CARSON, Calif., Dec. 13, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- A new landmark appeared on the Southern California horizon overnight.

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company (NASDAQ: GT) inflated a 337-foot-long hangar at its Carson blimp base along the I-405 freeway during the overnight hours. The new structure will serve as the home of Goodyear's newest blimp Wingfoot Two, which began operating in Los Angeles in October.

Stretching about as long as a football field, the nine-story hangar is the largest inflatable structure of its kind in North America and will protect the company's new state-of-the-art blimp from the environmental elements.

"The Goodyear Blimp has been a fixture in the skies over Los Angeles for a half century and the new hangar gives us a highly visible presence on the ground along one of the busiest highways in the country," said Paul Fitzhenry, Goodyear's senior vice president and chief communications officer.

The new hangar was manufactured for Goodyear by Lindstrand Technologies Ltd., a world leader in designing and building inflatable structures for uses including passenger airline hangars, airline terminal roofs and on military bases. Lindstrand, based in the United Kingdom, has constructed more than 200 high-tech inflatable structures but is perhaps best known as a lighter-than-air manufacturer of aerostats, airships, gas balloons and tethered balloons.

Goodyear has flown its iconic blimps for more than 90 years and has operated its base in Carson since 1968. A celebration of the 50^th anniversary of the Carson base is planned in 2018.

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About Goodyear

Goodyear is one of the world's largest tire companies. It employs about 65,000 people and manufactures its products in 48 facilities in 22 countries around the world. Its two Innovation Centers in Akron, Ohio and Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg strive to develop state-of-the-art products and services that set the technology and performance standard for the industry. For more information about Goodyear and its products, go to www.goodyear.com/corporate.

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SOURCE The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company