The Wingfoot Three is Goodyears third and completely renovated fleet of blimps that have been created with an entirely new use of technology. This new breed of aircrafts have been designed by German company, Zeppelin. The aircrafts earned the NT (new technology) title mainly due to the updated mechanics of the aircrafts.
The new series of aircrafts engines have been completely transformed to increase efficiency and maneuverability. One of the issues with the old blimp models was the use of helium which caused the aircrafts to want to float up on a windy day, however the third model has included engines that face upward to keep these massive blimps on the ground. They can also hold double the amount of people than previous models as well as completely upgraded interior for increased comfort and style. The Wingfoot fleet has also increased its speed to 76 mph, 23 mph faster than before.
Although this is not engrossing information for most people, it is interesting to look at how “new technology” can affect modes of transportation. The new blimp will be attending hundreds of sporting events this year, giving more people the opportunity to take a ride in the brand new Goodyear Wingfoot Three aircraft.
https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/goodyear-blimp-zeppelin-fleet/index.html
I remember when I was a kid, my father took me to see a NASCAR race. Throughout the whole race I was more interested in the Goodyear blimp then the race itself. I find it very interesting that people are still spending time and money on advancing obsolete ways of transportation. Blimps are no longer comparable to planes or helicopters that can get someone to a destination for cheaper and faster.
I recently saw a advertisement for Goodyear. I think the ad was very cool considering it runs on the idea of being “Blimpworthy”. With college football already here the commercial is sure to be a success. You can check out the ad here.
https://www.adweek.com/agencyspy/gsdm-and-goodyear-remind-us-that-very-few-are-truly-blimpworthy/148748
The new blimp is sure to get a lot of attention and provide some amazing video of CFB. I am very interested what else the Goodyear team has in store for the blimp.
I think that it is important to consider the implications of new technology on transportation, as you mentioned in the article. The effect of new, more efficient and safe technology on public transportation in particular could be significant to the safety of highway travel; we see this effect in automated cars, which have autopilot along with sensors to sense other cars. If commercial vehicles such as trucks could utilize these sensors or other forms of new technology, highway safety for commuters would be highly increased as truck drivers would have increased awareness of their surroundings and other highway travelers won’t have as much driving anxiety when traveling alongside trucks which could lessen the potential for a crash.