New Goodyear "blimp".

The Hindenburg would be insulted to hear itself referred to as a lowly Blimp!

But it killed itself by using Hydrogen as the lifting gas. All Airships and Blimps since 1937 have used the safer Helium as the lifting gas.

HiDesertHal
 

(NOTE: This is an old thread of John falcon's.....enjoy)

How can I get a ride on the Goodyear Blimp?

Frank E. Rider
(Built a 30,000 cu ft, twin engine, vectored thrust, single seat airship. SkyRider Airships.)
2018

"It will be tough. They turn away millions of requests each year."

"About 25 years ago I was in Southern California and wanted to see the Goodyear Blimp. I drove out to Carson, parked the car and walked over near the office but did not go in. I stood on the edge of the landing field completely out of the way of anything or anyone. I was dressed in a suit. I never said a single word to anyone."

"The blimp would come in and land and the staff would bring about eight people out of the office, escort them out to the landed airship, unload the current passengers and take them back to the office and load the new passengers. Then the blimp would take off for about a half hour trip."

"I knew that Goodyear didn't give out rides so I wasn't even going to ask. I was content to watch the ground crew handle the airship. It is quite an operation. I had already been in about eight different airships, sat at the flight controls of all of them. I'd been in a Goodyear blimp three times. AND I had built and flown my own blimp, but no one there knew that."

"I stood and watched the blimp come and go taking new passengers for over two hours still with no interaction with anyone. When suddenly a staff member came up to me put his hand on my shoulder and simply said "Today is your lucky day."

"He said that one of the VIP that was scheduled to ride had not shown up and I could take his place on the next flight in five minutes. I said "Thank you" and flew on the next flight. Those were the only two words I said until I got on the airship."

"To answer your question, be intentional and lucky."
 
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By coincidence I was watching a television program recently about the early airships between the two world wars. The balloon was inflated with hydrogen, and incredibly, there was a lounge on board for passengers who wished to smoke. No wonder they didn't need to worry about the link between smoking and cancer back then.
 
Airships were once considered the future of aviation until the Hindenburg disaster. They continue to figure prominently in ā€œSteampunkā€ literature, a fantasy of how technology might have evolved differently. Fortunately, today we donā€™t have to worry about sky piratesā€¦ šŸ™€

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The Blimps: The Defenders Of The Skies In Two World Wars

"Balloon Command began implementing tactics to prevent such attacks. The balloons were intended to force the dive bombers which flew optimally at the height of 1500m, to fly higher. They were then entering the concentrated anti-aircraft fire provided by AA guns."

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Landing ships putting cargo ashore on one of the invasion beaches during the Battle of Normandy. Note the barrage balloons
 
How many Blimps are there in the world?
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In 2021 there are roughly 25 blimps still in existence and only half of them are still in use. So if you happen to see one floating above you, itā€™s a rare sight.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, only 128 people in the the entirety of the United States are qualified to fly airships.

And it takes over 400 hours of training for pilots to be prepared to drive a blimp.

Blimps used to be used to capture images or footage from above - which can now be done with drones.
(READ MORE)
 
I was looking at a little video today that talks about Amazon maybe using a blimp, or other airship for some of their deliveries. I think that the airships are a part of history that we didnā€™t learn much about in school, except for pictures of ones that crashed, like the Hindenburg.
It would probably not have crashed except that the helium which the airships normally used was not available at the time, and they wanted to send it out right away, so they used the inflammable hydrogen instead.

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It is possible that airships will be coming back into use again, but with a completely different look than the old dirigibles of the early 1900ā€™s and the Goodyear blimp.
Here is one that looks more like a UFO than an airship, and from what I have been reading, the new ones will be more of a hybrid, using both the lift of helium, and better motors than the oldtime ones had.

Several companies are working on making airships, so we may see them flying overhead in the next few years.
The airships promising a 'new era' for cargo delivery

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A new generation of airships is taking to the skies​


"Airships once ruled the skies -- and now, a Century after their Golden Age, the floating giants are making a comeback. Flying Whales, a company based in France and Canada, is planning to build a 656-foot (200-meter) long helium-lift and hybrid-electric propulsion airship, like the one pictured in this render, that can carry up to 60 tons of cargo. And they're not the only ones hoping to revive this old technology. Look through the gallery to learn more about the new generation of airships soaring into the future."

Remote deliveries

"Flying Whales is developing a 200-meter-long airship that will be lifted by 14 cells filled with helium gas, and then propelled through the air by a hybrid-electric system powered with sustainable aviation fuel." READ MORE

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Flying Whales' airships, pictured here in a render, could access remote locations without roads, railways or airports.

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San Francisco-based LTA Research is building its helium-lift airship, Pathfinder 1, inside facilities at Moffett Field in California (pictured).
 
NancyNGA said:
Oldman, when did you live in Akron? I also commuted from Akron to Kent State ('64-'68). Took George Washington Blvd, past the Derby Downs, and the Airdock, around the airport circle and caught the expressway. Maybe we passed each other? Small world. :)

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1966. First, I lived in the Manchester area. Later I moved closer to school and got an apartment in Ellet. When I lived in Manchester, I either took the freeway to Kent, or Route 8.
 
On another note, I have been hearing ā€œrumorsā€ that Boeing is attempting to build a new version of the 747. WOW. I wonā€™t miss seeing that if itā€™s true.
 
NancyNGA said:
The house I grew up in was about a mile or two from the Goodyear Airdock where they built many of them. They often flew right over our house very close to the ground. It was a big deal. We all ran outside to watch them when we were kids. No blue color back then, just black and silver.

Contrary to what one might believe, they were *very* noisy, at least the ones built back in the 50's were.
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When I lived in Carson, Ca. There was a Goodyear blimp landing area close by. Seeing something giant slowly passing overhead was always exciting.
 

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