Blimps: Are They Still a Thing?

[MelroseHawkins]

Remember in the 1970's and 1980's, maybe 1990's the huge blimps that would attend all the big sporting events including college football. Are they still around but they just don't show them or are they a thing of the past? I think they haven't been around for many years. Anybody know what year the last one attended a college football game by chance?

It was kind of neat seeing them and dawned on me when I watched a documentary on the "Ghost Ship" that was a blimp that went down on the US west coast but the pilots were never found. They were navy men I believe.

Actually, something that I did not know was that the GoodYear Blimp that was at every major sport event was actually the Ghost Ship that was repaired after the crash. I found that interesting.

Anybody remember seeing the blimp at any Iowa games?

Anybody every get the opportunity to see one close up or ride in one?

 

[ChosenChildren]

Yes. Saw one up close. They are massive

 

[NCHawker]

I’ll see the Goodyear blimp during the golf tournament

 

[Teddy]

Yes. Saw one up close. They are massive

On the ground or low altitude? I'd love to have a ground's eye view.

Those Blimps are 265 feet long and 46 feet wide. They look enormous when they're right over your head, you are spot on. Encountered one at low altitude outside Iowa City, I assume preparing to land somewhere.

The famous Hindenburg was 805 feet long and 135 feet wide, although I guess it was a dirigible. You can see how people thought those interwar Zeppelins were wonderous.

 

[99topdawg]

Good Lord do we have to have another QB thread???

 

[Northside Hawk]

Blimps could not fly over Kinnick due to the proximity to Iowa City's airport. Had to be an FAA stipulation.

 

[hawkinn3]

Oh yeah, just walk around ISU’s campus.

 

[MelroseHawkins]

Good Lord do we have to have another QB thread???

I see what you did there!

 

[dagdaj]

I don't know if they're a thing. But the word "blimp" is literally and certifiably the most fun word to say ever. Go ahead and say it out loud. Do it. Right now. I bet $100 you can't do it without grinning. Or go walk up to someone right now, look them in the eye and say it out loud three times. You will get the strangest look and I'd bet another hundred bucks you can't avoid at least chuckling.

 

[MelroseHawkins]

I don't know if they're a thing. But the word "blimp" is literally and certifiably the most fun word to say ever. Go ahead and say it out loud. Do it. Right now. I bet $100 you can't do it without grinning. Or go walk up to someone right now, look them in the eye and say it out loud three times. You will get the strangest look and I'd bet another hundred bucks you can't avoid at least chuckling.

Funny, I kind of thought the same thing when I created this thread yesterday.

 

[dagdaj]

Funny, I kind of thought the same thing when I created this thread yesterday.

I've only ever done an informal study on this. But almost everyone I talk to about it ends up agreeing that "blimp" is the most fun word ever to say out loud. I can't even read it without grinning because I hear myself saying it in my head.

 

[thedukeofearl]

Blimps could not fly over Kinnick due to the proximity to Iowa City's airport. Had to be an FAA stipulation.

Perhaps an FAA simulation

 

[Teddy]

I don't know if they're a thing. But the word "blimp" is literally and certifiably the most fun word to say ever. Go ahead and say it out loud. Do it. Right now. I bet $100 you can't do it without grinning. Or go walk up to someone right now, look them in the eye and say it out loud three times. You will get the strangest look and I'd bet another hundred bucks you can't avoid at least chuckling.

"B Limp"

 

[Teddy]

Blimps could not fly over Kinnick due to the proximity to Iowa City's airport. Had to be an FAA stipulation.

The one I saw appeared to be heading southwest as I was going northwest on 380. So, I guess the direction would have placed them a few miles west of Iowa City.

I'm guessing there's an FAA protocol, they fly over far busier airports than little IC.

 

[ChosenChildren]

On the ground or low altitude? I'd love to have a ground's eye view.

Those Blimps are 265 feet long and 46 feet wide. They look enormous when they're right over your head, you are spot on. Encountered one at low altitude outside Iowa City, I assume preparing to land somewhere.

The famous Hindenburg was 805 feet long and 135 feet wide, although I guess it was a dirigible. You can see how people thought those interwar Zeppelins were wonderous.

It was on the ground, taking off.

Much bigger than I anticipated.

I can only imagine how massive the Hindenburg was....

It didn't end well for the Hindenburg, obviously.

There was a war movie in the 1970s called "Zeppelin," I believe. I think Michael York was in it. Check it out sometime.

 

[Teddy]

It was on the ground, taking off.

Much bigger than I anticipated.

I can only imagine how massive the Hindenburg was....

It didn't end well for the Hindenburg, obviously.

There was a war movie in the 1970s called "Zeppelin," I believe. I think Michael York was in it. Check it out sometime.

Seen, many times. George C. Scott and the bad guy from Ghost Busters. The US wouldn't sell Germany helium so those big luxurious Zeps had the explosive hydrogen instead. Great spy thriller.

Yes, the one that was coming at me descending as I drove north just kept getting bigger until I passed under it.

It must have looked like a flaming city block coming down when the Hindenburg crashed.

 

[ChosenChildren]

The Hindenburg with George C Scott and “Zeppelin” are separate movies. Zeppelin was about World War I.

 

[Teddy]

The Hindenburg with George C Scott and “Zeppelin” are separate movies. Zeppelin was about World War I.

I did not know that. Thanks. I'll be watching Zeppelin in the next week. Just finished reading book on WW1 aircraft so especially timely.