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Akron's LTA History
Akron was the birthplace for nearly all of the U.S. Navy's airships from WWI until 1960. Two of the U.S. Navy's giant rigid airships, the U.S.S. Akron and U.S.S. Macon, were built in the Akron Airdock. The Navy's last non-rigid airships, the 1.5-million cu. ft. ZPG-3Ws, were also erected in this landmark hangar -- the largest of its kind in the world.
The current "home base" for Goodyear airship operations at nearby Wingfoot Lake is considered the "Kitty Hawk of Lighter-Than-Air." The historic hangar and field have served continuously as a military and civilian airship base since 1916.
Many of the WWII L-ships and K-ships were erected and made their first flights at Wingfoot Lake. Nearly all of the Goodyear public relations airships have been assembled, tested or overhauled here. The Goodyear blimp Spirit of Akron, the largest and most technologically-advanced blimp flying, is now based at Wingfoot Lake.
Both the Akron Airdock and Wingfoot Lake facility may be viewed, and special tours are being planned to visit these and other LTA points of interest.
Akron is home to several archival collections pertaining to LTA flight. The University of Akron Archives house The Lighter-Than-Air Society Collection of documents and photographs, plus the corporate archives of the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company. These archival collections can be made accessible to researchers.
One of the largest reference collections of books on lighter-than-air is available for inspection at the Akron-Summit County Library downtown -- only two blocks from the University of Akron Archives and 8 miles from the headquarters hotel.