The Direct TV blimp just started wandering around during the race, getting in some advertising time.

Independence Airship Invitational blimp race takes place over Hudson River

Published: Tuesday,
July 05, 2011

By Stephanie Musat
The Jersey Journal

Fireworks weren?t the only things flying above the Hudson River for the Fourth of July yesterday.

For the first time since 1986, three blimps competed in the Independence Airship Invitational race to see who was superior in the skies.

After an hour and a half of airborne competition, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield beat out Hangar 1 Vodka and DirecTV for bragging rights.

The race started at 5 p.m. at Liberty State Park in Jersey City. The blimps raced along the Hudson River, reaching 25 miles per hour, according to a representative from Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield.

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield was the first to reach the finish line, followed by Hangar 1 Vodka with DirecTV in the rear.

?I had no idea what was happening, then my son pointed to the DirecTV blimp in the sky,? said Jasmine Lewis from Jersey City. ?It was fun to watch.?

With 20 existing blimps in the world, the race represented a rare sight for blimp enthusiasts like Jim Bernan from Jersey City.

?I?ve always liked seeing them, I think they are fascinating,? he said. ?Seeing three in a row was something. I was just hoping they wouldn?t bump into each other.?

Four blimps competed in the last race in 1986 during the 100th anniversary of the Statue of Liberty and her restoration. The Fuji blimp won top honors that year, and held onto bragging rights until yesterday.

The DirecTV Blimp circling Governors Island tonight might not be out for an innocent sunset lookabout but rather scouting out the starting line for Sunday?s Great Blimp Race?

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Jersey City and Hoboken waterfronts best spots to view Hudson River blimp race

Published: Saturday, July 02, 2011, 3:00 AM
By Catherine Weening/ The Jersey Journal

Even blimps don?t want to spend the holiday alone.

The Hangar 1 Vodka blimp, the Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey blimp, and the DirectTV blimp will host the Independence Airship Invitational tomorrow, racing from the Statue of Liberty to midtown Manhattan and Weehawken from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. along the Hudson River.

This race with more than 306,000 cubic feet of helium is the first one of this magnitude in 25 years, said a spokesman for the Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey blimp team.

With only 20 blimps in the world, seeing three (or 15 percent of them) in the same place is a rare opportunity.

This will be the 14th annual tour the Horizon BCBSNJ blimp will take in New Jersey. The blimp raises awareness of preventive health screenings to catch deadly diseases. Last year, the blimp raised about $60,000 with New Jersey charities.

?It (the race) is a great way to promote our message? said Jonathan Pearson, a Horizon BCBSNJ spokesman. ?This fantastic opportunity just presented itself to us. We expect to win.?

To learn more about the Horizon BCBSNJ blimp, contact Adam Dvorin at (973) 286-8290.

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25 years ago -- The Great Blimp Race of 1986