This is old news, perhaps, but an interesting picture nevertheless.

I lived very close to where the Goodyear blimp was moored in Carson, California for many years. I remember, as a kid, enjoying the blimp. In the night sky of Los Angeles' South Bay, lights on the side of the blimp would display colorful low res patterns and messages, such as "Go Go Goodyear!" They also had Peanuts characters, like Snoopy, if I recall.

Living near the Goodyear blimp, we got to see it land a lot. Blimps are powered by what looks and sounds to be a glorified outboard motor. There is a long rope tied to the nose of the blimp. To land, the captain flies the blimp as close to the ground as possible, and a bunch of guys come out and grab onto the rope with all their might (and weight), and reel it in. Really! It's that high tech!

I've seen the blimp try to land in a windstorm before, it's little motor cranking away as hard as it can, making multiple passes at a landing, and all the guys on the ground jumping up to try to catch the rope, like fleas in a flea circus.

Back in December, the blimp managed to crash upon landing. It bounced over a fence into a landscaping supply company's yard and landed in a mulch pile and on top of a tractor trailer. There was only one minor injury, so I think it is technically okay to laugh at the crashed blimp.

Goodyear opted to repair the blimp in spite of financial woes, partially due to a glut of emotional cards, emails and letters.

People like blimps.