By Heather Taylor, Editor-in-Chief, PopIcon
For more than 100 years, the Goodyear Blimp has been one of the most exciting icons to spot high up in the skies. The blimp, operated by the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, has symbolized progress and adventure since its first airship took flight.
While the Goodyear Blimp may not be a brand mascot per se, it’s still an iconic figure in the advertising landscape. (The blimp is so well recognized that adland’s most famous brand mascots joined it at the hangar for an 100th birthday celebration in 2025!) We spoke to a Goodyear representative to uncover little known facts about the blimp and were in awe of this airship’s hidden history.
Read on for our favorite five facts about the Goodyear Blimp.
1. As recently as 2017, Goodyear Blimps flew with tech tracing back to the 1920s.
It sounds unbelievable, but it’s true. Goodyear was flying blimps with technology tracing back to the original “Pilgrim” from 1925, AKA the first blimp designed to inflate with safe helium, as recently as 2017. Pilots pulled a heavy wooden wheel on their right, physically cabled to the tail fins to go up and down and opened/closed valves by cables rigged with a pulley.
Today, the Goodyear blimp is in its New Technology (NT) era. These blimps boast a fully digital cockpit, fly-by-wire sidestick controls, a gondola which seats up to 12 passengers, and an on-board restroom available for passengers and crew members.
2. The Goodyear Blimp takes off and lands like a helicopter, but flies like a boat.
If you’ve never been inside a blimp, it can be difficult to imagine what a typical ride feels like whether you’re in the cockpit or cabin.
The Goodyear representative told PopIcon that the blimp’s two side engines can rotate 120 degrees up and down. Instead of needing a runway like an airplane, the blimp enjoys a near-vertical takeoff and landing. The blimp in flight embraces a low cruising speed meaning it rides air currents and slowly crests and down like a boat riding the waves.
3. Prominent women christen the Goodyear Blimp.
To date, there are 31 officially christened Goodyear Blimps each christened by a well-regarded woman of the time. Some of the women include Amelia Earhart, Dr. Sally Ride, and Robin Roberts.
4. You can win a ride on the blimp.
By now, you might be wondering how it’s possible to ride on the blimp. Blimp rides aren’t available for public purchase, so most passengers experience these flights by winning a charity auction featuring a donated ride.
Keep your eyes peeled for any auctions where a Goodyear Blimp ride might be one of the big prizes! The Goodyear representative told us more than $3.1 million has been raised by the Goodyear Blimp’s charity ride certificate program since 2016.
5. There’s an interactive tracker available for keeping up with the Goodyear Blimp.
Wondering where the blimp will be spotted next? You can find its list of upcoming appearances on the Goodyear website.
So far in 2026, the Goodyear Blimp was spotted overhead at the NFL Draft in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the Kentucky Derby in Louisville, Kentucky and the F1 Miami Grand Prix in Miami, Florida.
Image credits: Goodyear Creative Services
About the Author
Heather Taylor is the senior writer and editor-in-chief of PopIcon, Advertising Week’s blog about brand mascots. Got a pitch on brand mascots or want to wax nostalgic about characters? Drop her a line at howveryheather@gmail.com.
