An American icon has returned to California.
The Goodyear blimp—officially an airship—arrived in the Los Angeles area recently, after crossing ten states on a 2,600-mile journey from Akron, Ohio. The airship, by name Wingfoot Two, flew to the Long Beach Airport, and will operate out of Long Beach until it goes to its permanent home in Carson. At the moment, the Carson airship base is undergoing upgrades.
As it cruised over Southern California, Wingfoot treated admirers in Los Angeles's Griffith Park, in Long Beach, and on the Manhattan Beach Pier to a close-up look at a legend. According to officials at Goodyear, the new airship may resemble the familiar blimps that have been in service for years, but that is where the resemblance ends. Goodyear says the zeppelin NT is closer to a helicopter than a blimp.
Wingfoot Two is over 246 feet in length, which is almost as long as a football field. The zeppelin can reach a speed of 73mph, thanks to a three-engine design, rather than the two engines used on previous versions. Its usual cruising speed is a sedate 35 mph, though it carries 12 passengers, instead of the six that could ride on earlier models. There is no word yet on when it will move to Carson.
The blimp's return to Carson will be a special day, which base personnel could make more festive by using Banners to decorate the venue.
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