Iconic Goodyear blimp returns to London for first time in years

The Goodyear Blimp is gracing UK skies for the first time in four years after leaving France this morning and crossing the Channel.

The semi-rigid Zeppelin NT airship measures over 75 metres in length and almost 18 metres in height.

Office workers were in for a surprise when they looked out their windows today in London and saw the massive aircraft whizz by.

The slow-moving blimp, which only reaches max speeds of 73mph, was last seen in the UK back in 2022 over London.

It hasn’t been seen since – until today, when it was spotted over Kent, and a few hours later, over Central London.

It’s become a common sight at sports events around the world, but is particularly well known in the United States.

The aircraft appears to be circling back from London already.

Some Londoners were surprised to see the blimp, with one joking that it was like the Blitz all over again.

In World War I, German Zeppelins bombed central London and were known as ‘silent’ raids because of how quiet the blimps were.

668 Londoners were killed, and millions of pounds of damage were caused to homes and businesses.

Compared to the Blitz in World War Two, however, the Zeppelins in London didn’t cause nearly as much damage.

Fun facts about the Goodyear Blimp

Without its lifting gas, the Goodyear Blimp weighs over 9,072 kg. Once inflated with helium and after accounting for fuel, payload and ballast, it weighs in at around 45-90 kg.

Goodyear Blimps have adorned the skies since 1925, and were essential to the coastal defence plans of the U.S. Navy during World Wars I & II.

Before they were aerial brand ambassadors, airships were used as observation platforms for patrolling the waters and escorting ships at sea.

The Goodyear Blimp typically flies between 1,000 and 1,500 ft, and the envelope of the blimp is an astounding 297,527 cubic feet.

When the Goodyear Blimp was taken out for a spin above London back in 2011, Metro.co.uk was aboard for an aerial view.

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