Goodyear Christens New Airship

18 June 1998
Goodyear Christens New Airship
    SUFFIELD, Ohio, June 18 -- Goodyear's newest airship -- the
Stars & Stripes -- officially joined the world's largest fleet of blimps
today.
    Salma Gibara, wife of Goodyear Chairman Sam Gibara, christened the new
airship today at the company's airship hangar here.  The Stars & Stripes will
replace the current Pompano Beach, Fla.-based blimp of the same name.
    "Although the airships are a symbolic link to our company's past, they
also represent Goodyear's continuing spirit of innovation, development and
community service," Gibara said.
    Goodyear supports six helium-filled blimps worldwide -- three in the
United States, two in Europe and one in South America.  All the helium
airships provide a blimp's eye view of television coverage for special events.
The company also has a hot air blimp in Mexico.
    Designated a GZ (Goodyear-Zeppelin) 20A, the new Stars & Stripes, at
192 feet long, 59.5 feet tall and 50 feet wide, will be easy to see as she
floats above a football stadium or golf course at 1,500 feet.  All of
Goodyear's blimps appear at hundreds of special events each year and the three
U.S.-based airships carry more than 10,000 guests annually for the tire and
rubber company.
    The life expectancy of a new Goodyear blimp depends mostly on the
condition of the envelope, commonly called the "bag," and has an operating
life of about eight years, depending on exposure to pollution and severe
weather conditions.
    The Stars & Stripes' envelope is made of a two-ply rubber-impregnated
polyester fabric that was processed at Goodyear's Engineered Products plant in
Lincoln, Neb.
    The new ship will sport superior night sign technology that first was
installed on the Spirit of Akron in 1996, which provides a more brilliant,
colorful nighttime display that attains near video quality.  An added daytime
capability means the Stars & Stripes will be more effective in communicating
public service announcements and Goodyear messages.