USA-TRANSPORT/BLIMP The Goodyear Blimp, 'Spirit Of America', enters retirement after 13 years of service
Record ID:
103592
USA-TRANSPORT/BLIMP The Goodyear Blimp, 'Spirit Of America', enters retirement after 13 years of service
- Title: USA-TRANSPORT/BLIMP The Goodyear Blimp, 'Spirit Of America', enters retirement after 13 years of service
- Date: 6th August 2015
- Summary: GARDENA, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (AUGUST 5, 2015) (REUTERS) 'SPIRIT OF AMERICA' BLIMP PREPARING FOR TAKE-OFF 'SPIRIT OF AMERICA' BLIMP BEING RELEASED BY GROUND CREW FOR TAKE-OFF (SOUNDBITE) (English) ASSISTANT PILOT IN CHARGE, KRISTEN ARAMBULA, SAYING: "I mean it's really an awesome experience because, first off, there are not a lot of females in aviation, it kind of tends to attract men more than women and so it's neat, it's a neat feeling but at the end of the day we're just one of the other members of the team here." IN AIR (AUGUST 5, 2015) (REUTERS) ASSISTANT PILOT IN CHARGE, KRISTEN ARAMBULA FLYING BLIMP MORE OF ARAMBULA FLYING BLIMP CONTROLS IN COCKPIT OF BLIMP FRONT WINDOW OF COCKPIT OF BLIMP AND VIEW OF FRONT END OF BLIMP GARDENA, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (AUGUST 5, 2015) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) ASSISTANT PILOT IN CHARGE, KRISTEN ARAMBULA, SAYING: "Our blimp is a lot more like a boat than it is like an airplane, it floats through the air, through the air currents just like a boat would sail through the water on water currents. So, you'll notice it, when you're up in the air it feels like you're on a boat " BLIMP FLYING THROUGH THE AIR IN AIR (AUGUST 5, 2015) (REUTERS) MORE OF ARAMBULA FLYING BLIMP VIEW OF LOS ANGELES AREA AND NEIGHBOURING COUNTIES FROM BLIMP GARDENA, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (AUGUST 5, 2015) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) PUBLIC RELATIONS SPECIALIST FOR 'SPIRIT OF AMERICA' GOODYEAR BLIMP, PRISCILLA TASKER, SAYING: "The 'Spirit of America' Goodyear Blimp, we are retiring this airship as we introduce a new fleet of airships. We are really introducing a new era of Goodyear's airship operations, so this is our next phase in that process." (English) ASSISTANT PILOT IN CHARGE, KRISTEN ARAMBULA, SAYING: "Well, we are getting another blimp that is the same model so it will be sad when we stop flying this model of that airship, I think, just because it's a very old school way of flying. You'll see that there's cables and pulleys, there's no hydraulics, you listen to the engine a lot to see how the aircraft is performing, so we will miss this way of flying for sure when we move to the new technology." 'SPIRIT OF AMERICA' BLIMP PULLING IN FOR LANDING GROUND CREW HOLDING ONTO RAILS OF COCKPIT TO GUIDE BLIMP MORE OF 'SPIRIT OF AMERICA' BLIMP PULLING IN FOR LANDING GROUND CREW RUNNING WITH ROPES ATTACHED TO BLIMP TO SLOW BLIMP A STOP FOR PASSENGER BOARDING GROUND CREW PULLING BLIMP TO GROUND USING BODY WEIGHT BLIMP FLYING THROUGH AIR IN BACKGROUND OF CALIFORNIA STATE AND UNITED STATES FLAGS
- Embargoed: 21st August 2015 13:00
- Keywords:
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA3INRB5XHVN0M6AGL14QHAJYUY
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: After 13 years of operation, Goodyear Blimp will retire its airship, 'Spirit of America' this weekend (August 7-9) to introduce a new era of air fleet operations.
Kristen Arambula, a Goodyear Blimp pilot, is one of only three female blimp pilots actively flying blimps around the world today.
"There are not a lot of females in aviation, it kind of tends to attract men more than women and so it's neat, it's a neat feeling but at the end of the day we're just one of the other members of the team here," Assistant Pilot in Charge Kristen Arambula told Reuters.
The 'Spirit of America' has had over 30,000 passengers on 8,005 flights with over 13, 436 hours in flight, equivalent to more than 1.5 years in the air.
"Our blimp is a lot more like a boat than it is like an airplane, it floats through the air, through the air currents just like a boat would sail through the water on water currents. So, you'll notice it, when you're up in the air that it feels like you're on a boat," Arambula said, describing flight on the blimp.
Following its decommissioning, its gondola will be donated to Planes of Fame Air Museum in Chino, California while its envelope helium bag fabric will be sent to a sustainable STEAM education outfit that repurposes materials for use by school classes and community members.
"We are retiring this airship as we introduce a new fleet of airships. We are really introducing a new era of Goodyear's airship operations, so this is our next phase in that process," Goodyear Blimp Public Relations specialist, Priscilla Tasker said.
The fleet is getting its first major upgrade in nearly 45 years. The new models will have an improved avionics glass cockpit with vectored engines allowing for significantly improved ease of mobility and manoeuvring, allowing for vertical, backward and forward movement. The current propellers only permit forward and backward propulsion.
"It will be sad when we stop flying this model of that airship I think, just because it's a very old school way of flying. You'll see that there's cables and pulleys, there's no hydraulics, you listen to the engine a lot to see how the aircraft is performing, so we will miss this way of flying for sure when we move to the new technology," Assistant Pilot, Arambula said.
The 'Spirit of America' will be officially decommissioned on Monday (August 10). - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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