Goodyear pilots Kristen Arambula and Taylor Laverty snap a selfie over the 2015 Rose Parade on Thursday.

Flying for Goodyear is a coveted position in the pilot community.

There are only about 40 full-time blimp pilot jobs around the country. Hundreds apply every time there is an opening at Goodyear.

Goodyear pilot Kristen Arambula, who flew the “Spirit of America” blimp over Thursday’s Rose Parade, landed her job after her predecessor retired at the end of a 30-year career.

Goodyear pilot Kristen Arambula over the Rose Parade on Thursday.

Arambula studied aviation at the University of Illinois and thought she’d become a corporate jet pilot. Then she got sidetracked by blimp flying, which requires a commercial aviation license from the Federal Aviation Administration.

“We don’t travel as much. It’s good for home life,” said Arambula, who lives with her husband in Lakewood.

The “Spirit of America,” which is based in Carson, can carry up to six passengers and requires a dozen employees to coordinate takeoff and landing.

Even though the dirigible tops out at 50 mph, Arambula considers herself lucky to have the job.

“You get used to going slower than in an airplane,” she said. “But the scenery is a lot better.”