What Happen To Blimps?

[MelroseHawkins]

I was doing my morning routine this morning and this question obscurely came to my mind. What ever happen to blimps? In the 1970's and 1980's, blimps were a mainstay at big sporting events, and often time huge college games. The GoodYear Blimp was an icon and was quite the deal if it showed up at a game your team was playing in, often the ABC afternoon game. They always covered Monday Night Football. What the hell happen to them and when was the last time a blimp covered a game?

I kind of miss them and they kind of disappeared into obscurity very quietly. Does anybody remember the last blimp flight or game?

 

[NEIChawk]

 

[JBStandefer]

Helium shortage. Even the helium for kids balloons is being cut.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/16/science/helium-shortage-party-city.html

 

[pythagoras]

https://www.goodyearblimp.com/news-and-events/schedule.html

 

[uihawk82]

They are at some bigger golf tournaments especially the ones with the great scenery like in Hawaii and Pebble Beach. But now you have drones and really tall cranes. Have you seen some of these cranes with camera people in them, really high.

 

[Chickenlounge]

Don't need blimp coverage when you can just fly a drone up there.

 

[eveningnewsteam]

They are at some bigger golf tournaments especially the ones with the great scenery like in Hawaii and Pebble Beach. But now you have drones and really tall cranes. Have you seen some of these cranes with camera people in them, really high.

Ya they had drones at Pebble Beach for the US Open last year. Big Iowa fb games, there’s a small plane that circles Kinnick

 

[Robowe]

Don't need blimp coverage when you can just fly a drone up there.

 

[NCHawker]

Helium shortage. Even the helium for kids balloons is being cut.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/16/science/helium-shortage-party-city.html

Helium shortage. Even the helium for kids balloons is being cut.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/16/science/helium-shortage-party-city.html

Dad used to catch me sneaking in the house in HS he would grab be by the throat, "you been doing helium boy? You been hanging out with the clowns..at the circus. .. huh? Talk to me! I held my breath and...

 

[NCHawker]

As soon as I spoke..he had me

 

[okeefe4prez]

Does anybody remember the last blimp flight or game?

The problem is you are probably using Iowa games as your frame of reference and Iowa hasn't played in a big game in a long time. There was a blimp at Darlington for the stock race this past Labor Day. There is an insurance company that has a blimp now, too. They would fly that thing along the lake on nice days in Chicago during the summer.

 

[MelroseHawkins]

Yea, but when the Goodyear Blimp was at the game they would always make a huge deal about it and show the nice shots from above. The announcers would say something like "The Goodyear blimp has found its way to Ann Arbor!".

 

[Northside Hawk]

In the 1980's and 90's, FAA regulations probibited blimps over Kinnick because of its proximity to Iowa City's airport.

Not sure if this is still true.

 

[99topdawg]

I know where you can still find them.

 

[mopkins]

That new overhead cam thing plus drones just kinda made blimps pointless. They were just glorified floating advertisements anyway. I always laughed when the blimp would fly over a domed stadium. Completely pointless but they did it anyway

 

[revkev73]

Helium shortage. Even the helium for kids balloons is being cut.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/16/science/helium-shortage-party-city.html

Hydrogen is lighter!

 

[DDThompson]

Don't need blimp coverage when you can just fly a drone up there.

could they make them look like blimps?

i mean when we went to the horseless carriage at least we carried over "horsepower" ...

 

[DDThompson]

Hydrogen is lighter!

and sliiiiiiiiggggghhhhhtly more flammable.

 

[HawkGold]

Good Year Blimp in Iowa.

On July Fourth 1979 in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, the newly repaired Mayflower was ripped apart by violent winds. The same craft, which had been rebuilt and renovated over the previous nine months, met its end when winds of “phenomenal” force tore it from its anchoring post and rolled it 300 yards into a cornfield. This time, it was not only a total loss but it also knocked out a corn crop, The Associated Press reported.

 

[revkev73]

The problem is you are probably using Iowa games as your frame of reference and Iowa hasn't played in a big game in a long time. There was a blimp at Darlington for the stock race this past Labor Day. There is an insurance company that has a blimp now, too. They would fly that thing along the lake on nice days in Chicago during the summer.

Iowa games get obscure female sportscasters working on their "game" not blimps.