Goodyear Blimp Blog

The Colbert Report and Aerial Views

Good Afternoon!  It’s Sara, the Goodyear Blimp Lady, checking in.

The other day, we did aerial coverage for The Colbert Report which is shooting from Vancouver.  Here’s a shot of Stephen interviewing USA Gold Medalist Seth Wescott.

 

 

Our airplane also got an aerial view of the crowd; I heard there were more than 3,000 people in attendance!

 

Hopefully, over the last week and a half you’ve had the chance to see some of our aerial shots throughout NBC’s broadcast.  I wanted to share a few still photos taken from our airplane over Cypress Mountain.  It’s just amazing how different the perspective is from the air.

In this photo you can see our HD camera looking down over the mountain. 

And finally, here’s a photo of Vancouver at dusk.

Vancouver is a beautiful city from the ground, and the air.  Talk to you soon!

 

Winter Olympics Blog: Whistler

I took a trip up to the mountains of Whistler on Wednesday where Goodyear has a receive site.  Whistler is two hours outside the city, but there’s gorgeous, not-to-miss scenery along the way.

 

While communicating via radio with our helicopter which was providing aerial coverage, I had the chance to watch some Women’s Downhill and see American Lindsay Vonn win the gold.  Following that event, I headed over to Whistler Sliding Center to check out the Doubles Luge.  What an exciting sporting event!  It was amazing how close you could get to the track…here I am standing right next to it! 

 

 

I was able to take this great photo of Andreas and Wolfgang Linger who won the gold for Austria.

 

 

The weather this week has been beautiful and we’ve been capturing breathtaking views of the Olympic venues.  Which event has been your favorite so far?

 

Winter Olympics Blog: Olympic Cauldron and Games

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bienvenue!  It’s me, Sara.  On Saturday, I got an up-close look at the Olympic Cauldron at BC Place on the Waterfront, and I must say it’s quite a site to see!  My coworker Nancy and I took a few photos…we even got to stand underneath it!

 

 

 

 

Yesterday, I took a trip up to Cypress Mountain, one of the Olympic venues which is featuring snowboarding and freestyle skiing.  I visited our receive site which is set-up to receive the video our fixed-wing plane feeds down – and you see on NBC.  The shots of the course from the sky were unbelievable!  Did you see them?  I watched the Men’s Snowboard Cross Finals from the bottom of the course near the finish line and got to see American Seth Wescott win the GOLD.  We caught some great angles with our aerial view. 

 

Photo caption:  USA Gold Medalist for Men's Snowboard Cross Finals Seth Wescott

Prior to Vancouver, did you know Goodyear provided aerial coverage for eight other Olympic games?  The first one was in Los Angeles in 1932.  It’s exciting to be a part of something so great that reaches so many people across the globe.

One week down, two more to go!  Talk to you soon.

 

 

Winter Olympics Blog: Olympic Torch and Opening Ceremony

Good Morning!  It's me, Sara the Goodyear Blimp Lady again!  A few more days spent in the stunning city of Vancouver with some of the friendliest people I’ve ever met.  The people of Canada are welcoming and gracious, and so proud to have the Olympics in their home.  One of the greatest things about the Olympic Games is they bring people from all over the world together, and it’s a beautiful sight to see.

 

Wow, what a whirlwind the last few days have been; but what an exciting experience.  While heading to work on Friday, we witnessed the Olympic Torch Relay, and even had the chance to take a photo with the torch in downtown. (I'm the one in the red!) 

 

We also had the chance to visit Granville Island and enjoyed fresh seafood and delectable pastries from the public market, and even had the chance to stop inside the official merchandise superstore.  These red mittens are the hottest item at the games this year – with the Olympic rings on one side and the Canadian maple leaf on the other!  All of those selected to carry the Olympic flame have been wearing them and spectators are buying them like they’re going out of style…and believe me, they’re not!  So, of course, I have a pair as well.

 

   

Last night we had the chance to watch the Opening Ceremony on TV…like everyone else.  During the introduction, you were able to see some of the breathtaking shots Goodyear captured of the countryside; and throughout the Opening Ceremony, NBC featured some amazing aerials of downtown taken by the Goodyear team.  Hope you enjoy our view of the Games and I’ll talk to you soon!

Winter Olympics Blog: Arrival and Set-up

We have arrived in Vancouver, BC.  Hi!  I’m Sara, the Goodyear Blimp Lady, and myself and a few others are on the pavement (and sometimes snow) in Vancouver for the XXI Olympic Games! Goodyear is the official provider of NBC's aerial coverage of the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games.  While the unpredictable weather doesn’t allow for a blimp, we’re providing aerials with a fixed-wing in the city and helicopters in the mountains of Whistler.  While you’re watching the games from the comfort of your home for the next 17 days, keep your eyes open for the iconic Goodyear blimp graphic – which may be participating in a few sporting events J.

You could feel the excitement and energy in the air upon our arrival at Vancouver International Airport.  The airport was buzzing with folks from all over the world…Russia, Denmark, France.  On Tuesday, we began setting up our equipment and had the chance to see the city for the first time.  What a beautiful place!  While setting up our receive equipment on a tall building in downtown Vancouver, we were able to take in 360-degree panoramic views of the city…from North Vancouver to Cypress Mountain up to Richmond; including a glimpse of the Olympic rings in the bay.

  

Here’s a photo of a few members of the Goodyear team setting up, with North Vancouver in the background.

 

I hope you will continue to follow me on my travels through Vancouver, BC.  Talk to you soon!

 
 
 

Coke Zero 400 in Daytona, and The Ponytail Express by Corky Belanger

Well, here I am again writing in as a guest in Marty’s blog.  On July 3, I had the pleasure of getting to take the flight of a lifetime.  Then again, flying the Goodyear blimp is always a flight of a lifetime.

We flew to Daytona on our annual trip to cover the Coke Zero 400 race on the 4^th of July. This year was quite different though as I found out I would be flying the great Kyle Petty.  Mr. Petty is now working as a NASCAR analyst on TNT and also hosting a show with SPEED TV’s Rutledge Wood called The Ponytail Express.  We took Kyle and Rutledge up for a flight for the show.

I have flown my share of famous people throughout my career, but I was excited to fly someone with whom I had a close connection. As you know, Kyle Petty is a third generation racer and I’m a 2^nd generation blimp pilot. Being born into something has many advantages and disadvantages as we both agreed upon.

Kyle said he got into racing because he was “Too lazy to do anything else.” I stood there in a daze wondering if that was the reason I got into blimps? He slapped me on the shoulder and we both laughed!

Kyle was excited about the flight, after getting his own pilot’s license this past October. He said his wife won’t let him fly without an instructor, so don’t tell her he made the takeoff and landing.  All kidding aside, we took off from the airport and headed to our destination, Daytona International Speedway. On the way down the beach to the track, Kyle pointed out how and where the original race was run and how his grandfather used to talk about the good old days, racing in the sand.  He said the cars would slide in the water as the high tide came in.

For those of you who don’t know, Kyle’s grandfather, Lee Petty, started racing in the early 50’s and raced for 16 years. As we continued our flight, we talked about racing, flying and how great our jobs really are. Once we arrived at the track, his recollection of all the events he and his father raced at Daytona came back to him quickly.  His father, Richard Petty, better known as the “King,” is one of the greatest race car drivers in the world; his career stats alone would cover this blog.

Kyle started racing in the late 70’s and raced over 800 races in his 30-year career. Between the three of them, Lee, Richard and Kyle, we are talking over 80 years of experience. If that’s not racing royalty what is? As we headed back for the airport, we passed over his hotel and a few other landmarks that he pointed out.

When it came time to land he was amazed at how much of a negative pitch we carried on approach. I think he was holding his seat; but I would be holding more than a seat if I was in a racecar! The flight was very memorable, but what a wonderful person Mr. Petty is I will never forget. I guess I’ll be waiting by the phone for a ride from him in the future!

You can view a video of his flight at http://www.nascar.com/video/cup/2009/07/04/cup.day2.pony.express.nascar/index.html?MostPopular

Also, check out Kyle’s charity camp, Victory Junction, at http://www.victoryjunction.org/. 

 

LIVE on Miami Beach

This week we provided aerial coverage for the popular morning show LIVE with Regis and Kelly.  They were shooting the show here in Miami Beach at the amazing Fontainebleau Resort.  There were two very nice things about this assignment.  First, the resort is on the Atlantic Ocean and flying along the beach is both scenic and smooth making the flights very enjoyable.  Second, the show is live and only lasts for an hour, much shorter than many of the events that we cover.  

 

All went very well over the week and for Thursday’s show I had the pleasure of flying with Art Moore, vice president of programming and executive in charge of production for the show.  He was a very nice fellow and enjoyed the experience of viewing his show from 1000 feet above.  Art communicated live from the airship with Regis and Kelly on the set below.  We planned and tested our equipment to allow him to be on the air from the blimp during the open of the show.  About two minutes before airtime, one piece of our equipment failed and we lost the picture.  James Wilson, my chief radio and TV technician, saved the day by fixing the problem with literally seconds to spare.

We had great look-ups at the blimp during the show all week, and the LIVE team was as excited to have us there as we were to be there.  Our team on the ground even got to meet American Idol finalist Matt Giraud.

 All in all, a very productive and fun week.  Always nice to do something different…

Latin Billboard Awards with Guest Writer: Pilot Corky Belanger

As the first guest on Marty’s Goodyear blimp blog, I must say I’m excited. This is my first time writing a blog…ever.

On April 23, I had the pleasure of flying the 20^th Annual Latin Billboard Awards at the BankUnited Center at the University of Miami.  I was told I would have a guest fly along with me for live coverage inside the blimp.  It turned out that Natalia Villaveces, a host and producer for Telemundo Nitido, had the honor of going for her first blimp ride. We launched from our base here in Pompano Beach, Florida, and headed south.  Natalia, not knowing what to expect from her first flight on the blimp, was a bit nervous.  She enjoyed the beautiful scenic flight down the shoreline and took many pictures so she could post them on her blog and write about her experience.

When we arrived at the show, the red carpet was packed with media, celebrities, and fans trying to get a glimpse of their favorite Latin stars.  As Natalia helped me with the stars’ names and their backgrounds, she hurried to get ready for her live TV hit.  Suddenly, I realized I was a bit nervous as the language coming over the radio from Telemundo’s production team was Spanish!  Natalia translated for me, and I knew if I just kept the airship circling the red carpet, she would take care of the rest.

After a very successful show, we watched the fireworks above the red carpet and headed back to home base. I think Natalia enjoyed the flight just as much as I did and we hope to have her back next year. Now I’m on my way to buy the Spanish edition of Rosetta Stone and hope to be able to communicate back for next year’s show!

Teaching a Marlin to Fly

 The plan for today was to tape a segment for Billy’s Bunch.  For those not familiar with Billy’s Bunch, this is a very popular children’s program that features “Billy the Marlin,” the mascot for the Florida Marlins.

The concept for the show was that Billy wanted to become an airship pilot; I would teach him and then give him a check ride.  Now, I have trained several actual pilots in airship flight, but a Major League Baseball mascot in full costume was a first.  

Since Billy cannot “speak” and only communicates with animated gestures and whistles, the flight became very interesting. 

We launched and flew out over the ocean and I let Billy take the wheel for a bit.  I communicated with mainly hand gestures, since Billy couldn’t wear a headset.  He couldn’t hear me, but he did well.  The producer in the backseat got a little nervous when I had Billy dive the airship toward the ocean, but all in good fun.

At the end of the day, we determined that Billy had potential but needed more practice and had to continue to study and keep his grades up to become a Goodyear Blimp Pilot!

Organ Donor Awareness

We flew some very special guests today to help bring attention to the national need for organ donation.  I had the pleasure of flying a teenager and a little girl who are both currently awaiting donors.  They were very pleasant and seemed to enjoy the flight over the blue waters of the Atlantic.  The younger girl even started to fall asleep towards the end of the flight as we were very lucky to have smooth flying conditions.

Brian Comer, my fellow pilot, flew with touring PGA Pro Erik Compton!  Erik is a spokesperson for the Transplant Foundation and a direct benefactor after undergoing two heart transplants.  To say Brian is an avid golfer doesn’t even describe his interest in the game.  We have flown over so many professional golf tournaments, but this was the first time we have flown an active pro. 

We’re running messages on the Spirit of Innovation’s day sign throughout the month of April to help raise awareness for “Donate Life” month.