The America is docked at its 40-acre base in Spring along I-45 in 1976.[/caption]Motorists traveling south on the I-45 frontage road today pass a number of retail and dining options just before they approach Cypresswood Drive.
But less than 25 years ago, drivers might have witnessed a very different sight at the same location: a massive Goodyear blimp docked at its former Spring base.
Spring resident John Dyer, who served as an Air Force instructor, FedEx pilot and Continental Airlines pilot, once flew the iconic Goodyear blimp that resided in Spring for more than two decades.
Cars used to drive past on I-45 as the blimp cruised through the northwest Harris County skies at low altitudes and speeds, Dyer said.
The blimp that docked in Spring—the GZ20A or the America—reached a top speed of 50 miles per hour.
“It was like sailing,” Dyer said.
The first generation of the Goodyear blimp was created in the early 1920s as a marketing campaign designed to bring exposure in remote locations throughout the country to The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. It evolved to become a broadcast outlet that filmed sporting events from the sky.
The allure of good weather during the winter and being closer to Southern events attracted Goodyear to Spring, said Edward Ogden, historian for Goodyear’s airstrip operations and Goodyear public relations specialist.
Without the precise weather-predicting technology that exists today, a flight from the Goodyear blimp’s original hangar in Akron, Ohio, to Dallas for the Cotton Bowl was a risky proposition, Ogden said.
“We were looking for Southern exposure and a spot where we could fly in better weather,” he said.
The blimp arrived in Spring in 1969 and sat on a 40-acre triangle along I-45 with Meadow Edge Lane and Holzwarth Road as boundaries. In the 23 years since the blimp departed, the area has become a retail outlet anchored by The Home Depot, Lowe’s and Walgreens.
Although the blimp was only in Spring from 1969-92, its time in the area was a significant part of the tire maker’s history, and the blimp became an important part of the community, Ogden said. Ogden worked at the Spring hangar from 1972-92 and lived near a burgeoning Old Town Spring before moving to Akron when the blimp departed.
Ogden said the America helped televise the Oilers and Astros, providing “beauty shots” of the Astrodome for the television broadcast and also traveled north along I-45 for Dallas Cowboys games and Cotton Bowl events. The America also performed traffic watches for local radio stations, hosted tours of the city for customers and flights for charities.
Soon after its Texas base was completed, Goodyear closed its blimp base near Akron in 1972. During the 20-plus years in Spring, all Goodyear airships were built and fixed at the local base.
While docked in Spring the Goodyear blimp would spend six months in the region during the winter months and then tour the East Coast during the summer.
The America’s time in Texas came to an end after weather-predicting technology improved and Goodyear instituted cost-cutting measures in 1992. The America flew back to its original home in Akron at the Wingfoot base.
“Technology allowed us to better predict the weather, and Goodyear wanted to bring the operation closer to headquarters, which is near Akron,” Ogden said.
