Nathan Brooks has become Goodyear’s newest blimp pilot following a successful “check flight” at the company’s Airship Operations facility in Carson, Calif.
Brooks, 29, will be at the yoke alongside Pilot-in-Charge Jon Conrad, Assistant Pilot-in-Charge Matthew St. John and Senior Pilot Kristen Davis in the cockpit of the California-based “Spirit of America” airship.
Brooks grew up in Framingham, Mass. While still in high school, he joined the National Guard. Following graduation, he attended Framingham State College, graduating Magna Cum Laude in 2003 with a bachelor of arts degree in geography with a concentration in environmental studies.
According to Goodyear, there are fewer blimp pilots than there are astronauts, thus Brooks joins an elite group. The company now has twelve blimp pilots and three airships; the “Spirit of America” in Carson; the “Spirit of Goodyear” in Akron, Ohio; and the “Spirit of Innovation” in Pompano Beach, Fla.
The blimps are used to promote Goodyear by supporting its customers, assisting charities and providing aerial views of major television events.
The tire maker’s blimp tradition began in 1925 when it built its first airship, the “Pilgrim.”
For more information, visit www.goodyearblimp.com and www.goodyeartires.com.
