Members of the Columbia flight crew use a little pull to maneuver the big balloon during the summer of 1963. The aerial advertising board for Goodyear Tire and Rubber was visiting Albany County Airport.
Some people always became excited when Goodyear’s most famous representative was in town.
“It’s the blimp!” kids would say, as the giant balloon floated over backyards and side streets. Mothers and fathers would run for movie cameras, hoping to secure scenes of the dynamic dirigible.
In 1963, Goodyear’s Columbia made appearances over the Capital Region. The silver airship touched down at Albany County Airport in Colonie on Wednesday, Aug. 21. It was one of the first visits anywhere for Columbia, which had been christened just three days earlier.