Goodyear Blimp
A ride on the Goodyear Blimp and a visit to the Woodward Dream Cruise
The Goodyear Blimp, specifically the Wingfoot Two, is not technically a blimp but a rigid airship with an internal frame that retains its shape. It was used to get a bird's-eye view of the Woodward Dream Cruise.
Introduction to the Blimp
The Wingfoot Two is 246 feet long and weighs 10 tons, maneuvered by three swiveling motors. Its carbon-fiber gondola has massive windows that provide massive views.
The airship climbed aggressively from its mooring at Oakland County airport, then leveled off at 1000 feet and did a loop around the city of Pontiac. This was an amazingly serene experience.
How the Blimp Works
Inside the helium envelope are air-filled bags called ballonets that do two jobs simultaneously. As the airship climbs and helium expands, air is vented from the ballonets to prevent over-pressurization. On descent, a blower pumps air back in to maintain shape. The ballonets also control pitch by shifting air between the nose and tail.
The pilots play a constant game of managing buoyancy with ballast, and a critical source is the passengers. The 10 passengers are swapped, two at a time, to maintain the desired weight. According to the source, Hagerty, docking and refueling after landing is a major production.
The Woodward Dream Cruise
The Woodward Dream Cruise is the world's largest single-day car event, with over a million people attending and tens of thousands of cars. It is an automotive smorgasbord, with a wonderful display of folks just having fun cruising in their favorite rides. From ratty Fox-body Mustangs to Ferraris to '50s Caddies to lowriders to microcars, there is an endless assortment of characters.
Timed to the Dream Cruise, Goodyear opened the Motor City Garage, its first enthusiast-concept retail store, at 3075 East Grand Blvd. in Detroit. The facility is modeled on the idea of a gathering place for car people, with displays that feature Goodyear's products, technology, and its history in Detroit.
At Ford's massive encampment along Woodward Avenue, a dealer-installed supercharger kit for 2024-26 Mustang GT and Dark Horse models was on display. The $10,500 kit takes the Coyote 5.0 V-8 from 480 hp to 810, along with 615 lb-ft of torque.
| Model | Horsepower | Torque |
|---|---|---|
| Base Mustang GT | 480 hp | |
| Supercharged Mustang GT | 810 hp | 615 lb-ft |
A base Mustang GT stickers at $46,560, so for roughly $60,000, you can have an 810-hp muscle car with a 3-year/36,000-mile Ford Racing Parts warranty.
The supercharged Mustangs chirped their rear tires in the first three gears, but what impressed was how intelligently the traction control managed it, letting the tires break loose just enough to feel the full force of 810 hp without letting the car get away from you. The 'Stang also seamlessly idled along in Dream Cruise traffic.
The engineering calibration walks a fine line well, and the result is amazing. What a time we are in, with Mustangs having 810 horsepower and a Detroit weekend where over a million people gather to celebrate their love of cars.
The Goodyear Blimp operation, which costs tens of millions per year to operate, reinforces Goodyear's marketing plan, and the program has run for 100 years, covering more than 2500 events and carrying over 500,000 passengers. The blimp's cultural power is understood by many, including rapper Ice Cube, who described his perfect 24 hours culminating with the Goodyear Blimp displaying his name in his 1993 song "It Was a Good Day".
The blimp's significance is still celebrated today, with Goodyear finally making Ice Cube's lyrics literal last year during the BIG3 basketball tournament, flying with the message "Ice Cube's A Pimp" above Orlando.
The Wingfoot Two is a remarkable machine, and its story is worth sharing, as told by Hagerty.
