The date the world-renowned Goodyear Blimp will return to its home in Germany via Kent’s skies has been revealed.
The iconic airship will fly above the county for the final time in this year’s summer tour across the UK on either Monday or Tuesday, depending on the weather and wind conditions.
It has been flying over Kent over the past week. Picture: Jürgen Schelling
It will then return to its base in Essen-Mülheim, near Cologne, in Germany, via Calais in France.
The blimp first arrived on Wednesday (July 1) after it had taken off from Calais and was seen flying over Dover and Canterbury.
Aviation editor and private pilot Jürgen Schelling has since shared some images from the Goodyear Blimp, showing the arrival at Dover from the cockpit, the view of Canterbury Cathedral from the cabin and a flight over the county.
He told KentOnline the aircraft, which is one of six being flown worldwide, is being captained by three pilots, Fritz Günther, Marko Hollerer and Kate Board, who is one of two female Zeppelin pilots.
The blimp continues to cause a stir whenever it appears, with delighted watchers taking to social media to document its travels.
A view from the cockpit as the airship arrived in Dover. Picture: Jürgen SchellingA view from the cabin as it flew over Canterbury. Picture: Jürgen Schelling
Since arriving last week, it has been spotted four times flying over Kent, with eagle-eyed residents capturing it above Dartford and Gravesend again this morning (July 8).
The blimp is spending several days flying over England on behalf of the US tyre company, sponsoring motorsport events, and it is expected to visit the Goodwood Festival of Speed this weekend in West Sussex.
It is a regular feature at motorsport events, as well as other big sports and entertainment events, like the FA Cup Finals at Wembley and Live Aid.
When not taking to the skies, the airship has been stationed at the Damyns Hall Aerodrome in Upminster, near the border with Essex.
It had been more than 10 years since the Goodyear Blimp came to the UK before arriving in 2021 and 2022, but it had not been seen since then until last week.
The blimp in Gravesend over the weekend. Picture: Jason Arthur
Recognised all over the world, the airship is normally based in Essen-Mülheim during the summer months, where it runs scenic passenger flights.
Otherwise, it is home on Lake Constance, a European lake that borders Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
The airship usually flies at around 1,000 to 1,500 feet in the air and travels at a top speed of 73 miles per hour.