Ohio inventions and firsts · Company innovation · 1925
First Goodyear blimp
Goodyear's first blimp flew in 1925; the company later built Navy airships in the Akron Airdock.
At a glance
- Year
- 1925
- Company
- Goodyear
- Place
- Akron, Summit County ZIP 44306 · Akron · Summit County
The story
Goodyear, the Akron tire company, began building lighter-than-air craft after World War I. A tragic event in the early years was the Wingfoot Air Express, which caught fire on July 21, 1919 and crashed through the skylight of a bank in Chicago, killing 13 people.
The company's first commercial blimp was the Pilgrim, introduced in 1925. It became the model for the advertising blimps that grew into one of the most recognizable icons in American advertising.
Today Goodyear operates four semi-rigid airships built by Luftschiffbau Zeppelin; three are in the United States, Wingfoot One, Two and Three, based in Ohio, Florida and California. They are 246 feet long, travel at 70 mph and carry 12 passengers.
In January 2019 the Goodyear Blimp became the College Football Hall of Fame's first nonhuman inductee.
Timeline
- 1919-07-21: The Wingfoot Air Express crashes through a Chicago bank skylight, killing 13. (Chicago, IL) source
- 1925: Goodyear introduces its first commercial blimp, the Pilgrim. (Akron, OH) source
- 1929: Construction of the Goodyear Airdock begins in Akron. (Akron, OH) source
- 2019-01: The Goodyear Blimp is inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. source
What it changed
- A 246-foot, 70-mph airship that carries 12 passengers.
- First nonhuman inductee of the College Football Hall of Fame.
Why it matters
Goodyear's airship program.
Further reading
Sources
Confidence. Medium: the main facts were confirmed, but some details (often an address or ZIP code) were not.