tour inside blimp

Your browser is not supported for this experience. We recommend using Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or Safari.

@visitlauderdale

E-Newsletter Sign-Up

Trending articles.

Visit Pompano Beach

Goodyear Blimp Base

© 2022 Visit Pompano Beach

Sign up to receive news and tips on visiting Pompano Beach

What it's Like to Fly in a Goodyear Blimp

In the passenger and pilot area of the Wingfoot Two, it was easy to feel small in the sky — to forget that a helium-filled behemoth hovered just overhead, powered by three oversized propeller engines.

The Wingfoot Two, at 246.4 feet long, is only 55 feet short of the FirstEnergy Stadium football field it floats over on many Browns game days in downtown Cleveland. It can look small in the sky, but standing in front of it, preparing to run forward and board the few steps that led into the passenger area, the gigantic vehicle filled our field of vision. It moved with any slight breeze, bobbing above the grass like a huge, awkward bumblebee.

Earlier that day, we received a text from a Goodyear representative: “The crew is monitoring some wind gusts this morning. They are going to do everything they can to safely fly but if the winds pick up, flights might be affected today."

… gulp.   

(Photo by Katie Holub)

Four Goodyear blimps exist in the world, with one in Europe and three stationed in the United States — one in Florida, one in California and one near Akron and Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.'s headquarters.

Unsurprisingly, blimp flights are hard to come by; Goodyear’s three U.S. blimps regularly tour across the country for games and other events. When we asked if we could take a blimp ride during a Browns game, Goodyear declined. Instead, we headed out on a brisk Thursday in October, following a couple of previous rain delays.

Open only to members of the media, Goodyear customers and local charity auction winners, Cleveland Magazine luckily got in on one of just a handful of flights left before the Wingfoot Two left for a Columbus trip to a Buckeyes game.

An informational safety video ahead of the blimp ride let me, photography intern Katie Holub and four other passengers know: “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

There’s a lot of truth in that, since there aren’t a lot of blimps left in the world. Goodyear has a big stake in the blimp biz, operating about a third of all blimps globally. According to a Goodyear representative, only about a dozen operable airships exist in the world and Goodyear’s blimps are the only ones that fly on a consistent, year-round basis. 

A blimp is not a cheap thing to operate, considering high helium prices. According to U.S. Geological Survey data, in 2021, government users paid $3.61 per cubic meter for helium, and private industries paid $7.56 per cubic meter. Let’s take the average of the two numbers for a conservative estimate, and say Goodyear might get its helium for roughly $5.58 per cubic meter. 

That means it might cost $47,011 to fill Wingfoot Two’s 8,425 cubic meters to take flight.

Why pay so much to essentially unleash a massive balloon into the sky?

It comes down to branding.

Goodyear’s been making blimps for nearly 100 years, placing its signature blue-and-yellow emblazoned blimps into the sky since 1925.

“We’re proud that we’ve been adorning the skies ever since,” says Emily Cropper, the director of Americas communication at Goodyear.

So, what, exactly, is it like to fly in the sky? During our windy excursion: a bit bumpy.

Instead of driving ahead like other modes of transportation, a ride in the Goodyear blimp is more a form of calculated meandering, slowly making your way and watching a massive shadow of the oblong beast track the land below you. A commercial plane travels at 550 mph; a blimp’s maximum speed is 78 mph.

As we traveled, the pilots happily shared highlights of the scenery below us. Jerry Hissem, one of two pilots on our flight, has been flying Goodyear’s blimps for nearly 25 years.

“I compare flying in a blimp to floating in a bubble,” Hissem says, standing in the aisle and swaying to the side as the blimp takes a turn.

Myself, Holub and four other passengers filled the seats behind the pilots, buckled in for takeoff and landing but were otherwise free to roam around the small space, which included a bathroom. (If you’re wondering what the in-flight experience was like, it was pretty close to a tiny commercial airplane, complete with folding trays attached to each back, a compartment with informational materials and, yes, barf bags.)

Let’s reiterate: Unlike in other modes of transportation, you can really tell it’s windy when you’re 1,500 feet in the air, especially when you’re prone to motion sickness like me.

As the other passengers oohed and aahed at downtown Akron emerging below us, I took deep breaths, wondering if I’d waited a little too long to take a Dramamine pill that morning. The turning and shaking became a lot to combat while taking in all those beautiful views.

That “once-in-a-lifetime” reminder again rang in my memory, even as I — and this is true — threw up inside the Goodyear blimp. It’s certainly an experience I’ll never, ever forget.

Get ahead of the weekend by signing up for our free weekly  “In the CLE” newsletter   — your guide to fun throughout The Land. Arriving in your inbox every Wednesday, this weekend’s to-do list fills you in on everything from concerts to museum exhibits — and more. Click  here   to subscribe.

8:00 AM EST

December 23, 2022

Related Articles

See Cleveland's Streetcar History Inside Veterans Memorial Bridge

You can see remnants of Cleveland's streetcar past - and hints at future park development - at the Veterans Memorial Bridge open house this weekend. By Annie Nickoloff

Life Aboard the Mark W. Barker, the Great Lakes' Newest Cargo Ship

Meet the crew that keeps things running, day and night, on this large new vessel designed specifically to navigate the Cuyahoga River. By Annie Nickoloff

Cleveland Prioritizes Park Future, Taking Short-Term Hit in National Ranking

Cleveland strong national park ranking takes a slight dip but sets an example on the power of future investment. By Olivia Szmania

RoadsideAmerica.com Your Online Guide to Offbeat Tourist Attractions

Attraction:

Akron, Ohio : Goodyear Airship Hangar

Massive dirigible hangar, built in the 1930s. Was the birthplace of America's two largest airships, the Akron and Macon, before both crashed at sea. Exterior view only.

Results 1 to 5 of 6... Page of 2 [Next 1 items]

Visitor Tips and News About Goodyear Airship Hangar

Reports and tips from RoadsideAmerica.com visitors and Roadside America mobile tipsters . Some tips may not be verified. Submit your own tip .

While this building is rarely open to the public, the Goodyear Blimp Hangar in Suffield opens for a few weekends near Christmas for people to drive through with donation for Toys for Tots. And it is in active use as a base for one of the blimps. There is a viewing area with parking to watch the blimps depart and land, and the view from across the lake from Wingfoot Lake State Park (no admission fee) can be worth the effort.

The Goodyear Airdock housed a number of airships, including the USS Akron and USS Macon. The structure is 8 football fields long.

We were visiting Akron and decided to try to find the hangar where the blimps were actually made years ago - I remember being taken there as a kid and standing inside. A memory I will never forget! I took pictures from the road last September.

When I was stationed in Akron as a US Air Force recruiter, I got to know a gentleman who worked at Loral Aerospace (now Lockheed Martin) and he was kind enough to take me into the airdock on several occasions. The southern end of the airdock has been closed off for decades by a large building (Goodyear built a handful of Corsair fighters in that building towards the end of WWII). The airdock itself is of course closed to the public; it is now used as a huge storage space. Unknown to most though, is that on the east side of the airdock is the original Goodyear 1910 airdock, which is perhaps 1/100th the size of the later one.

One last note: for some years in the late '80s and early '90s, the full-sized shuttlecraft prop from the original Star Trek series was stored there while it was restored.

A huge structure .... Just imagine how big the blimps used to be that were built inside. As large as a Floating City! In the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest building without interior supports, the Goodyear Airdock -- where Goodyear once built blimps --- is 22 stories high and could accommodate four Super Bowl Games at once! Because of the unique design and construction, height and atmosphere actually produce rain and clouds inside the building!

June 2004 Update - Melissa points out that "Goodyear no longer owns the airdock. It was sold years ago to Lockheed Martin. The airdock is not open to the public (a shame, really, as they could make a lot of money on tours!)."

Page of 2 [Next 1 items]

Nearby Offbeat Places

Latest Tips Across Roadside America

Catch up on the latest discoveries from the road .

Explore Thousands of Oddball Tourist Attractions!

Unique destinations in the U.S. and Canada are our special obsession. Use our attraction recommendation and maps to plan your next road trip.

Create and Save Your Own Crazy Road Trip! ... Try My Sights

Mobile Apps

Ohio Latest Tips and Stories

• Large Indian Head , Medina, Ohio
• History of Cheesemaking Mural , Millersburg, Ohio
• Yard Art , West Salem, Ohio
• John Glenn Mini-Museum , Columbus, Ohio
• Matthews Hotel Monument , Akron, Ohio

Latest Visitor Tips

Sight of the Week

Daredevil Graves of Niagara Falls , Niagara Falls, New York (Jun 17-23, 2024)

SotW Archive

USA and Canada Tips and Stories

• Francis Marion Burial Site , Pineville, South Carolina
• Jet on a Pole , Kingsville, Texas
• Suzibelle: Uniroyal Gal , Omaha, Nebraska
• Uniroyal Gal , Omaha, Nebraska
• The Turlington Turd , Gainesville, Florida

More Sightings

Favorite Quirky City Sights

• Cincinnati Attractions
• Cleveland Attractions
• Columbus Attractions
• Dayton Attractions

Miscellaneous

• Submit a Tip
• Privacy Policy
• Terms and Conditions

Trip Planning Caution : RoadsideAmerica.com offers maps, directions and attraction details as a convenience, providing all information as is. Attraction status, hours and prices change without notice; call ahead!

Credits, Media/Business Inquiries © Copyright 1996-2024 Doug Kirby, Ken Smith, Mike Wilkins. All rights reserved. No portion of this document may be reproduced, copied or revised without written permission of the authors.

Airships.net

The graf zeppelin, hindenburg, u.s. navy airships, and other dirigibles, the hindenburg’s interior: passenger decks.

Dining Room of Airship Hindenburg (Airships.net collection)

The interior spaces on the Hindenburg were divided into three main areas:

• Passenger Decks
• Control Car

Control Car, Flight Instruments, and Flight Controls

Crew Areas and Keel

The passenger accommodation aboard Hindenburg  was contained within the hull of the airship (unlike Graf Zeppelin , whose  passenger space was located in the ship’s gondola).

Passenger Decks: profile view. (Drawing courtesy of David Fowler)

Passenger accommodations on Hindenburg.

Cutaway Views Of Hindenburg Passenger Area

The passenger space was spread over two decks, known as “A Deck” and “B Deck.”

“A” Deck on Hindenburg

Deck plan of LZ-129 Hindenburg showing “A” Deck, from 1936 DZR brochure. (Airships.net collection)

Hindenburg’s “A Deck” contained the ship’s Dining Room, Lounge, Writing Room, Port and Starboard Promenades, and 25 double-berth inside cabins.

The passenger accommodations were decorated in the clean, modern design of principal architect Professor Fritz August Breuhaus , and in a major improvement over the unheated Graf Zeppelin , passenger areas on Hindenburg were heated, using forced-air warmed by water from the cooling systems of the forward engines.

Dining Room

Hindenburg’s Dining Room occupied the entire length of the port side of A Deck. It measured approximately 47 feet in length by 13 feet in width, and was decorated with paintings on silk wallpaper by Professor Otto Arpke, depicting scenes from Graf Zeppelin’s flights to South America.

The tables and chairs were designed by Professor Fritz August Breuhaus using lightweight tubular aluminum, with the chairs upholstered in red.

Dining on the Hindenburg

Dining Room of Hindenburg, with Port Promenade (Airships.net collection)

On the starboard side of A Deck were the Passenger Lounge and Writing Room.

Passenger Lounge (Airships.net collection)

The Lounge was approximately 34 feet in length, and was decorated with a mural by Professor Arpke depicting the routes and ships of the explorers Ferdinand Magellan, Captain Cook, Vasco de Gama, and Christopher Columbus, the transatlantic crossing of LZ-126 (USS Los Angeles), the Round-the-World flight and South American crossings of LZ-127 Graf Zeppelin, and the North Atlantic tracks of the great German ocean liners Bremen and Europa.  The furniture, like that in the dining room, was designed in lightweight aluminum by Professor Breuhaus, but the chairs were upholstered in brown. During the 1936 season the Lounge contained a 356-pound Bluthner baby grand piano , made of Duralumin and covered with yellow pigskin.

Two views of the Lounge, showing portrait of Hitler and the ship’s duralumin piano.  (The stewardess is Emilie Imhoff, who was killed at Lakehurst in 1937.) (©Archiv der Luftschiffbau Zeppelin GmbH, Friedrichshafen)

Passenger Lounge on the Airship Hindenburg, showing promenade windows. (Airships.net collection)

Writing Room

Next to the lounge was a small Writing Room.

Writing Room (Airships.net collection)

The walls of the Writing Room were decorated with paintings by Otto Arpke depicting scenes from around the world:

Some of the Otto Arpke paintings aboard Hindenburg

Passenger Cabins on Hindenburg

Passenger Cabin aboard Hindenburg (Airships.net collection)

Hindenburg was originally built with 25 double-berthed cabins at the center of A Deck, accommodating 50 passengers.  After the ship’s inaugural 1936 season, 9 more cabins were added to B Deck, accommodating an additional 20 passengers. The A Deck cabins were small, but were comparable to railroad sleeper compartments of the day.  The cabins measured approximately 78″ x 66″, and the walls and doors were made of a thin layer of lightweight foam covered by fabric.  Cabins were decorated in one of three color schemes — either light blue, grey, or beige — and each A Deck cabin had one lower berth which was fixed in place, and one upper berth which could be folded against the wall during the day.

Each cabin had call buttons to summon a steward or stewardess, a small fold-down desk, a wash basin made of lightweight white plastic with taps for hot and cold running water, and a small closet covered with a curtain in which a limited number of suits or dresses could be hung; other clothes had to be kept in their suitcases, which could be stowed under the lower berth. None of the cabins had toilet facilities; male and female toilets were available on B Deck below, as was a single shower, which provided a weak stream of water “more like that from a seltzer bottle” than a shower, according to Charles Rosendahl. Because the A Deck cabins were located in the center of the ship they had no windows, which was a feature missed by passengers who had traveled on Graf Zeppelin and had enjoyed the view of the passing scenery from their berths.

Promenades On either side of A Deck were promenades, featuring seating areas and large windows which could be opened in flight.

Starboard Promenade aboard LZ-129 Hindenburg, next to the Lounge. (Airships.net collection)

Passenger decks of Hindenburg, showing promenade windows (Airships.net collection)

“B” Deck on Hindenburg

B Deck on Hindenburg, located directly below A Deck, contained the ship’s kitchen, passenger toilet and shower facilities, the crew and officers’ mess, and a cabin occupied by Chief Steward Heinrich Kubis (containing a door to the keel corridor, which was the only connection between passenger and crew spaces).

Passenger Decks before 1936-1937 refit (Drawing courtesy of David Fowler)

During the winter of 1936-1937, while the ship was laid up in Frankfurt, additional passenger cabins were also added in Bay 11, just aft of ring 173.  The new cabins had windows offering an outside view, and were slightly larger than the cabins on A Deck.  The additional weight of these new cabins was made possible by the unexpected (and unwelcome) need to operate the ship with hydrogen, which has greater lifting power than the helium for which Hindenburg had been designed.

B Deck, showing 1937 cabins. (Drawing courtesy Patrick Russell, “Faces of the Hindenburg” blog, based on 1937 DZR brocure.)

The Smoking Room

Smoking Room aboard LZ-129 Hindenburg (Airships.net collection)

Perhaps most surprising, aboard a hydrogen airship, there was also a smoking room on the Hindenburg. The smoking room was kept at higher than ambient pressure, so that no leaking hydrogen could enter the room, and the smoking room and its associated bar were separated from the rest of the ship by a double-door airlock.  One electric lighter was provided, as no open flames were allowed aboard the ship. The smoking room was painted blue, with dark blue-grey leather furniture, and the walls were decorated with yellow pigskin and illustrations by Otto Arpke depicting the history of lighter-than-air flight from the Montgolfiers’s balloon to the Graf Zeppelin.  Along one side of the room was a railing above sealed windows, through which passengers could look down on the ocean or landscape passing below.

The smoking room was perhaps the most popular public room on the ship, which is not surprising in an era in which so many people smoked.

Pressurized Smoking Room aboard LZ-129 Hindenburg, showing door to the bar, with the air lock doors beyond. (Airships.net collection)

Hindenburg Bar (©Archiv der Luftschiffbau Zeppelin GmbH, Friedrichshafen)

The Hindenburg’s bar was a small ante-room between the smoking room and the air-lock door leading to the corridor on B-Deck.  This is where Hindenburg bartender Max Schulze served up LZ-129 Frosted Cocktails (gin and orange juice) and Maybach 12 cocktails (recipe lost to history), but more importantly, it is where Schulze monitored the air-lock to ensure that no-one left the smoking room with burning cigarattes, cigars, or pipes. Schulze had been a steward and bartender aboard the ocean liners of the Hamburg-Amerika Line and was well liked by Hindenburg passengers, even if he was surprisingly unfamiliar with basic American cocktails such as the Manhattan. The bar and smoking room were also the scene of a raucous party on the Hindenburg’s maiden voyage to America, where passenger Pauline Charteris improvised a kirschwasser cocktail after the ship ran out of gin for martinis.

Cocktails aboard the Hindenburg (©Archiv der Luftschiffbau Zeppelin GmbH, Friedrichshafen)

274 Leave a Reply

I can’t believe it took me FIFTY-SEVEN years to learn about the Hindenburg! Absolutely fascinating! I never even knew it had more than just a flight crew, let alone luxurious accommodations of the day! Thanks for the wonderful article!

It’s like a cruise ship in the sky, without the water slides and pool cant forget the balcony cabin.

It is so so sad with all those lives lost. 🙁

Where the doors locked during the flight? I mean the cabins or the purser’s office.

Thanks for the article. I remember being a kid watching documentaries on the Hindenburg and the 1975 film The Hindenburg and wondered, how did they put a smoking room in a hydrogen fill airship?

Your website has great information, photographs, and drawings. I just toured the Lakehurst base and Hindenburg crash site today and your website filled in a lot of gaps. Thanks.

What was on the menu in the dining room and did the chefs cook with electric heat?

Yes, the ovens and range were all electric. I own a lot of Hindenburg menus and I have been meaning to do a blog post showing them; just not enough time!

How did the 62 survivors escape the inferno? Did most jump before the zeppelin hit ground or did the cabin wallls and ceiling protect them somehow?

Most jumped while the aircraft was above the ground; a few left (or were assisted in leaving) after it settled on the ground. The cabin walls were fabric and foam and very quickly burned. Nothing was left of the passenger compartment other than some remnants of metal framework.

Most smashed the windows on the promenade decks and jumped seconds before it hit the ground. Some had broken bones when they hit the ground, but luckily, most escaped. Just saying if you didn’t already search it up.

Many of the windows were able to be opened; I am not sure if any were smashed or how easy that would have been to do, but yes, many people survived by jumping out promenade windows.

No one smashed any windows. Do your research.

My mother and father witnessed the Hindenburg fly over ‘Germantown’ aka West Roxbury and Dedham Massachusetts. We have photos but unsure of the year.Many Ruer Valley Germans settled in Boston in the 1880’s

Fascinating. I had no idea the toilets were such a slog to get to. I would have wanted my money back, but likely would have been dead. Oh well!

If you were familiar with Pullman Sleeping Cars on trains of that era, most passengers would wear bathrobes and slippers and have to go to the men’s or women’s {lounge) at either end of the coach to use a toilet or use a shower. It was also typical of boarding …  Read more »

This is true about boarding houses.My Polish immigrant grandparents married and lived in a boarding house for almost 15 years before they bought their first home. My dad was almost 9 years old, the youngest. My grandmother gave birth to 3 boys while living in the boarding house!. She actually …  Read more »

Out of 96 people on board, only 30 + died, not bad for such an incident. Let’s not forget that since the early 1900s, German Zeppelins, using hydrogen, had an amazing safety record, the Graf carried over 40,000 passengers in its career with not one life lost or hurt. They …  Read more »

Great piece of research, well done. I am researching the Hindenburg as it came to the Isle of Man where I live. An amazing site by all who saw her. I have the old news paper reports. Well done, Bill Henderson.

WATCH: DICK’S House of Sport Blimp Tour

(WBNG) -- Take a look inside the blimp that has been flying all around the Southern Tier

Copyright 2024 WBNG. All rights reserved.

Emergency crews respond to crash in Endwell

New York State Union of Teachers proposes bill that would remove students from classrooms if temps get too high

NYSEG fined for failing to meet customer service metrics

Elmira Police investigating deadly shooting

Fire crews respond to 2nd alarm fire in Port Crane

Latest news.

Round 2 Tee Times for the DICK’S Open at En-Joie Golf Club

Albies hits 2-run homer on Rodón’s second pitch and hot Braves romp 8-1 over skidding Yankees

Bearcat graduate Eric Holt competes at U.S. Olympic Track & Field trials.

Highlights: 1st round of the DICK’s Open

Want to see the inside of the Goodyear Blimp? Now you can even sleep in it

Who's dreamed of seeing the inside of a Goodyear Blimp ?

If the answer is you, then mark your calendars for Oct. 15. That's when you can jump on the chance to not just see the inside but book an overnight stay in the iconic airship. 

Limited booking opportunities will roll out throughout the day on Airbnb.com/blimp for one-night stays inside the blimp in its hangar in Mogadore, Ohio, Oct. 22, 23 and 24. 

The stay is hosted by Goodyear Chief Pilot Jerry Hissem and is $150 a night, plus taxes and fees. 

“Just like any host, we will be opening up our home to give the guests the best experience," Hissem told USA TODAY. "They will have a tour of our facilities, highlighting our 100 year history and 60+ years of covering college football games. They will get to enjoy Wingfoot Lake and the complete tailgate experience. And, they will get to meet many of our crew and learn about the blimp.”

Hissem said guests will not get to ride in the blimp, which is set to capture aerial footage of the Notre Dame at  Michigan game on Oct. 26.  

The Airbnb promotion is in honor of the  150th anniversary of college football .

Apply by Oct. 8: Airbnb offers opportunity for 'sabbatical' to Antarctica to study plastics

Highlights of the two-guest package include: 

• Hissem will welcome guests to the hangar, which is the size of 2.6 football fields. 
• A "football lounge," where guests can watch historical college football rivalry games.
• A lakefront spot with a grill, fire pit, cornhole and other tailgate essentials
• Tickets to the Michigan-Notre Dame game and official gear 
• Space for up to four friends to join in the fun, though only two guests will be allowed to sleep in the blimp

Airbnb Luxe: $146K-per-night private island and other vacation rentals for the 1%

Airbnb has become known for offering unique, themed bookings, ranging from stays in the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile to  Bella Swan's house from "Twilight"  to  Highclere Castle  from "Downton Abbey." 

Contributing: Morgan Hines

Look inside this luxury blimp promising to revolutionize air travel

There's no word on how much a trip will cost on this flying cruise ship, but, in the meantime, you can take a tour of the swanky interior

You can save this article by registering for free here . Or sign-in if you have an account.

Article content

Do you dream about riding in a blimp? Soon you’ll be able to ride in a luxurious modern-day version of the airship.

The Airlander 10 is a hybrid air vehicle — part lighter-than-air blimp, part plane — that can take off and land from virtually any flat surface, eliminating the need for airports. It’s also designed to use less fuel than a plane, but carry heavier loads than conventional airships. The aircraft — dubbed “the flying bum” because of its curvaceous design — had first test flight two years ago, and was originally developed for the U.S. military as a surveillance machine, but now it’s been rebranded as a luxury aircraft.

Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.

• Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.
• Unlimited online access to National Post and 15 news sites with one account.
• National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.
• Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.
• Support local journalism.

Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.

• Access articles from across Canada with one account.
• Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.
• Enjoy additional articles per month.
• Get email updates from your favourite authors.

Don't have an account? Create Account

“Air travel has become very much about getting from A to B as quickly as possible. What we’re offering is a way of making the journey a joy,” said Stephen McGlennan, CEO of HAV.

This month Hybrid Air Vehicles Limited revealed the 46-metre-long cabin, created in partnership with Design Q. The aircraft can carry up to 19 passengers (plus the crew). It can only travel up to 148 km/h, but can stay aloft for up to two weeks. There’s no word on how much one of its “three-day expeditions” will cost, but in the meantime, you can take a tour of the interior of this flying cruise ship.

Even in the sky, a fully stocked “altitude bar” is a must-have.

And you can take your drink over to these sofas and stare out the huge windows.

Or take a seat and stare at the stunning ground.

Actually, forget the view, check out these luxury bean bags.

This sky bed is nicer than most land beds.

And this is what you’ll be seeing when you lie down.

With files from The Associated Press

Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .

Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.

'Stop these criminals from destroying people' says suicide note after victim kills accused Toronto fraudsters

Amy hamm: nanny state canada leashes law-abiding citizens as criminals roam free, canada reportedly preparing to evacuate 45,000 citizens from lebanon amid war fears, subscriber only. conrad black: the media and trudeau have yet to return to reality.

Trudeau’s future is tied to the vote of a rich Toronto neighbourhood

Amazon returns just got substantially easier in canada: what to know.

There’s “no box, tape, or label needed”

Do juice cleanses work?

A three-day juice cleanse was the kickstart I needed for a healthier lifestyle

Advertisement 2 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

Beauty reviews: CHANEL Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sun-Kissed Powder, LolaVie Sculpting Paste, and Belif Aqua Bomb Hydrating Hyalucid Serum

The three buzzed-about new beauty products we tried this week.

Makeup tutorial: A fresh take on the frosted eyeshadow trend

All the rage back in the '90s and early 2000s, frosted eyeshadow is back in a big way this summer.

Review: Expand Furniture’s Flip Console to Dining Room Set is convenient for small spaces

The dining table can accommodate six people

This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here . By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy .

You've reached the 20 article limit.

You can manage saved articles in your account.

and save up to 100 articles!

Looks like you've reached your saved article limit!

You can manage your saved articles in your account and clicking the X located at the bottom right of the article.

Your Old Droog Reveals How MF Doom, Madlib and Frank Zappa Led to the Full-Circle Moment of ‘Movie’

By Todd Gilchrist

Todd Gilchrist

• Your Old Droog Reveals How MF Doom, Madlib and Frank Zappa Led to the Full-Circle Moment of ‘Movie’ 23 hours ago
• Ryuichi Sakamoto Concert Doc ‘Opus’ to Premiere With Live Streaming Event on the Criterion Channel (EXCLUSIVE) 1 day ago
• ‘Solo’ Review: Sophie Dupuis Delivers a Beautiful Character Study That’s Anything but a Drag 1 week ago

With “Movie,” rapper Your Old Droog is ready to make music that’s cinematic.

Related Stories

Why long-form tiktok videos make perfect sense, 'bridgerton' star jonathan bailey to lead nicholas hytner's shakespeare adaptation 'richard ii' - global bulletin, popular on variety.

If you were a director, who would you be?

I’d probably say [Quentin] Tarantino, or maybe [Martin] Scorsese. I’m interested in the stories within the stories, so those two names jump out to me. But one of the movies I was watching while making this album was “Carlito’s Way,” which is a classic from back in the day — I just watched it repeatedly. I even got that lyric in the title cut, “I wish Carlito would’ve took that champagne from Benny Blanco.” That was the first song I recorded for the album, which ended up being the last [track].

What inspired “Movie,” the name for this record?

Typically, do you work towards a theme?

Yeah, I prefer to have a concept. One of the things that was emphasized to me from people I respected was just having something to talk about, some meaning to the lyrics. Just rapping well, it gets a little empty. Being the best rapper, who cares? I want to talk about something. And if it’s a song about trains or girls or things that I’m interested in, I prefer it that way.

You’ve worked with MF Doom and you’re working with Madlib and Just Blaze on this record. Are they the hip-hop producers you were initially inspired by when you started rapping?

Making “Success & Power” with Just Blaze was a full-circle moment for me, because I remember being in the junior high school and dudes were making the [Freeway] “What We Do” beat by beatboxing. He was the premier producer of that era when I fell in love with hip-hop, so to work with him is a big deal. I didn’t know about Doom and Madlib until I was probably 18. I was kind of limited in terms of my hip-hop consumption during my teenage years — mostly mixtape stuff like DJ Clue and 50 Cent, and what was on the radio. So when I learned about Doom and Madlib, this whole new world opened up.

You also have all these Frank Zappa/ Mothers of Invention samples in your records. Was that educational process happening at the same time?

I heard Captain Beefheart first when I was 18, then I got to Zappa, and then I discovered Doom in the same year. So that was finding two artists I really am a huge fan of around the same time. When you find an artist that you’re a big fan of, it’s a transcendent feeling, like you’re in a higher state of consciousness almost. When I heard Doom, I was like, “I’m going to be listening to this for the rest of my life… or I might work with the guy in 10 years.” And that’s what ended up happening. To the point where I remember taking the Q Train to community college, and then when I got the Doom feature back for the first time, I took a trip back to that same community college playing the feature on repeat.

How difficult has it been to assemble this circle of regular collaborators that includes MF Doom, Edan, Pharoahe Monch, Madlib and others?

How carefully curated is the subject matter on your records?

I make a lot of songs, and then I try to put it together and have it make sense in terms of an album. But with this record specifically, I wanted to give them all the sides of Droog, not just one thing. In 2022 when I did “Yod Stewart,” “Yod Wave” and [three other EPs], I was honing in on a specific vibe for each record. But with this album, I wanted to give them everything and the best version of YOD.

Would you say then that this record offers the most complete portrait of yourself?

Absolutely. On the outside and on the inside, I feel like I mastered certain things, like certain recording techniques, writing techniques. I feel like I mastered ad libs in late 2022, around “The Shining,” in terms of how I record them, my process of selecting them and editing. But also, I had a conversation before I worked on this album with El-P, where he was like, “Be okay with people missing you for a while. Just put everything into your 12 best songs.” So I internalized that before I was making the record, and just said, let me not do so much — let me do exactly what’s needed. I feel like I did.

You also maintain a certain degree of anonymity about yourself. How does that serve you better creatively?

I don’t really have interest in fame or the idea of celebrity. What does it even mean to be famous now? I want to be recognized for my work. With social media, everybody feels like they’re the main character, which kind of leveled the playing field. But I’m more interested in old school celebrities like Sammy Davis Jr. and people like him. I don’t know how we got from Sammy Davis Jr. to Khloe Kardashian.

Even so, “Grandmother’s Lessons” certainly touches on your background. For better or for worse, your identity exists at this nexus of the two very specific points of cultural sensitivity right now. How much are you interested — or not interested — in using your music to express a point of view about Ukraine or Israel?

I’m a person who works with words for a living, and I don’t even have the adjectives to describe how bad those situations are. The people that know me know how I feel. But I don’t feel like it’s my place to publicly talk about it. And plus, I like to do my research. This is very nuanced — it predates all of us. But yeah, it’s horrible.

You have a line in “Success & Power” that says, “Don’t talk about Jews/ that’s how Ye screwed up.” Is there self-protection in that as well?

Do you have a formal process in writing and recording?

If something comes to me, I’ll text it to myself — there’s this whole thread for years, and it’s always there. But sometimes I might just hear a track and something will come to me. Like “Movie” with that “Carlito’s Way” line, the moment I played the beat, I said the line. So I like to keep it naturally flowing, almost in a freestyle type of way, where there’s a voice or something telling me what to say. So I respect and honor that, because I feel like if I don’t put that idea down, I might not get another one. I was in a rehearsal with my DJ working on the set for this concert [in New York] on July 10 th , and he looped up this Led Zeppelin sample, and a concept arose out of thin air. So I wrote a verse with a little loose hook concept thing, and it’s dope. But I don’t know how we’re going to clear a Led Zeppelin sample.

How strategic are you with your career in general? As much as you want “Movie” to be a defining work, is it a stepping stone to other things that you feel you haven’t accomplished yet?

Absolutely. I wouldn’t even say I was trying to make it, I feel like I was told that I was going to make it, so I had to respect that. And the deeper meaning of it is we don’t decide how our early lives start, or how sometimes even our careers might start. It might be rocky, or you might have a traumatic childhood. But there comes a point where you can kind of direct your life — your movie — and you can write that script. So this is me writing what I want my life to be, what I want my career to be. That’s why there’s lines on “Movie” where I say, “Just because your life is fucked up don’t mean it’s got to end that way.” Or, “put that pen to the page and write your own plot twist.” That’s the deeper meaning.

Did you feel a sense of catharsis when you finished “Movie,” or did it inspire you to go even bigger next time?

Absolutely. I had some shows that I did about two years ago, and I feel like I needed to perform at those concerts to make “Movie.” It’s like going to the gym almost — you’re taking information and energy back in from the crowd. There’s a lyric that they all shouted back at me, and it did something to me physically. And when I went back to when working on the album, I already knew certain lyrics were going to have that same effect on a larger scale. So I did feel a sense of accomplishment. Like that “Success & Power” beat — it felt like I had to reach it. The Harry Fraud tracks [“How Do You Do It?,” “Mantra” and “A Damn Shame”], I never really rhymed on beats with 808s and trap drums like that. But they’re not trap beats. But they’re bigger sounding and they’re on a larger stage. And I just wanted to meet that. I feel at home on bigger stages, and that’s where I want to be.

I prefer to do a traditional way: You put an album out, you tour for two years, you come back with another record. That would be ideal. But let’s see what happens — I might be feeling more inspired.

More from Variety

Gracie abrams drops new duet with taylor swift, ‘us’, new bundles point to broadband’s growing power in svod packaging, gracie abrams sets fall headlining tour, ahead of opening final eras tour dates, sabrina carpenter makes hot 100 history with ‘please please please’ and ‘espresso’; charli xcx’s ‘brat’ debuts at no. 3, what netflix learned from ‘fallout’ success apparent in new synced-up games & unscripted strategy, taylor swift supports lady gaga amid ‘invasive’ pregnancy rumors: ‘it’s irresponsible to comment on a woman’s body’, more from our brands, justin timberlake addresses his ‘tough week’ at first concert after dwi arrest, how indian-born sommelier, educator, writer and winemaker rajat parr is living the american wine dream, one year ago, qatar broke into u.s. team sports. no one followed, the best loofahs and body scrubbers, according to dermatologists, doctor who season finale features one mother of a reveal, ends with ‘terror’-ble tease — grade it, verify it's you, please log in.

Advertisement

How Blimps Work

• Share Content on Facebook
• Share Content on LinkedIn
• Share Content on Flipboard
• Share Content on Reddit
• Share Content via Email

Inside a Blimp

Unlike a balloon, a blimp has a shape and structure that enable it to fly and maneuver. The following parts allow it to do this:

• envelope - contains the helium gas
• nose cone battens
• forward ballonet
• aft ballonet
• catenary curtain
• suspension cables
• flight control surfaces - rudders, elevators
• helium valve
• gondola - holds passengers and crew

We'll discuss each of these parts in the following sections.

The envelope is the large bag that holds the helium gas . The envelope is generally cigar-shaped, for aerodynamic purposes, and made of a durable, airtight, lightweight fabric (polyester composites) that is much like the fabric of a space suit . In fact, many envelopes are made by ILC Dover Corporation, the company that makes spacesuits for NASA .

The envelopes can hold from 67,000 to 250,000 ft 3 (1,900 to 7,093 m 3 ) of helium, depending upon the particular blimp. The pressure inside the envelope is low, approximately 0.07 pounds per square inch (0.005 ATM).

Nose Cone Battens

The nose cone battens are supports that radiate from the tip of the blimp. They stiffen the front of the blimp so that it is not damaged when it is moored to the mooring mast . They also give the nose an aerodynamic shape, and prevent it from pushing in as the blimp travels forward. In addition to the battens, the mooring hooks are located in the nose of the blimp.

Ballonets are air-filled bags that are located inside the envelope. The blimp has two ballonets, one fore and one aft. The ballonets are similar to the ballast tanks of a submarine . Because air is heavier than helium, the ballonets are deflated or inflated with air to make the blimp ascend or descend, respectively. They are also used to control the trim , or levelness, of the blimp.

Catenary Curtain and Suspension Cables

The two catenary curtains are located inside the envelope along the length of the blimp. They are made of fabric and sewn into the envelope, and suspension cables attach them to the gondola. The curtains help to support and shape the envelope and attach the gondola.

Flight Control Surfaces

The flight control surfaces are stiff, movable parts of the blimp that are mounted to the tail. They consist of the rudder and elevators. The rudder is used to steer the blimp to the starboard or port directions (yaw axis). The elevators are used to control the angle of ascent or descent (pitch axis) of the blimp. The flight control surfaces are operated by the pilot as he/she flies the blimp, and can be arranged in a "+" or "x" configuration.

The two engines on the blimp provide the thrust necessary to move ahead. The engines are turbo-propeller airplane engines that use gasoline fuel and are cooled by air. The engines can generate several hundred horsepower , depending upon the particular blimp. They are located on either side of the gondola. With the engines, blimps can cruise around 30 to 70 mph (48 to 113 kph).

The air scoops direct exhaust air from the propellers into the ballonets. This is how the pilots can fill the ballonets with air while in flight. When the engines are not running, electric fans move air into the ballonets.

The pilots must be able to vent air from the ballonets as well as add it. This is accomplished by air valves that are located on each ballonet. There are four valves -- two fore, two aft.

Helium Valve

The pressure of the helium in the envelope is adjusted by changing the amount of air in the ballonets. Normally, blimp pilots do not have to add or remove helium from the envelope. However, there is a helium valve on the envelope that can be used to vent helium should the helium pressure exceed its maximum safe limit. The valve can be opened manually or automatically.

The gondola holds the passengers and crew. It is enclosed, and holds two pilots and up to 12 crew, depending upon the type of blimp (Goodyear's Eagle and Stars & Stripes each hold two pilots and six passengers). Some gondolas have specialized equipment, such as a camera, attached to them.

The control panels used by the pilots include the following:

• Propeller controls - monitor and regulate speed (throttle), blade angle (blade pitch) and direction of the engine (forward, reverse)
• Fuel mixture/heat - monitor and regulate the fuel-to-air ratio of the engine and the temperature of the mix to prevent icing at higher altitudes
• Envelope pressure controls - monitor and regulate the helium pressure in the envelope and the air pressure in the ballonets by opening and closing the air scoops and valves
• Communications - maintain radio contact with ground-support team and air traffic controllers
• Flight surface controls - control the rudder (left/right movement) and the elevators (up/down movement)
• Navigation equipment - compasses , airspeed indicators, radio beacon equipment, GPS , etc. (Some blimps also have weather radar , and are instrument-rated for night-flying.)

Blimp pilots are FAA-certified for lighter-than-air ( LTA ) craft. Goodyear's pilots undergo a comprehensive training program prior to FAA certification. In addition to piloting, Goodyear's pilots also serve as ground-support crew, including electronics technicians, mechanics, riggers and administrative personnel. A ground crew follows the blimp wherever it goes, bringing several support vehicles, including a bus that serves as the administrative office, a tractor-trailer that serves as an electrical/mechanical shop, and a van that is the command car/utility vehicle.

Night Signs

Some blimps (like Goodyear) are equipped with electric lights for nighttime advertising. In the Goodyear blimp, the night signs consist of a matrix of red, green and blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The intensities of the LEDs can be adjusted to create various colors. The messages are programmed in with a small laptop computer that is carried aboard.

Now that we have seen all of the parts of a blimp, let's look at how it flies!

Please copy/paste the following text to properly cite this HowStuffWorks.com article:

• Current Blimps
• Airship Bases
• Art of Flight
• Blimp Science
• Blimp S.T.E.M.
• Blimp History
• The Goodyear Store
• Find the Blimp
• Awards & Recognition
• Passenger Info

Check back soon for more upcoming events!

Request a Blimp Flyover