The DIRECTV blimp is never deflated.
With much of its crew of eighteen following along in a van, the blimp travels from site to site across the eastern half of the country by flying. It really only touches down for more than a few hours at a time once a year, to get a tune up at a hangar in Smyrna, TN.
The rest of the time, the blimp is above some of the most major sporting events in the country, including this year's Super Bowl here in New Orleans.
WWNO's Jason Saul and Paul Maassen took a ride up in the blimp this past Thursday, and sent in this report.
Additionally, DIRECTV is hosting their 7th annual Super Bowl Celebrity Beach Bowl on Saturday, Feb. 2 at Mardi Gras World. There will be a celebrity touch football game, a concert and more. It's free and open to the public, but has a limit and is first-come, first-served.
And you can follow the blimp on Twitter!