From Gasparilla to Super Bowls, the Goodyear Blimp has flown a lot in Tampa.

Did you ever round the curve of South Davis Blvd on Davis Islands at Peter O. Knoght Airport and come face to face with the surreal scene of that giant Goodyear Blimp floating just above the ground when it was moored there? I loved seeing it up close!

Technology for blimps was developed during World War I in Germany. The Goodyear Zeppelin Company’s first airship production started in 1917, and in the 1920s, Goodyear blimps began dotting the skies over the United States. The company’s first blimp, The Pilgrim, was christened in 1925. Company president P.W. Litchfield wanted to develop such vessels thinking they might lead to consumer use as “air yachts.” By the late 1920s, Goodyear had produced four public relations blimps: The Puritan, The Vigilant, The Mayflower, and The Volunteer. They made their presence known in central Florida.

The Goodyear blimp began its residency in St Petersburg in December 1929, a time when helium zeppelins were used for publicity.  The Vigilant of St Petersburg was moored at a waterfront airship dock at Albert Whitted Airport. The city agreed to pay Goodyear $10,000 a year to advertise on the lit sides of the ship. It was an immediate hit. Within the first few days, businesses were renting space to advertise on the airships realizing what a spectacular sight it made.

Its first visit to Tampa came two weeks after the St. Petersburg landing when it arrived at the municipal airport (Peter O Knight) to carry dignitaries above the city for a ride. It wasn’t until the late 1940s that a Goodyear blimp (Ranger) began wintering at Peter O Knight, a time when there was a lot of pressure to close the airport after the decommissioned Drew Field came online in 1946 as the municipal airport. A group of residents wanted the land for Davis Islands Yacht Club. By 1948, the blimp provided news from the Tampa Times for 3 – 4 hours after dusk on its light panels. By the 1960s, the entire operation moved to Miami, but the blimp Mayflower II still visited Tampa annually, typically for Gasparilla and the Florida State Fair. To this day, (newer) blimps provide aerial coverage for large events hosted in Tampa.

In 1930, the Defender became the first airship to carry a lighted sign they called the Neon-O-Gram comprised of 10 removable aluminum framed panels; each lit with one static letter so the company could exhibit promotions and advertisements wherever the ships went. After World War II in 1947, Goodyear replaced the Neon-O-Gram panels with 182 individual incandescent bulbs allowing for “blimpcasting”, - animated words across the belly of the ship.  In 1966, the company replaced that with Skytacular, a 1,540-color light panel allowing the display to show figures and text.

After the start of World War II in 1941, all of the blimps in Goodyear’s fleet were transferred directly to the Navy, and another 104 Navy airships were constructed. The company also provided training and operation during the war. The Navy continued to order blimps from Goodyear through the early 1960s. 

In 1955, using a camera and a microwave transmitter, the blimp Enterprise V , broadcast the first live television picture during the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena. Goodyear now operates three blimps in the United States. Approaching its 100th anniversary in 2025, the company is preparing to celebrate its history of continuous operation of the Goodyear airship program.

© Chip Weiner. 2023. oldtampaphotos.com