Pilgrim - The First Goodyear Blimp

The Pilgrim

Built in 1925, Goodyear's Pilgrim was the first commercial non-rigid airship flown using helium. With a landing wheel replacing bumper bags and the first passenger car held flush against its bag by internal cables, the Pilgrim was at the top of LTA technology. Previously, blimp gondolas were suspended from their envelopes by external cables only. Pilgrim’s contribution to aeronautics is recognized by the Smithsonian Institution, which exhibits the airship as a milestone in aviation progress.

The Pilgrim was also the first Blimp to be used for public relations and was decorated each December for the company’s “Santa Claus Express” program.

Illuminating the Sky

In 1930 the Goodyear Blimp Defender became the first airship in the world to carry a lighted sign.

Developed by H. Webster Crum and named Neon-O-Gram, the sign was comprised of ten removable aluminum-framed panels, which were attached to the side of the Defender and allowed static text to be displayed using neon light tubes. Each panel weighed 35 pounds and stood six feet tall and four feet wide.

The Fleet Grows (In More Ways Than One)

The fleet ships, Columbia, and Resolute were built with 112,000-cubic-foot envelopes in 1931 and 1932. The other ships in the fleet were gradually fitted with new, larger envelopes. The Enterprise introduced the 123,000-cubic-foot envelope in 1934. Other ships were eventually increased to this size, as were the new ships such as the Rainbow (1939).

The fleet barnstormed over 42 states, training pilots and crewmen as well as developing operating procedures and techniques. The expeditionary mast and other support equipment were defined and refined. Engineering and manufacturing staffs grew in their skills, and an immense knowledge of airship capabilities was gained.

Goodyear expanded its Aeronautical Department and then formed the Goodyear Zeppelin Corporation to build giant rigid airships for the U.S. Navy. The airships USS Akron and USS Macon were built from 1929 to 1933 in the Akron Airdock. Several of the Goodyear pilots who were Naval Reserve officers were trained aboard these giant airships.

A Star is Born

Just two years after his harrowing solo transatlantic flight in the Spirit of St. Louis, Charles Lindbergh enjoyed a more leisurely ride in the Volunteer, Goodyear's Blimp based in Los Angeles. The Volunteer was a frequent visitor to the Rose Bowl and, in 1932, the Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

The Volunteer was also the first of many Goodyear Blimps to appear in a feature film when it was shown in the western, “Hidden Valley”, shot by Monogram Pictures in 1932.

Like other early airships, the Volunteer carried four passengers and a pilot.

Exploring New Technologies

When Defender was lit up with its Neon-O-Gram signage in 1930, it took the Goodyear Blimp to new heights. In 1940, to build on that success, the Goodyear Blimps Reliance, Ranger and Resolute were equipped with a record player, microphone and attached loudspeaker and would “blimpcast” recordings and live greetings to the public below.

This experiment didn’t last long though, and the audio project was soon shelved, but the illuminated signage remained and became synonymous with the iconic Blimp we know today.