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Out with the old, in with the new...Goodyear Blimp
According to http://www.tiretechnologyinternational.com/news.php?NewsID=84033 [tiretechnologyinternational.com] , Goodyear has been flying blimps for about 90 years now and this source http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/whats-now/sd-me-oldest-blimo-20170130-story.html [sandiegouniontribune.com] says the current design goes back nearly 50 years...and the last one recently took its last flight.
The replacement is larger and semi-rigid, leading to higher airspeed. It also holds more people and is quieter. In Carson, CA, a new inflatable hangar is being built for the new airship -- http://www.ocregister.com/articles/goodyear-744301-base-unique.html [ocregister.com] Look for it off the 405 freeway.
This AC was fortunate to have a blimp ride over LA and Orange County about 15 years ago -- arranged by a friend with the right Goodyear press office connections. Our ride was the last of the day (before changeover to night/billboard operations) and we were the only passengers. This gave us plenty of time to talk with the pilots who are part of a pretty interesting (and rare) group. Some fun facts:
+ The top air speed of 35 mph applies in level flight.
+ ...and also while climbing and descending. Buoyancy makes the blimp react very differently than normal heavier-than-air airplanes. On our flight, they pointed the nose down at what felt like a very steep angle, but the airspeed didn't change.
+ Pilots from the elite Air Force test pilot school get checked out on blimps
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4dkzUTbymc&list=UU6VBJ-Fq_OjfeXxOR7PUiaw [youtube.com]
+ Flight controls are very different from normal aircraft, I don't remember seeing any automated systems. While the blimp reacts fairly slowly, it's far from stable and the pilots are chasing things all the time.
+ After our flight, we watched them attach the lighting system. It was heavy enough that no passengers could be carried and possibly some of the cabin was removed to save weight (seats?...memory is fading). It used a small turbine generator (aircraft aux power unit, APU) to power the display.
