Three Goodyear Blimps to flyover Akron Tuesday through Thursday

Part Two in a Series

CUYAHOGA FALLS, June 2 – In honor of its 100^th anniversary, Goodyear has assembled blimps Wingfoot One, Wingfoot Two and Wingfoot Three in Northeast Ohio to overfly Goodyear’s home, Akron, for three days beginning tomorrow – June 3 – the precise 100^th anniversary of the inaugural flight of Goodyear’s Pilgrim, it’s first commercial blimp.

Goodyear has arranged this as a tribute to Akron, according to Julianne Roberts, the company’s senior director, global content and channels.

“Akron isn’t just the birthplace of the Goodyear Blimp—it’s the heart of its legacy,” Roberts says. “A flyover is our way of saying thank you to the community that has been with us every step of the way.”

It’s extremely rare for all three airships in the Goodyear Blimp Fleet to be in one location at the same time. Wingfoot One, based at Wingfoot Lake in Northeast Ohio (Mogadore), has been repainted to resemble its ancestor Pilgrim. Wingfoot Two (based out of Pompano Beach, Florida) and Wingfoot Three (based out of Carson California) have arrived to join in the centennial “Victory Lap” festivities.

The Goodyear Blimp is certainly the biggest, and perhaps the most iconic and lasting corporate brand asset in the world today. One working definition of the term public relations begins with the words “a planned effort to influence public opinion…” and the Goodyear Blimps are just that, serving as public relations vehicles to “drive” brand awareness for the company and its tire products, and to delight fans in communities all over the world.

Here’s a bit about the best viewing spots and times:

• Dates: June 3, 4 and 5
• Location: Akron, Ohio
  • Viewing Locations on Jun. 3, 2025:

Wingfoot Lake State Park: 993 Goodyear Park Blvd Mogadore, OH 44260

• The best viewing spot is at the waterfront of Wingfoot Lake State Park. If you want to see more than one blimp on the ground, arrive early. Best time would be on or just before 9 a.m. (There is an observation area.)

Akron State of the City Address: Outdoors, Lock 3, 200 S. Main St., Akron, OH 44308

• Doors open at 4:00 p.m. and the event will start at 5:00 p.m. To register for the free event, visit the Akron Roundtable website. 

Akron RubberDucks Game: 300 S Main St., Akron, OH 44308

• On Jun. 3, between 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., during the Akron RubberDucks pre-game versus the Chesapeake Baysox, will include a flyover from the three Goodyear Blimps. The Akron RubberDucks are also featuring their Akron Bicentennial Series: 100th Anniversary of the Goodyear Blimp this evening. The first 1,000 fans will receive a t-shirt with the blimp on it to celebrate the centennial.

Viewing Locations on Jun. 4-5, 2025:   Downtown/East Akron

• For these two days, blimps will soar over downtown Akron and East Akron.
• Again, a great viewing spot is at the waterfront of Wingfoot Lake State Park. If you want to see more than one blimp on the ground take off, arrive early. Best time would be on or just before 9 a.m. (There is an observation area.)

(Want to know more? Here’s a link to Part One of the series, an A (Akron) to Z (Zeppelin) BLIMPOLOGY with history and details about blimps, Goodyear’s history in blimps and aerospace, the Goodyear Airdock, and all other Goodyear Blimp-related matters: https://wp.me/p6cQl4-102 )

 Also to celebrate this momentous occasion the Goodyear Blimp team has partnered with Wendy’s. Select Wendy’s restaurants in Northeast Ohio will be giving away free Goodyear Blimp keychains to fans with any in-restaurant purchase (while supplies last).

 Goodyear began the centennial celebration at the end of 2024. The first public event was Wingfoot Three flying and helping cover the January 1, 2025 Rose Bowl Parade and the Rose Bowl, continuing a tradition of Goodyear Blimps at the Rose Bowl which dates back to 1955.

Roberts says that public response to the 100^th anniversary has been extraordinary.

“Our (Ride on the Blimp) sweepstakes generated thousands of entries, we’ve had huge brands like Duolingo and Kool-Aid reach out to celebrate, and on social media alone, we’ve received 40 million impressions year-to-date,” she adds.