First Flight:
The control car was originally part of the original fleet of the famous blimps operated by the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company. It was attached to the one named Ranger, which made its first flight in 1940.
Wartime Expediency:
“GOODYEAR BLIMP SOON WILL RISE” read a headline in the March 14, 1940, issue of the Akron Beacon Journal announcing that the newest addition to the company’s famous fleet of non-rigid airships, to be christened Ranger, would soon take flight. The article noted that one of the Goodyear blimps had entered service with the Navy and at the time operated from Naval Air Station (NAS) Lakehurst, NJ. Ultimately, Ranger would end up in Navy service as well, operating under the designation L-8. Procured along with four other Goodyear blimps following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, it flew coastal patrol missions along the West Coast.
Secret Mission:
On April 2, 1942 USS Hornet (CV 8) departed NAS Alameda, CA, on a highly secret mission carrying 16 Army Air Forces B-25 Mitchell bombers and their crews under the command of Lieutenant Colonel James H. Doolittle. Their mission was to conduct a bombing raid against the Japanese Home Islands. The day after Hornet and her escort ships departed, L-8 launched and flew out to the ship to deliver navigators’ domes for installation on the B-25s, thus contributing to one of the most daring military operations in history.
Ghost Ship: The L-8 continued operating from the West Coast. On the morning of August 16, 1942, it launched from Treasure Island, CA, for a routine coastal patrol. On board were pilot Lieutenant (junior grade) Ernest W. Cody and copilot Ensign Charles E. Adams. Crews on board fishing boats noted the blimp as it passed over during its patrol. Entering the final two hours of their scheduled flight, the crew noticed an oil slick on the water, Cody radioing that he was investigating. It was the last contact anyone had with the crew. Fishermen noted that instead of circling over the ship, the airship shot into the clouds above. Nearly three hours later, after reported sightings by aircraft in the area and a brief touch down on a beach, it reappeared, coming down to earth in the San Francisco suburb of Daly City. Everything in the control car appeared normal save for one thing – there was no trace of either Cody or Adams. What happened to them remains a mystery to this day.
America:
Following World War II, the L-8’s control car was returned to Goodyear, where it was attached to the blimp America. It spent the ensuing years as part of the fleet that was fixture over major sporting events from the Super Bowl to the Indianapolis 500. Donated to the museum in 2003, it was restored to its World War II configuration by staff and volunteers.
