Speaking of Blimps...

Above, Spirit of America in Carson, California in 2012. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Speaking of blimps (i.e., the Sao Paulo blimp crash), I paid a visit to the Carson, California Goodyear blimp airship operations field back in 2012. There, the Goodyear blimp Spirit of America was moored. 

I took a few pictures of it.

Above, another view of the Spirit of America in 2012. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Spirit of American was replaced by its sister ship, Spirit of Innovation in 2015. This was the interim period before the new semi-rigid generation of Goodyear blimps were put into service.

According to GoodyearBlimp.com:

Carson, CA, July 26, 2015 – Goodyear Airship Operations is retiring its Los Angeles-based Goodyear blimp "Spirit of America." The GZ-20A model airship will be decommissioned in mid-August 2015. The blimp will be replaced in the Los Angeles market by its twin ship "Spirit of Innovation" in late September 2015. The transition is taking place as Goodyear celebrates 90 years of lighter-than-air publicity and introduces a new fleet of high-tech, next generation NT Zeppelin model airships.

Goodyear invites the community to get a final up-close look at the blimp during a retirement celebration, which will be held on Friday, August 7 and Saturday, August 8 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days. The event will be free to the public. RSVP at http://goodyearblimp.eventbrite.com.

"Spirit of America" has continued to provide aerial coverage to a series of final events in July including the ESPYS, Crossfit Games and Special Olympics World Games LA 2015 Opening Ceremony. Its final months have involved a 29-day West Coast Tour from Los Angeles to Olympia, Washington for the U.S. Open in June; an honorary flight with NFL Arizona Cardinals 2015 draft pick Gerald Christian for Irrelevant Week on July 9; and an exclusive ground tour for more than 110 Special Olympics World Games athletes representing five countries at the Carson blimp base on July 23. 

"Spirit of America"

Christened on Sept. 5, 2002

Retiring August 10, 2015

Above, a zoom shot of the Spirit of America gondola. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Before moving to New Mexico in 2018, I did get some photos of the new Wingfoot Two in Carson.

Here's one:

During my 2015 trip to Japan, I did see a blimp in Tokyo:

Above, an advertising blimp (MetLife) near Asakusa, Tokyo. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Blimp Rides: Maybe Now Is Not The Time?

Who else worries that President Biden, to demonstrate his toughness, might overreact?  - Larry Elder.

Above, Goodyear blimp "Wingfoot Two" in Carson, California. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Maybe now is not the time to take a ride aboard the Goodyear blimp?

National Air and Space Museum Will Close For 6 Months

Above, the gondola of the Goodyear blimp Pilgrim at the National Air and Space Museum. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum in Washington, D. C. will be closed for six months.

Travel + Leisure reported:

Tourists looking to geek out at The National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., will need to head there before April or plan to wait for a while

The National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., is getting a major upgrade and will close for six months next year to undergo renovations, according to a press release shared this week. The museum, one of the most popular museums in the U.S. and the largest of the Smithsonians, will close on March 28, 2022 and reopen sometime in the fall of 2022.

When the museum does reopen, guests will find a more interactive experience than they might remember. In the meantime, some items from the museum collection are being moved to other Smithsonian institutions along the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

To read more, go here. 

Cooper® Tires News

Above, the Jeep with its Cooper Discoverer tires. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

When I bought the 1952 Willys Jeep M38A1, it had Cooper Discoverer light truck tires on it.

Nearly two years later, they're still in good shape and with no problems.

However, such is not the case with some Cooper light truck tires.

From RV Travel:

An estimated 430,000 light truck tires made by Cooper® Tires have been recalled because they can develop sidewall bulges that could lead to tire failure.

Certain Discoverer, Evolution, Courser, Deegan, Adventurer, Hercules, Back Country, Multi-Mile, Wild Country and Big O tires in several sizes are included in the recall.

The tires recalled were made between Feb. 1, 2018 and Dec. 1, 2019.

That's not all concerning Cooper Tires.

Above, the Goodyear blimp, Spirit of America. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Also from RV Travel:

On Feb. 22, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. agreed to buy Cooper Tire & Rubber Company, a deal that seeks to combine the country’s two biggest tire manufacturers based in the U.S.

Goodyear said it will pay about $2.8 billion in cash and stock for its smaller rival. That will include $41.75 a share in cash for Cooper’s shares, which rose about 30% to $56.89 in afternoon trading. Goodyear’s shares increased 20% to $16.72.

To read more, go here.

Goodyear Goes Into Plan B To Stop The Hemorrhage

Since Goodyear's stock value took a major hit yesterday (about a $54 million loss), they had to do something to stop the hemorrhage.

Rich Kramer, Goodyear's CEO and President issued a letter today with a further explanation of the visual slide that was leaked by an employee that caused the "fit hitting the shan" that led President Trump to call for a boycott of Goodyear.

Here's the letter:

The letter is a lot more convincing than yesterday's contradictory statement the company issued. Still, I have to wonder if they still approve the wearing of Marxist BLM apparel. That part of the slide still hasn't been clarified.

Goodyear Goes Self-Inflicted "Hindenburg" On Itself

The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company is seeing firsthand what pushback looks like.

During the past 24 hours, this image was leaked into the Internet:

MAGA hats, Blue Lives Matter (i.e., law enforcement), All Lives Matter and other political slogans and material are "unacceptable", according to their "Diversity Training Slide". But Black Lives Matter (BLM), a Marxist organization is "Acceptable".

This caught the attention of President Trump, who Tweeted:

Social media and other Internet outlets have been in an uproar over Goodyear's stance. They tried to walk this back, but they aren't convincing anyone.

From Goodyear's corporate website:

AKRON, Ohio, August 19, 2020 – A Message from Goodyear to Our Customers, Partners and Associates:   

Yesterday, Goodyear became the focus of a conversation that created some misconceptions about our policies and our company.  For those not aware, a widely circulated image sparked a strong reaction, and we wanted to take the opportunity to provide some important context to the visual and our policies.  

First, the visual in question was not created or distributed by Goodyear corporate, nor was it part of a diversity training class. To be clear on our longstanding corporate policy, Goodyear has zero tolerance for any forms of harassment or discrimination. To enable a work environment free of those, we ask that associates refrain from workplace expressions in support of political campaigning for any candidate or political party, as well as similar forms of advocacy that fall outside the scope of racial justice and equity issues. 

Second, we appreciate the diverse viewpoints of all of our more than 60,000 associates, which are at the heart of many of the policies we establish. Fostering an inclusive, respectful workplace is important to establish teamwork and build culture, which is another reason we ask associates not to engage in political campaigning of any kind in the workplace – for any candidate, party or political organization. 

Third and finally, Goodyear has always wholeheartedly supported both equality and law enforcement and will continue to do so. These are not mutually exclusive. We have heard from some of you that believe Goodyear is anti-police after reacting to the visual. Nothing could be further from the truth, and we have the upmost appreciation for the vital work police do on behalf of our shared communities. This can’t be said strongly enough.

It is interesting that they deny creating or distributing the visual, but wrote this piece to "provide some important context" to it. Well, if they didn't create it (I could concede it could have been leaked from an insider), why put any "context" to it? Seems to be a contradiction. Why didn't they just call a press conference and deny that it came from them? Maybe it's because they can't.

A friend, who is (or was) a big Goodyear blimp fan, was not impressed with Goodyear's statement.

He wrote:

The most pathetic and sycophantic case of "CYA" I have ever seen. Corporate cowardice on a grand scale. You have lost me as a customer and lifelong admirer of your company forever.

I have to agree. Corporate cowardice indeed!

UPDATE:

La Corte News reported:

A viral photo of a slide presentation from a recent Goodyear diversity training session shows that the company gives employees the green light to wear attire supportive of causes like the Black Lives Matter movement while explicitly forbidding anything related to MAGA and Blue Lives Matter. 

In response, President Trump tweeted “Don’t buy GOODYEAR TIRES” and the company took a hit on the stock market. Today, Goodyear stock dropped 2.36%, lowering the valuation of the company by $53.6 million.

A Little L.A. Goodyear Blimp History

Above, the new Los Angeles-based Wingfoot Two in December 2017. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The new Los Angeles Goodyear blimp, Wingfoot Two, is not a blimp technically. It is a semi-rigid airship larger than the Goodyear blimps of the past.

As it has framing inside the envelope, it requires some protection from the elements. The former blimps sat out in an open field in Carson, California. It replaced the last real blimp, the Spirit of America in 2017.

A new inflatable hangar was introduced last year. For details, go here.

Above, Goodyear blimp Columbia at Point Mugu circa 1967. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the Spirit of America in Carson, California in 2013. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The old blimps in Los Angeles weren't always out in the open. Decades ago, there was a big Goodyear plant in South-Central Los Angeles and there was a blimp hangar, or dock near the Florence Ave. side of the plant. We used to pass by it often, but we never saw a blimp inside.

Here is what the old blimp dock looked like:

Above, this was Building 57, known as the airship dock at the
 then-Los Angeles Goodyear plant. National Park Service photo.

A side note: Just before the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, I attended a baseball game at Dodger Stadium. During the game, two Goodyear blimps circled the stadium. Besides the Goodyear blimp based in Los Angeles, Columbia, another blimp (America) was brought over by Goodyear to also cover the Olympics.

Goodyear Blimp "Wingfoot Two"

Above, Wingfoot Two in Carson, California. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Since I am going to be renting a dumpster next week to clear out junk that has accumulated over the years, in preparation for my move at the end of the month, my roommate Jess decided that it would best for her to spend a few days at her mom's in Orange County.

While I was driving her there, we passed the Carson, California Goodyear Airship Operations station that sits next to the freeway. As luck would have it, the new Los Angeles Goodyear blimp, Wingfoot Two, was sitting out in the open. Had I thought of it, I would have brought along my Canon camera to take some zoom shots of it. At least I had my phone/camera with me.

I decided that if it is still there on my return trip, I would snap some photos.

As I was driving the RV, I didn't see that the station had enough parking space for it. It didn't matter as the blimp was facing the station. I found a side road where I pulled off to the side and snapped my photos through a chain-ink fence.

Here's three of them:

Above, Wingfoot Two from the I-405 freeway. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, Wingfoot Two. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, Wingfoot Two. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

New Look To The Ol' Rancho

Above, the Goodyear blimp advertising the blog?

After looking over the header designs by Asya, I decided to take a look at the different blog design templates Blogger has to offer.

They have a number of nice designs and layouts, but keeping the new header in mind, I chose one of their newer templates. Rather than waiting for the blog to reach 2 million views, I decided to apply the new design now. I like the results.

The new header will be applied to the blog once 2 million views is reached. 

Laborious Day

Above, The Beast. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Labor Day was just that, full of labor.

First, I got two new Goodyear tires for the Mustang. The left front developed a leak (it was completly flat when I went to work, so I drove the motorhome to work) and the tread was getting pretty worn. The right front was about the same. So I replaced them both. The back tires are still okay.

The second thing was to get The Beast washed, especially the roof. I had to go to two different coin-operated car washes as the brush head broke off from the handle at the first car wash, located in Northridge. The manager was there and I notified him. He was grateful that someone was honest enough to tell him.

So, I went to Chatsworth (almost near the former Iverson Movie Ranch) to another coin operated car wash. Not too many of them have clearance high enough to accommodate big vehicles (the RV is around 12 feet high). That's why I went from Northridge to Chatsworth.

There, I finished scrubbing the roof (it needed it) and the rest of the RV. After rinsing and applying protective car wax, I was finally done. I got on the 118 Freeway to "blow dry" the RV. By the time I got home, it was completely dry.

I spent the rest of the day relaxing at home and went out to dinner with Amber at Crazy Tokyo Sushi.

After coming home and kicking back, I decided that I would mop the RV floor. I got tired at looking at the spots on the floor left over from the Lake Havasu trip. So I mopped the floor. It was hot outside, even at seven in the evening. That, plus running the generator and RV air conditioner, dried the floor pretty fast.

Now I am done for the day.

Goodbye, Spirit of America

The Goodyear blimp, Spirit of America took its final flight on Monday.

It was flown from the Carson blimp station to the Tustin Hangar for decommissioning. A new blimp (actually a semi-rigid dirigible) will take its place in 2016.

Above, the Spirit of America. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Goodyear Blimps At Airships.net

Above, the Goodyear blimp Columbia over Point Mugu in 1967. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

For those of you who are fans of airships (blimps and zeppelins), a website (http://www.airships.net/) that should satisfy your passion.

Above, Columbia at Point Mugu in 1967. This blimp was in service from 1963 to 1969. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The page that intrigues me is one on the history of the Goodyear blimps. This pages has the history of all Goodyear blimps including photographs. Goodyear recently put into service their first semi-rigid zeppelin, Wingfoot One.

Above, the current L.A. Goodyear blimp, Spirit of America, at its base in Carson. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Goodyear blimp page at Airships.net can be reached by going here: http://www.airships.net/goodyear-blimp

Goodyear Unveils Newest Generation Blimp and Contest to Name It

Above, the Spirit of America at its base in Carson, California is one of the blimps to be retired. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company unveiled its newest generation of blimps Friday.

According to the Mercury News:

AKRON, Ohio (AP) -- The next generation of the well-known Goodyear blimp is getting ready to take flight as the company moves toward replacing its old fleet of airships with a new trio. 

The helium-filled airship, assembled at an Akron-area hangar and unveiled there Friday, is bigger, quicker and more maneuverable than earlier models, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. said. 

The 246-foot airship fits 12 passengers and has a semi-rigid internal skeleton, a feature 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 structure is covered by a silver, balloon-like body emblazoned with Goodyear's yellow logo on a blue background.  

It can travel at up to 73 mph and has custom computer-controlled avionics, an upgrade from the manual flight system used by the blimp pilots since the 1920s, the company said. It plans to build two more.

Also, Goodyear announced that the public is invited to join in on a contest to name the new blimp. The winner will be awarded "personal use" of the blimp for a day. For contest details, go here.

To read more and to see the new blimp, go here. 

Pentagon To Launch Blimps To Guard Against Cruise Missiles

Above, a Goodyear blimp in Carson, California. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

An article caught my attention (and a friend will find this interesting as well).

CBS News reported:

THE PENTAGON -- The Pentagon has discovered a gap in the defenses of Washington, D.C., and it's about to test a solution. 

But depending on your point of view, the solution is either vital for national security or a threat to American privacy. 

Starting this fall, two blimps will float at 10,000 feet over the Army's Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland in an attempt to develop a defense for the nation's capital against cruise missiles fired from ships offshore.

My friend is a blimp fan and he'd love to see a lot of blimps floating around. Maybe the Pentagon will accommodate him?

To read more, go here.

Goodyear Blimp "Columbia" At Point Mugu

Back in the 1960s, Goodyear operated two blimps, the Mayflower (based on the east coast) and Columbia (N2A) (based in the Los Angeles area).

In late 1967, we went to the annual Point Mugu Airshow at the navy base near Oxnard, California.  The Goodyear blimp Columbia was there and I took these photos of it with my Kodak Instamatic 104 camera.

Above, the Goodyear blimp "Columbia" rising up over the Point Mugu runway.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, a few seconds after the first photo, the blimp flies further down the runway.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, "Columbia" flies over the Point Mugu Airshow crowd.  Unfortunately, the photo is damaged.
Photo by Armand Vaquer.

My grandmother always wanted to take a ride on the blimp (you can never get her in an airplane, though), but she never did.

Goodyear Airship Operations - Carson, CA

Above, the "Spirit of America."  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

If you happen to be in the Los Angeles area, you may want to take a drive down to the juncture of the Harbor (I-110) and San Diego (I-405) Freeways in Carson.

There, you will find the Goodyear Airship Operations base where the Goodyear blimp, Spirit of America is based.  (See map below.)  You may be lucky to see the blimp moored there as I was last month.

Above, the "Spirit of America" moored at its Carson base.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

For the Goodyear blimp website, go here.

"Spirit of America"

On the way back to the San Fernando Valley from the L.A. Travel & Adventure Show in Long Beach, I stopped off at the base in Carson, California of the Goodyear blimp Spirit of America.

The blimp's base is near the interchange of the Harbor (I-110) and San Diego (I-405) Freeways.  It can be easily seen from these freeways.  I figured if the blimp is moored at its base, I'd stop and snap a few photos.

According to Goodyear's airship website:

The Spirit of America was christened September 5, 2002 during a ceremony in Akron, Ohio. The name of the ship was chosen as a tribute to the patriotic spirit of the United States. Performing the christening was Mrs. Letitia Driscoll, mother of NYPD Officer Stephen Driscoll, who was killed in the South Tower of the World Trade Center on Sept.11, 2001.

In addition to the four pilots, the Spirit of America operation has a crew of 16 including aircraft mechanics, radio and television technicians, riggers, heavy-duty maintenance mechanics, ground handlers, and a public relations manager. Three support vehicles complement the Spirit of America's operations, including an 18-wheel tractor-trailer mobile maintenance vehicle, a 22- person MCI bus, and a nine-passenger van.

Here's my photos:

How I Spent My Day Off

Today's a nice and hot Tuesday in the San Fernando Valley.

Unfortunately, the air conditioner compressor went on the blink Sunday night and I am twittling my thumbs (well, not exactly) waiting for the repairman to show up.

Luckily, I have an big old Kenmore tabletop fan that has the wind power of one of the engines of the Goodyear blimp. So the apartment is nice and cool (so far).

First Goodyear Blimp Fatality In 85 Years

(Special thanks to blimp expert Robert McArthur.)

Above, the "Spirit of Safety."

The first Goodyear blimp fatality in 85 years occurred Sunday in Germany.

The Goodyear blimp was ironically named "The Spirit of Safety."



The DAPD news agency reported:

Photographer Joachim Storch told media that the blimp — The Spirit of Safety — missed its designated landing spot at Reichelsheim airfield in central Germany on Sunday evening, causing its engine to slam into the ground.

The pilot yelled "We had an accident!" followed by "I crashed the airship!" as the smell of fire crept through the blimp, Storch told the DAPD news agency on Monday.

Storch and two other passengers, a man and woman from a TV crew, leapt 7 feet (2 meters) to safety.

The sudden loss of weight caused the ship to shoot into the air, where it burst into flames, killing the pilot who remained in the cabin.

The gasoline-powered engine caught fire after hitting the ground. The fire then spread to the helium-filled envelope.

Goodyear To Replace Blimps With Bigger, Faster Models

Sources: South Bay Daily Breeze and Robert McArthur



Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. announced that they are going to replace their fleet of blimps with bigger, faster and hi-tech models.

According to the South Bay Daily Breeze:

Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. announced plans Tuesday to replace its three-airship fleet in the next few years with longer, faster models.

Carson's "Spirit of America" blimp, which has been stationed at 19200 Main St. since 2002, will be swapped for a new model in 2016, officials said.

German manufacturer ZLT Zeppelin Luftschifftechnik will begin building the new models in 2013 at Goodyear's airship hangar near Akron, Ohio. The company will replace its Akron and Pompano Beach, Fla., airships first.

Each new airship will cost about $21 million, including technical support, company representatives said.

The new blimp will be 246 feet long compared to the current 192-foot-long airship. It will hold 13 passengers in its dangling gondola, compared to its current seven seats. Top speed will increase from 54 mph to 73.

These new blimps won't exactly be blimps. Instead, they will have a semi-rigid aluminum and carbon fiber interior skeleton. Blimps are basically helium-filled bags that don't have interior skeletons to help support the envelope and other parts.



The Los Angeles area Goodyear blimp, Spirit of America, is based near the interchange of the I-110 (Harbor Freeway) and I-405 (San Diego Freeway) freeways in Carson, California.