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!