The End of the Blimp on Tour

[iacas]

No, this story is not about Tim Herron. He stopped playing on the PGA Tour awhile ago…

This story is about the end of the blimp coverage on the PGA Tour. You see… MetLife and Goodyear are backing way off on providing blimps to cover golf.

MetLife changed their marketing director and he's getting out of the blimp business.

Goodyear has no ties to golf and just wants to sell tires, so they're backing out except to cover the LA Open because it's near where the blimp is stationed.

The use of drones may take over, but drones are limited to 400 feet and cannot fly over people. Both of those provisions can be worked around with the proper permitting and whatnot, but will the noise of drones be tolerated?

Fixed-wing planes will be used, but again, the noise in the background of a plane is a negative, and the same types of shots are NOT possible from a fixed-wing plane as is possible from a blimp.

[David in FL]

Huh.  

Is it fair to assume that the blimps will still be covering other sporting events?  Football is probably the biggest.  Maybe some NASCAR...?  I'd have thought they'd want t keep those things busy throughout the year, rather than limiting their coverage.  One of the Goodyear blimps is stationed down here in FL.   I'm surprised that they still wouldn't at least cover the FL swing.

Too bad.

[iacas]

9 minutes ago, David in FL said:

Is it fair to assume that the blimps will still be covering other sporting events?  Football is probably the biggest.  Maybe some NASCAR...?  I'd have thought they'd want t keep those things busy throughout the year, rather than limiting their coverage.  One of the Goodyear blimps is stationed down here in FL.   I'm surprised that they still wouldn't at least cover the FL swing.

Yes. They'll still be showing us the rooftops of closed buildings while football (not so much for eight months or so), hockey, and basketball games are taking place inside.

[CarlSpackler]

19 minutes ago, David in FL said:

Huh.  

Is it fair to assume that the blimps will still be covering other sporting events?  Football is probably the biggest.  Maybe some NASCAR...?  I'd have thought they'd want t keep those things busy throughout the year, rather than limiting their coverage.  One of the Goodyear blimps is stationed down here in FL.   I'm surprised that they still wouldn't at least cover the FL swing.

Too bad.

I've seen the DirectTV blimp flying around town quite a few times. The Goodyear blimp was out last weekend for the Probowl. 

[Piz]

The Blimp-shot was cool, back in the day, when space-age plastic deflected bullets and premium floor wax acted as a shield against black heel marks.  Since toothpaste, however, such has not been the case.  In these modern times; one cannot escape the notion that the blimp is the last place we would want to sit.

[iacas]

52 minutes ago, Piz said:

The Blimp-shot was cool, back in the day, when space-age plastic deflected bullets and premium floor wax acted as a shield against black heel marks.  Since toothpaste, however, such has not been the case.  In these modern times; one cannot escape the notion that the blimp is the last place we would want to sit.

Huh?

I disagree. I think the blimp shot still has a very valid place in covering golf. It provides a sense of place, of purpose, and those overhead video of dramatic shots are great.

[Piz]

5 minutes ago, iacas said:

Huh?

I disagree. I think the blimp shot still has a very valid place in covering golf. It provides a sense of place, of purpose, and those overhead video of dramatic shots are great.

Reckon that's why God made both of us.

[jamo]

I'm gonna miss Snoopy One. I like the overhead shots. 

[Buckeyebowman]

30 minutes ago, iacas said:

Huh?

I disagree. I think the blimp shot still has a very valid place in covering golf. It provides a sense of place, of purpose, and those overhead video of dramatic shots are great.

I agree. I still remember the blimp shot of Corey Pavin's 5 wood at Shinnecock that won him the U.S. Open!

I think Piz has a little bit of Hindenburg syndrome! Blimps are filled with helium these days, not hydrogen! I think a ride in one would be a delight!

Although, whether on TV or live at a tournament, you can hear the blimp engines cycling up and down.

[wannabe]

This is sad news to read.  The MetLife has flown over my house on the way to nearby tourneys.  It's on my bucket list to ride in one.

[Golfingdad]

Then in its place they need to figure out a way to use that camera the NFL uses that is on guy wires hovering over the field right behind the offense.

Or something like they use in the Olympics for track and field where the camera races along side the runners.  Have it travel with the ball as it soars down the fairway. :P

[Club Rat]

39 minutes ago, Golfingdad said:

Then in its place they need to figure out a way to use that camera the NFL uses that is on guy wires hovering over the field right behind the offense.

Skycams - They certainly could be erected and possibly used in several venues to provide unique angles and views.
Not really sure how feasible or costly having them in every event or having them on every hole or having Golf Channel and CBS foot the bill. Maybe a big name Sponsor may have an interest.

 

[mvmac]

That sucks! RIP Snoopy blimp 

[boogielicious]

7 hours ago, jamo said:

I'm gonna miss Snoopy One. I like the overhead shots. 

I liked Snoopy Two better!

[David in FL]

The more I think about this, the more bummed I am!

[nevets88]

That's a bummer, bring back the blimp! IIRC though, they weren't totally quiet, when the propellers are spun up, they can be noisy, but if they're just floating there, which is most of the time, quiet as a stone in the desert in the dead of night, just bringing this up because I have memories (albeit fuzzy) of the damn things waking me up or something of the sort.

[k-troop]

The networks don't need the blimp, except for the fact that they'd have to pay for alternative options, whereas the blimp paid them.

http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2013/07/01/military-turns-to-blimp-in-box-for-surveillance.html

Quote

World Surveillance Group Inc., based in the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, was awarded a $605,000 contract for a “Blimp in a Box” from the Department of Defense. Glen Estrella, CEO of World Surveillance Group, told Discovery News that company has delivered two blimps to an Army base, and in the next few months the military will decide whether it wants more.

The blimp can be inflated and launched in 15 minutes. Estrella said it is tough enough to be dropped from a plane into the field and the box will fit a standard-issue military trailer. It’s maximum altitude is about 2,000 feet, providing line of sight communications up to 30 miles away using whatever equipment the user wants to put on it, be it infrared cameras or communications gear.

This would work too.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JLENS

I'm sure there are dozens of options aside from the ancient, giant blimps or using drones.

[dkolo]

Just the opening zeppelins needed to grab market share in pro sports!