America’s 250th birthday is landing on a good year.
The iconic Goodyear Blimp sailed through the skies of the Big Apple like the fleet of warships, tall ships and ferries below that are slowly filing into the harbor ahead of the USA’s blockbuster July Fourth party.
The Post on Thursday sat aboard the iconic blue and yellow ship — one of just four in the world — for a sneak preview of what the 246-foot-long helium airship will witness as the largest flotilla parades through the New York Harbor and airshow flies above the Statue of Liberty.
“It’s super cool for us to have this opportunity with the National Park Service … Everybody wants to see New York!” said Dan Smith, the manager of airship value and logistics.
The incredible ship soared into the skies from Floyd Bennett Field and slowly charted its course along the Brooklyn coastline, maintaining a speed of 15 mph as it cruised past hundreds of New Yorkers cooling off from the gruelling heatwave in the ocean.
The blimp itself moves more like one of the ferries and warships sailing on the water, with the currents of the wind softly swaying the airship.
“This is the most advanced airship in the world. But it’s still a helium balloon. It does not want to stay on the ground,” explained Smith.
After reaching SeaGate, the blimp curved into the New York Harbor and over the Verrazano Bridge — where nearly 90 US and international military ships will sail on Saturday as part of the historic Parade of Sails.
The blimp sailed right over the anchored USS Kearsarge, a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship that will act as a “reviewing platform” for Vice President JD Vance on Saturday.
It also breezed past two Spanish Naval ships docked at the Stapleton Pier in Staten Island: the anti-submarine guided-missile frigate ESPS Reina Sofia and the Castilla, a Galicia-class landing platform dock.
Goodyear’s blimp on Saturday will soar above the harbor for the International Naval Review and the start of the flotilla, but will retreat to its slice of sky above Governor’s Island to make room for the International Aerial Review.
From 2,000 feet in the air, the blimp will offer a bird’s-eye view of both the Blue Angel-led airshow and the parade of sails — which will be livestreamed from the airship as part of NBC’s coverage.
“We’re going to be grabbing that shot for people to see of planes, the Statue of Liberty, tall ships — all of that stuff in one shot,” said Smith, noting that the blimp had done the same for the US’s 150th and 200th milestones.
That’s the vantage point that we can get from 2,000 feet that, say, a drone at 400 feet is never going to be able to get you. We’re going to be able to really put that into perspective.”
The Goodyear blimp is living at Floyd Bennett Field for the blockbuster weekend, marking the first time the rubber company’s fleet has touched down on Big Apple land since the country’s bicentennial in 1976.
While its blimps have crossed into Big Apple airspace several times over the past 50 years, they’ve had to base their operations in nearby airfields like Teterboro in New Jersey or the Republic on Long Island, where permits are easier to secure than in New York City’s busy airspace.
The blimps are rated to fly at 70 knots — or 73 mph — but typically move closer to 30 mph to allow as many eyes to feast on the rare sight of the roving billboard.
They also typically fly between 1,000 and 1,500 feet — which is lower than where it will be flying on Saturday to capture the once-in-a-lifetime event.
The Goodyear blimp flying across the five boroughs this weekend is typically stationed in Ohio, with the other three home to California, Florida and Germany.
But all four are constantly flying — and each comes with a dedicated ground crew of 20 people and seven vehicles that keep the traditions of the blimp alive and moving.
Those trucks include a mobile mechanic shop, a helium tanker and a rig to keep the airship from floating away.
The extensive ground crew also means that someone is always watching the blimp and maintaining its optimum levels.
Although the weather and altitude play a factor, the blimp can fly as much as 300 miles as the crow flies without needing to touch down on land.
