"It's taken me a plethora of back-and-forth e-mails to set up this test, but at 8:30 a.m. on an overcast Sunday at Long Island's Republic airport in September, 2008, I pile into the blimp behind Jerry. I'm excited but nervous - understandably so since I watched YouTube footage of the Hindenburg going down in flames over New Jersey in 1937 the night before. I mention this to Jerry. He begs to differ."
""We're considerably different from the Hindenburg," he says. "We're helium, not hydrogen. Also, the blimp is made of non-flammable material." Good enough. "The Spirit of Goodyear" seats seven in a gondola that measures 23 feet long. We wear headphones and mics to communicate with each other, and to listen to air traffic control. A ground crew of eight hang onto the mooring lines, preparing us for liftoff."
A passenger flies the Goodyear blimp 600 feet over the Atlantic near Coney Island under senior pilot Jerry Hissler's guidance. The blimp uses helium and non-flammable materials rather than hydrogen, reducing fire risk. The Spirit of Goodyear seats seven in a 23-foot gondola equipped with headphones and microphones for crew communication and air traffic control. A ground crew of eight manages mooring lines for takeoff. The flight is gentle and balloonlike, powered by two 210-horsepower piston engines that reach about 30 mph. The ride lasts around four hours with a tiny emergency lavatory aboard.
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