Goodyear Blimp sails above NYC like fleet of ships filling water below ahead of 4th of July party
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, bu...