, I heard the unmistakeable drone of aero engines overhead. Reciprocating aero engines. You know, the real kind.Oddly, the noise remained extremely steady. If it was a plane, it must be circling overhead? Or maybe a Robinson... except for no accompanying rotor noise? I ducked my head out from under the porch roof and... mirabile visu! ...it was the Spirit of Goodyear, crabbing southwest against a headwind, seemingly just above the treetops. I ran inside to fetch a camera.
Had I been a real photographer, I would have got pics of the dad kneeling on the sidewalk across the street, each arm around a toddler, all three pointing into the sky and gawking in delighted wonder, having run outside as it thunder-droned majestically overhead...
When I worked at LZU in the late '90s, my office window looked out onto the ramp; kitty-corner from our FBO across the runway was where they'd tie down the MetLife blimp during the baseball postseason when the Braves were playing at home.
Years ago, my wife, and I, were in Humble, Texas and decided to take a ride on the blimp.
ReplyDeleteIt was a cloudy, winter day. The wind wasn't high, but the forecast was for inclement weather.
After over an hour of waiting for our chance, we watched the blimp land, were given the news the weather prevented anymore rides and left a little upset.
It wasn't long after that they closed the site and the blimp left.
Crap. I was really anticipating a ride on the blimp.
When I was in Socal the building I worked in looked out on the Goodyear blimp's regular mooring place. Never got tired of watching it leave and arrive, because that's just old-school cool. But sometimes, when the wind was kicking up, it wasn't hard to see why airships never really cut it as practical aircraft. There were days I was glad I wasn't aboard, and worse days when I suspected the pilot wished he wasn't.
ReplyDeleteI read an article about the Goodyear blimps many years ago. I still remember that they are IFR capable and one of them once spent over an hour going from the Outer Marker to touchdown in the Atlanta area,
ReplyDeleteBet it's coming into town for this month's events at The Speedway.
ReplyDeleteLH Nitro milk stout, eh? Have you tried the Founders Breakfast Stout from in or about Grand Rapids, MI? Despite the name I've always considered it dessert.
ReplyDeleteThe Smarter Half's folks lived in Ft. Liqueur-dale, Fla. Goodyear blimp was based one town north. Got to watch the gas bag fight it's way north from Miami stadium several times. No mistaking the drone of those radial engines.
ReplyDeleteI've been fascinated by lighter than air yet steerable aviation for a long time. Haven't had the opportunity even to get weathered out of a ride-along. Anywho, you'll no doubt enjoy this little video from a YouTube show that I've become addicted to:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1N-nwumcrgw&list=UU9zTuyWffK9ckEz1216noAw&index=24
Enjoy!
Airship!
ReplyDelete(Who mentioned stout?!)
Grew up in Birmingham, AL. My dad worked for the local Caterpillar dealer (Thompson Tractor) which maintained a hangar out at BHM for the company JetRanger. Whenever one of Goodyear's fleet was in town they set up their mooring pylon in the grassy area next to the Thompson hangar. Security being a little more civilized back then I have a picture of a very young me standing next to the gondola of whichever ship was assigned to that area. This was back when their livery was a silver/grey envelope with blue fins and red control surfaces.
ReplyDeleteGood luck getting that picture today...
BGM
I get spoiled seeing one regularly in SoCal transitting back and forth to its local base.
ReplyDeleteBut they're still always cool, and getting to ride on one is on the bucket list.
My dear wife and I were driving west an I10 across Texas a couple days after New Years, many years ago. Way off in the distance we could see something hovering in the air coming along the east bound side of the freeway. As we got closer we discovered the Metlife blimp apparently working it's way east after covering the Fiesta Bowl in Phoenix a couple days earlier. It was flying a few hundred feet off the ground and a couple hundred feet off the freeway. There were several semi trucks, vans and motor homes trailing along with it - all if it looking like it was moving at around 45-50 mph.
ReplyDeleteThose are interesting ships... Well worth the chance if you can ride one!
ReplyDeleteThat is one huge drone. Didn't know DHS contracted Goodyear.
ReplyDeleteJust kidding, welcome to Indy in the month of May!
They're pretty interesting, but I really prefer the non-Nitro Left Hand Milk Stouts.
ReplyDeleteOh, and blimps are cool, too. They seem like the airship equivalent to the unicycle or the pogo stick, for practicality of transport.
When I was putting in resumes just before I retired Goodyear was advertising for an avionics tech for one of those. The job was taken before I was available, of course.
ReplyDeleteThat would have been an awesome job.
Every time I see one over downtown Cleveland I flash back to the old Dawn of Aces days, climbing out in a SPAD VII to have a go at the Death Star...er, zeppelin.
ReplyDeleteBGMiller, nice to see a local (or former local) in Tam's readership.
ReplyDeleteI grew up in the Western end of Jefferson County myself.
Now I live on the opposite side of town.
Living in Akron, we see that guy on a weekly basis.
ReplyDeleteIt's like, the one upside of ya know, living in Akron.
When I was a kid, it crashed a couple of miles from my home at Dunreith, IN.
ReplyDeleteSomeday, when I'm really bored, I might just decide to start assembling a semi-rigid airship.
ReplyDeleteScrew practicality, I want an airship! Maybe I can build one that will hold a biplane underneath it, for when I feel like reliving the days of yore.
-Rob
I remember my favorite airship memories: the Goodyear blimp motoring overhead was grand, but a flight of 4 WWII bombers at 500 feet sounding like the hammers of hell early Saturday morning of a local air show beat that.
ReplyDeleteThe presidential Sea Stallion passing my lab in DC every afternoon along the Potomac was grand, too, but watching from a top floor window of the Texas A&M library as a Cobra attack chopper flew BELOW me, visiting campus with some former Cadets at the controls showing off to their buddies, was even better.
And none of it matched the takeoff of a space shuttle, seen from only about 6 miles away in the public viewing area.
In the early 80's in the LA area, I had a Doberman that would bark at dogs being walked down the alley or on the sidewalk, and would be sure to bark when other dogs barked. The Goodyear Blimp would pass overhead frequently and with majestic slowness, growling in the sky. The Doberman ignored it, until one day I pointed to it as it passed overhead. For the rest of her life she barked whenever that thing passed over our house.
ReplyDelete