Goodyear has let the helium out of its fabled fleet of blimps with the decommissioning of the Spirit of Innovation, the last of the company’s GZ-20 model blimps.

The GZ-20 model was introduced to Goodyear’s fleet in 1969. The model type was the flagship design of the Goodyear Airship Operations program for almost 50 years — more than half the life of the publicity blimp’s 92-year program.

Throughout its career, Spirit of Innovation flew over hundreds of prominent sports and entertainment events across the U.S., including the NBA Finals, the Billboard Latin Music Awards, the Academy Awards, the Zurich Classic and the Super Bowl.

Although Goodyear is saying goodbye to the GZ-20, the company’s flight program will continue with an entirely new airship design featuring quieter engines, faster speeds and state of the art avionics.

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