See video of the Spirit of Goodyear at Oshkosh.

One of the world’s most recognizable flying machines, the Goodyear blimp, will once again be visible up-close and in the sky this summer at EAA AirVenture 2008, “The World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration.” The 56th annual edition of the EAA fly-in convention will be held July 28-August 3 at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh.

The “Spirit of Goodyear” airship will again be on-site throughout the week and will be flying regularly during the festivities. In addition, it will be moored near the EAA AirVenture Museum’s Pioneer Airport for up-close viewing at other times, giving visitors a unique view of an aircraft that is commonly seen only from afar.

“The Goodyear blimp was certainly a favorite draw last year at EAA AirVenture,” said Tom Poberezny, EAA president and AirVenture chairman. “It was a true traffic-stopper, as we saw many people pulling their vehicles to the side of the road just to get a photo of this legendary aircraft.

“It’s great to have the blimp returning to Oshkosh and it’s very fitting, given Goodyear’s long association with aviation. The opportunity to see this aircraft flying along the AirVenture flight line and on the ground is one that should not be missed this year.”

Goodyear, a leader in technology and innovation in the aviation industry, is also happy to announce the return of the “Spirit of Goodyear” blimp to the greatest show in aviation, EAA AirVenture 2008 in Oshkosh.

The “Spirit of Goodyear” is based at Goodyear's Wingfoot Lake Airship facility in Suffield, Ohio, and often flies the sky over Goodyear’s headquarters in nearby Akron. The airship was christened in March 2000, and is 192 feet long and nearly 60 feet tall. It typically cruises at 30 mph at between 1,000 and 3,000 feet. This particular blimp is also equipped with lighted sign functions that incorporate more than 165,000 LEDs.

In addition to the familiar nose-to-tail blue panel above the mid-line (equator) of the Spirit of Goodyear there is a blue panel below the mid-line. This panel is designed to improve the visibility of the day sign lights. EagleVision, the electronic sign configuration on the port side, provides high resolution for text, graphics and video.

Naming its blimps is a very personal thing to Goodyear. Each name is a proud handle that represents something important to Goodyear or brings recognition to a proud tradition. The Spirit of Goodyear was named to honor the employees of the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company.

This airship primarily travels throughout an area of the United States bordered by the Rocky Mountains to the west, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south and Canada to the north. A Goodyear blimp is not limited to the United States, however, and may occasionally visit Canada or Mexico.

Additional information is available at www.goodyearblimp.com.