But blimps and other airships continued to hover on the edges of the public imagination in movies, books and songs. The Goodyear Blimp had long been used as a giant advertisement for the company.

Appleton could hardly believe her eyes. There, just above her house in the San Francisco suburb of Daly City, was a nearly 150-foot-long naval blimp slowly descending over the neighborhood.

“Through the years, the blimp has appeared at marquee events, from the Olympics to the first Super Bowl, been featured in famous songs, movies and television shows, generated millions of dollars ...