photo by Chris Smith

It’s a bird. It’s a plane. It’s a . . . blimp?

Murfreesboro and Smyrna residents have been speculating the who, what and why on the soaring submarine-shaped objects seen in the surrounding airspace this past month.

Some sky watchers have cast out theories about aliens amongst us and spyware, but the truth is much more mundane—the vessels are blimps, originating from the Smyrna airport. Currently, French pilots are training in the area so that, eventually, they can fly blimps in France.

by Bruce Plummer

The Smyrna Airport is one of the only locations in Middle Tennessee that provides blimp repairs and fueling. In addition, the Smyrna Airport is also one of the only airports around with a hangar large enough to house them.

Blimp landing in Smyrna, by Brandy Seifert

Overall, the two white blimps have stirred quite the buzz on social media. With local residents posting their theories and excitedly sharing photos of the flying objects, the blimps have been a popular, and fun, topic of conversation.

by Ashley Wilson

“Not gonna lie, for a second I thought maybe it was a UFO,” area resident Ashley Wilson commented on a Facebook post inquiring about the blimp.

The namelessness of the plain white blimps have caused further concern, hence the espionage comments.

On another Facebook post about the blimps, Gary Smith stated “I find it odd that there is no identification on it. A new Chinese weather balloon?”

by Jenny Lye

On the flip side, blimp-spotting has become a sort of a game among the community, with many asking how the blimp is and where it is located on a daily basis. This led to the creation of two Facebook groups decorated with memes and local photos and videos: Rutherford County Blimp Spotting and Murfreesboro Blimp Society.

There should be plenty more blimp sightings in the area in 2024.

by Beverly Henderson-Anderson