People along the coast in Northwest Florida were treated to an unusual sight Tuesday afternoon when the Goodyear Blimp flew overhead.
Goodyear’s Spirit of Innovation blimp, which is based out of Pompano Beach, was on its way to New Orleans for the PGA Zurich Classic this weekend when it flew over the Emerald Coast.
“When we’re going west through Florida, typically we do go over Northwest Florida,” said Doug Grassian, spokesperson for Goodyear’s airship operations. “However, a lot of our travel is southeast. I would say (we fly over Northwest Florida) occasionally, but not regularly.”
The Spirit of Innovation is one of three blimps in Goodyear’s fleet, with a fourth blimp taking test flights now. The 192-foot-long blimp has floated above Super Bowls, NASCAR events in Daytona, Miami and Charlotte, the Sony Open tennis tournament in Miami and the NBA Finals.
The blimp will remain in New Orleans through Tuesday morning, when it will start to head back to Pompano Beach. It will likely fly over the Emerald Coast again on Wednesday, weather permitting, Grassian said.
“Weather is always the concern for us,” Grassian said. “It sometimes changes our plans and we have to adapt to it, but if it all looks clear we would follow a similar path home.”
Goodyear Blimp sightings were a popular discussion topic on the Northwest Florida Daily News’ Facebook page Tuesday and Wednesday, with people posting their own photos and where they had seen it.
“We saw the blimp,” wrote Joyce Halbur of Ogden, Iowa. “I heard it and couldn’t see it and then my son spotted it. So we all watched it go over. What a sight.”
Grassian said people love seeing the Goodyear Blimp no matter where it’s flying.
“A lot of people have seen it over a big sporting event or have interacted with it somehow. So when they see it again, it jogs up memories,” Grassian said. “We have a lot of positive responses wherever we go. That’s why it’s nice to go to areas you haven’t gone to in a while because people really get excited.”
Contact Daily News Business Editor Dusty Ricketts at 850-315-4448 or dricketts@nwfdailynews.com. Follow him on Twitter @DustyRnwfdn.