Goodyear Bringing 1925 Livery Blimp to Oshkosh

Building on the announcement earlier this year that Goodyear would be bringing two of its airships to Oshkosh in July, the company further announced this week that one of the aircraft, Wingfoot One, will be wrapped in its 1925 markings, in honor of 100 years of Goodyear flying the blimps. The airships will also be flying in the air show on selected days and will be moored in the vicinity of the EAA Aviation Museum and Pioneer Airport.

The markings honor Goodyear’s first blimp, Pilgrim, which began flying in 1925. Although Goodyear’s aviation efforts began in 1910 with the creation of its aeronautics department, the first branded airship flights in 1925 marked the start of a legendary icon. The first blimp with a lighted sign came in 1930, while the initial aerial broadcast flights over the Rose Bowl began in 1955. The Goodyear airships moved into their most recent era beginning in 2011 with the debut of the semi-rigid Zeppelin NT (New Technology) airships that are used today.

Goodyear’s airship participation at Oshkosh began in 1971 when America made an appearance at the EAA fly-in. Since then, it has been a regular visitor to the gathering, with its last appearance in 2021.