Goodyear’s 50th Year in Carson

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the landmark hanger’s operational base here in Carson. Last December Goodyear inflated a new hangar that stands approximately 337 feet along the 405 freeway

The Goodyear airship ‘Volunteer’ was previously on 158 acres off of Florence and Central Avenue in South Los Angeles and was the first tire manufacturing plant in this part of the country. After the first World War, new patents for flying were obtained by Goodyear as well as the most up-to-date flying technology that included engine and control improvements.

One of the interesting technical aspects of the Blimp’s flight is that a ground crew must determine the direction of the wind so that the pilot can adjusts the elevators to direct the nose of the craft towards the crew.

The nine-story hanger in Carson, which is the largest of its kind in North America, now is home of a state-of-the-art blimp called ‘Wingfoot Two’. Goodyear vice president Paul Fitzhenry is pleased that the hangar in Carson will provide ‘a highly visible presence‘ because I405 is considered one of the busiest highways in the nation. Based in the UK, Lindstrand Technologies has manufactured more than 200 hangars for Goodyear including the new Carson facility.

With the start to the Charger’s season and all the other big sporting events around town, you are bound to see the blimp glide through the skies of the Los Angeles basin.

Blog Post by M.A. Williams

9/11/18