Spotted in Clapham: A glimpse of the Goodyear Blimp

A rare opportunity to catch a glimpse of the Goodyear Blimp presented itself yesterday afternoon for anyone in Clapham who happened to look skyward – and has exceedingly good eyesight.

Tasked with photographing Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding in 2011, it has been nearly a decade since the Goodyear Blimp was last seen over London.

On its return to the UK on 26 June, the airship provided motorsport fans with aerial coverage of the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) round at Brands Hatch before drifting on to the capital.

Jack Fifield was travelling through Clapham Junction when he spotted the airship in the distance.

Speaking with Clapham Nub News, Jack said he had no idea the Goodyear Blimp would be in the area. "But I had my camera in my bag and scrambled to get a photo of it before my train arrived.

"I had heard of it in pop culture so I thought it was pretty cool that it was going over. I know there are only a handful of blimps still in existence."

Jack checked for if any of his fellow travellers at Clapham Junction had noticed the rare Zeppelin NT drifting over the city.

He said: "I did look around but I didn't see anyone else reacting to it - it looked pretty small with just your eyes.

"I thought about telling other people on the platform but figured it'd be way too awkward!"

"It looked small but I loved the way it seemed to float in the air.

While it's not known when the Goodyear Blimp will be back in British skies, here are the top facts to share with fellow onlookers should you spot its return to Clapham

• Goodyear Blimps have decorated the skies since 1925
• Before Goodyear blimps were aerial brand ambassadors, airships were used as observation platforms to patrol the waters and escort ships at sea during World Wars I and II
• With a maximum speed of 73 mph, it would take the Goodyear Blimp over two days to fly from London to New York
• The Goodyear Blimp tends to fly between 1,000 to 1,500 feet above ground
• The Goodyear Blimp without its lifting gas weighs over 9,000 kg, but once inflated with helium – and after fuel, payload and ballast are accounted for, the airship weighs around 45-90 kg