Technology blimp.
Everyone's familiar with the Goodyear blimp. Now, according to a report in Modern Tire Dealer, HDT's sister publication, new, high-tech blimps are on the way, and Goodyear will be retiring the Spirit of Goodyear blimp.
Goodyear's Akron, Ohio-based blimp, the Spirit of Goodyear, which has been based at the company’s Wingfoot Lake Hangar since its christening 13 years ago, will join The Spirit of Innovation and operate from the company’s Pompano Beach, Fla., airship base this winter before being decommissioned in the spring of 2014.
Ad Loading...
Beginning next year, the company will begin replacing the current fleet of blimps with new state-of-the-art Goodyear NT (New Technology) airships, the first of which is under construction at the Wingfoot Lake Hangar.
“The Spirit of Goodyear gave up its hangar space for the construction of the new Goodyear NT airship and has been moored outside the past months,” says Nancy Ray, director of Goodyear’s global airship program.
“With winter on the way and the blimp’s retirement coming up, it’s time for the Spirit of Goodyear to move south.”
The airship will make farewell flights over the Akron area on Oct. 9-10, 2013, weather permitting, giving area residents a chance to say “goodbye” before it heads into retirement.
“Akron loves the blimp and we love Akron,” Ray says. “Our pilots and passengers routinely see countless people step outside of their homes and offices or pull over in their cars to watch the blimp. We wanted to make a last flight to say goodbye and give its fans a chance to wave goodbye to the Spirit of Goodyear.”
Ad Loading...
The company is encouraging blimp fans to share their favorite stories, photos or videos of the Spirit of Goodyear on social media, including the blimp’s Facebook page, www.Facebook.com/GoodyearBlimp.
TaaS. Does that mean trucks as a service, trailers as a service, or tires as a service? HDT's Deborah Lockridge has another takeaway from the Technology & Maintenance Council meeting in her blog.
HDT Editor and Associate Publisher Deborah Lockridge is a longtime Girl Scout leader and loves to connect her passion for inspiring girls with her love of the trucking industry.
No matter who wins the election, trucking continues to work to educate the people who pass the laws and make the rules that affect the industry. HDT's Deborah Lockridge shares insights from two major trucking associations in her All That's Trucking blog.
Skimping on vacation may be the worst thing you can do for your business, your career, and your mental health. In her All That's Trucking blog, Deborah Lockridge writes about the importance of giving your brain what it needs to be innovative.
Read Deborah Lockridge's picks for the most significant stories we covered at HDT in 2023: freight recession, zero-emission trucks, drivers and marijuana, and more.
HDT's Deborah Lockridge talks about key themes that emerged during sessions, conversations, and on the show floor during the American Trucking Associations' annual management conference.
In her All That's Trucking blog, Deborah Lockridge shares a follow-up to last year's story about a FedEx Ground contractor who was very publicly challenging the company about alleged unfair treatment of its contractors.
Curiosity about how Girl Scout cookies get from the factory to the customer drove the development of a supply patch program. HDT's Deborah Lockridge, a Girl Scout herself, writes about it in her All That's Trucking blog.
