Santa traded his sleigh for a Goodyear blimp in 1925.
The first Goodyear Blimp — “Pilgrim”– as the Santa Claus Express (photo: Goodyear)
Santa Claus delivered his toys that year aboard Pilgrim, Goodyear’s first advertising blimp, which also served as Goodyear’s first Santa Claus Express.
Santa Claus in the Goodyear Blimp “Pilgrim” (photo: Goodyear)
Santa Claus with the first Goodyear Blimp, Pilgrim. Pilot Carl Wollam holds the gondola door for Santa, portrayed by fellow Goodyear pilot Jack Yolton. (Photo NASM 7A45388h)
Goodyear’s Christmas generosity continues to this day, supporting the U. S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots program.
Last year Santa received his latest upgrade, to Goodyear’s newest airship: a Zeppelin NT named Wingfoot One.
Santa Claus in Goodyear’s newest airship, the Zeppelin NT “Wingfoot One” (photo: Goodyear)
Santa Claus in Goodyear’s newest airship, the Zeppelin NT “Wingfoot One” (photo: Goodyear)
Why would Santa use a blimp instead of a sleigh? I thought about it for a while and came up with several practical reasons for a blimp.
1. The cost of feed and hay for the reindeer. High quality feed is expensive and good hay like a timothy and clover mix can be hard to come by from time to time. Other hays are ok, but timothy with clover that is by far the best.
2. Daily stall mucking.
3. Breaking up ice in water buckets and troughs on a daily basis due to North Pole location.
4. Having to make sure the Coggins is current on all 8 reindeer (9 if Rudolf is used) before departing on Christmas Eve.
5. Daily exercising of the beasts to keep them fit enough for that annual trip around the world and just as important, settled down so they don’t buck up a storm when hitched to the sleigh.
6. Regular conditioning of the harness leather.
7. Doctoring the kicks, bites and scrapes along with the occasional outrageous vet bill when the reindeer games get too rambunctious.
8. Here’s probable the biggest reason: Most people appreciate not having reindeer emissions on their roofs. 🙂