Goodyear's New Blimp

[FlyingRhenquest 1]

http://www.gizmag.com/goodyear-blimp-unveil/31289/

I'd sell me own granny for a chance to do a skydive out of that thing

I'm trying to teach myself how to set things on fire with my mind. Hey... is it hot in here?

[JohnMitchell 16]

I'll go with ya.

[FlyingRhenquest 1]

JohnMitchell

I'll go with ya.

Great! Reckon my granny would notice being up on Ebay?

I'm trying to teach myself how to set things on fire with my mind. Hey... is it hot in here?

[wmw999 2,560]

I rode in the old one once (one of them was housed in Houston for years), but didn't bring my rig

The pilot talked all about the "old days" when they pulled water skiers and the like

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[funjumper101 15]

Non rigid structure = blimp
Rigid structure = dirigible

Goodyear Dirigible does not roll off the tongue like Goodyear Blimp does.

I would pay $500.00 for a jump ticket. Has anyone ever contacted Goodyear and tried to hire one for a boogie?

On February 12, 1935, the dirigible USS Macon crashed off the coast of Big Sur. There is an interesting read about it at the link below.

Not mentioned in the story is that the Macon and the Akron (sister ships) hosted Curtiss F9C Sparrowhawk aircraft on board. It was quite a challenge to return to base. Flying formation with something that big, fighting through the slipstream to hook up, was not for the cautious pilot.

The underwater photos of the Macon wreckage shows the remains of the Sparrowhawks. Do a google search. IIRC, there are no surviving Sparrowhawks. There was a proposal to try to recover one from the Macon. That went nowhere due to the site being on the National Register of Historic Places.

http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2014/03/20/2981908/the-last-flight-of-the-uss-macon.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtiss_F9C_Sparrowhawk

[davjohns 1]

Thanks for the good read. Wiki says there is one left.

Quote

Only one Sparrowhawk survives today. XF9C-2 Bu.Aer A9264 was previously displayed at the National Museum of Naval Aviation and is currently displayed at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, wearing the markings of F9C-2 A9056 of USS Macon.[2]

There's a picture of it in the museum. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtiss_F9C_Sparrowhawk

The 'x' indicates it was experimental. According to the wiki article, the -2 means it was the second prototype. So you are right that all production models were lost with their mother ships. Apparently three on Akron and four on Macon.

I know it just wouldnt be right to kill all the stupid people that we meet..

But do you think it would be appropriate to just remove all of the warning labels and let nature take its course.

[Tink1717 2]

I've always wondered why blimps and derrigebles don't make good jumpships. Any ideas?

Skydivers don't knock on Death's door. They ring the bell and runaway... It really pisses him off.
-The World Famous Tink. (I never heard of you either!!)
AA #2069 ASA#33 POPS#8808 Swooo 1717

[turtlespeed 226]

JohnMitchell

I'll go with ya.

You'd have to sell your granny too.

I'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama
BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun

[david3 0]

turtlespeed

***I'll go with ya.

You'd have to sell your granny too.
I'll need a photo before I place my bid.

[JohnMitchell 16]

Tink1717

I've always wondered why blimps and derrigebles don't make good jumpships. Any ideas?

Limited vertical range without dumping lots of valuable Helium, I believe. I had a friend do a TV commercial jumping from a blimp. They wingsuited from like 2 grand, I think.

[grimmie 186]

We had the Goodyear blimp at the Oceanside Airport last year as they used it to stage for the Torrey Pines golf tourney film crew.

I spoke with the senior captain about hiring it for jumps. He said the get calls every month for skydiving requests, but the company will not accept any liability and always says no. Always. Damn.

[funjumper101 15]

davjohns

Thanks for the good read. Wiki says there is one left.

Quote

Only one Sparrowhawk survives today. XF9C-2 Bu.Aer A9264 was previously displayed at the National Museum of Naval Aviation and is currently displayed at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, wearing the markings of F9C-2 A9056 of USS Macon.[2]

There's a picture of it in the museum. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtiss_F9C_Sparrowhawk

The 'x' indicates it was experimental. According to the wiki article, the -2 means it was the second prototype. So you are right that all production models were lost with their mother ships. Apparently three on Akron and four on Macon.

If you liked that bit of California Central Coast history about the Macon, you'll like this one about the USS Montebello.

http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2012/12/22/2336338/times-past-the-sinking-of-the.html

Updates from people who know a few more details -

http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2013/02/27/2409021/a-real-exclusive.html

and

http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2013/03/06/2418429/additional-info.html

The self-censorship of the media in those days was impressive.

Another interesting tidbit of California Central Coast history is the shelling of the Ellwood oil field by a Japanese submarine. Good thing they were lousy shots. It could have been really bad.

http://www.independent.com/news/2011/oct/02/submarine-shelling-ellwood-oil-field-1942/

[Thunderbow 1]

They were jumping the Fuji Film blimp at the WWFC in Quincy one time when I was there. It weren't cheap but still sold out fast.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Lord, let me be the person my dog thinks I am.

[DanG 1]

Quote

Limited vertical range without dumping lots of valuable Helium, I believe.

Simple fix: use hydrogen.

What could go wrong?

- Dan G

[JohnMitchell 16]

DanG

Simple fix: use hydrogen.

What could go wrong?

Cue the soundtrack by Led Zepplin

[MikeJD 0]

Frank Drebin: It's the same old story. Boy finds girl, boy loses girl, girl finds boy, boy forgets girl, boy remembers girl, girl dies in a tragic blimp accident over the Orange Bowl on New Year's Day.

Jane Spencer: Goodyear?

Frank Drebin: No, the worst.