New Zeppelins gain US approval as parts for second Goodyear airship arrive

The Federal Aviation Administration in the United States has given its blessing to the Zeppelin series selected by Goodyear to replace its blimp fleet. The FAA approval of the LZ N07-101 series follows certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency in Europe in August. The LZ N07-101 replaces the LZ N07-100 series, and in 2011 Goodyear ordered the first three airships from the new series. Goodyear Zeppelin number one. The first of these has been named Wingfoot One and undertook its maiden flight on 17 March. Parts for the second Goodyear Zeppelin have already started arriving at Goodyear’s airship hangar in Wingfoot Lake, and assembly is scheduled to commence in January 2015. It will take to the air at the start of the 2016 season.

“We are pleased we could convince US approval body the FAA of the Zeppelin NT’s capabilities, particularly the new avionics, during a week-long flight campaign,” stated Robert Gritzbach, chief technical officer at ZLT. “The demonstrations from and cooperation of the ZLT engineering teams were met with high recognition.”