Goodyear’s blimp replacement makes 1st flight, carrying familiar logo into skies above NE Ohio

Goodyear blimp (Wikipedia photo)

AKRON, Ohio – The next generation of the well-known Goodyear blimp has made its first flight, cruising over part of northeast Ohio beneath bright blue skies.

A spokesman for Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. tells the Akron Beacon Journal that the airship had no problems during the debut Monday from a hangar in the Akron area.

Goodyear says the high-tech, helium-filled airship is bigger, quicker and more manoeuvrable. It has a semi-rigid internal structure that wasn’t present in earlier models and raises questions about whether it is truly a blimp, though the company still refers to it as such.

The airship’s silver balloon-like body is emblazoned with Goodyear’s yellow logo on a blue background.

The so-far-unnamed airship is expected to have a longer flight range and better aerial broadcast capabilities for event coverage.

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Information from: Akron Beacon Journal, http://www.ohio.com