As Goodyear celebrates the 100th anniversary of the first blimp flight, residents lucky enough to live around Akron, Ohio, got a rare treat on June 3, 2025: Three blimps flying across the city, painted in a black and silver color scheme as a throwback to the company’s first blimps.
The local newspaper, the Akron Beacon Journal, took that opportunity to interview Jerry Hissem, 55, chief pilot for Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. and captain of Wingfoot One, the airship based at Wingfoot Lake near Akron.
Hissem grew up watching the blimps fly overhead but never thought he’d be the one at the controls. As he tells his story to the local reporter, he notes that being a blimp pilot is “an elite club.”
There are fewer blimp pilots in the world than astronauts, the story notes. Goodyear has 10 full-time pilots.
Becoming a blimp pilot requires a commercial pilot certificate followed by about 250 hours of training to earn an additional rating.
Find out more in the Beacon’s story here.
And if you are going to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2025, which be held July 21-27 at Wittman Regional Airport (KOSH) in Oshkosh, you’ll get the chance to see two blimps flying above the grounds as part of the 100th anniversary celebrations.
Line from The Blimp by Captain Beefheart:
Daughter, don’t you dare!
Oh mama, who cares?? It’s the blimp!
I used to live under the approach path of the Blimp when there was a base in Spring, TX. It would come over my house at about 200’ with ropes hanging down ready for the ground crew to catch. It was so close, and yet I never got a ride. It was a terribly sad day when the Blimp was decommissioned and the hangar torn down to make way for…shopping center. Boooo.
1992 was a crappy year for alot of people.
Came *this* close to getting a ride in one of the blimps. I’m involved with the local tourist development agency, and my phone rings “Wanna ride in the blimp? Be at the XXX airport ASAP.” I was about 35 miles away, but who knew a geriatric Honda Accord could outrun an SR-71 when needed?
Got there, the blimp is moored on the far side of the ramp. Asked some half-comatose crusty officious looking old **** wearing a white shirt with four stripes on the shoulders how to get to the blimp, he says “What blimp?” Pointed out the window . . . “Oh.”
Line boy took me out there in one of the airport vehicles, everybody is looking sadly at the left side of the blimp. Seems the engines can be rotated to improve takeoff and landing distances (steeper ascent and descent) but one of the hydraulic hoses had burst and sprayed 5056 all over the side of the envelope. No flying today, sorry.
Turns out they use my hangar as a VFR checkpoint to and from airport XXX, I told them next time they are past, drop in and I’ll take the ride. Still waiting . . . and Dear Bride ™ wants to go also. If I go without her, I better not come home.
As far as I know, these are actually airships from Zeppelin NT, not blimps as in the past. Airships have a rigid internal structure. Blimps get their shake through gas pressure inside the envelope.