British Airways Concorde to Return to Hudson River Park’s Pier 86 in Preparation for the Reopening of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum on November 8
FROM:
THE INTREPID SEA, AIR, & SPACE MUSEUM
West 46th Street and 12th Avenue at Hudson River Park
CONTACT:
Rubenstein Communications, Inc., Public Relations
Jody Fisher – (212) 843-8296 / jfisher@rubenstein.com
Brady Littlefield (212) 843-9220 / blittlefield@rubenstein.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
British Airways Concorde to Return
to Hudson River Park’s Pier 86 in Preparation for
the Reopening of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
on November 8th
New York, NY (October 20, 2008) – The British Airways Concorde, which has been a part of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum and a major tourist attraction since 2003, returned to its home at the Hudson River Park’s Pier 86 on Manhattan’s West Side. The Concorde had been at Aviator Sports and Recreation at Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn since December 2006 while Pier 86 was totally rebuilt.
“We are delighted to welcome the British Airways Concorde back to its home in Manhattan,” said Susan Marenoff, Executive Director of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum. “It’s another step towards our re-opening on Saturday, November 8th. We are all glad to see the Concorde in her new home – on a new pad on the beautifully rebuilt Pier 86.”
On Thursday morning, October 16th, the Concorde was lifted onto a barge and towed at high tide (approximately 9:45 a.m.) by a Weeks Marine tugboat to Weeks Marine’s facility in Jersey City, New Jersey. That trip took approximately four hours. The Concorde stayed at that facility through the weekend, while Weeks Marine crews finalized preparations for the final move on Monday.
On Monday, October 20th the barge holding the Concorde was tugged from Jersey City, NJ up the Hudson River to Pier 86. Once on site, the barge was tied into place at Pier 86, and a 300-foot crane lifted the Concorde onto the pier and set it down on three newly-built concrete pads, one for each of the landing gear wheels, at the western end of the pier.
"We are extremely gratified to have Concorde Alpha Delta return to the Intrepid Museum so that the millions of tourists that visit New York City may once again see this beautiful aircraft that for so many years served as the flagship of British Airways,” said Simon Talling-Smith, Executive Vice President Americas, British Airways. “Concorde was, and now continues to be, very much a part of the Manhattan scene."
In the coming days, the Growler submarine, which is currently being restored, will also return to Pier 86 in time for the museum’s November 8th reopening. Tickets to visit the new Intrepid, the Concorde and the Growler can be purchased through the website www.intrepidmuseum.org.
About the British Airways Concorde
This very airplane set a world speed record for passenger airliners on February 7, 1996 when it flew from New York to London in 2 hours, 52 minutes, and 59 seconds. Her cruising altitude was 60,000 feet and her top speed was 1,350 mph. When the Concorde entered Air France and British Airways transatlantic service in 1976, it was the only operational supersonic passenger transport in the world and remained so for well over two decades. Concordes crossed the Atlantic in under three hours, or less than half the time of any other jetliner flying that route even today. Protests from environmentalists prevented its supersonic use over the United States and limited airport operation here, and a crash upon takeoff in July 2000 grounded the fleet until 2001. This aircraft, serial no. 100-010 (G-BOAD), first flew on August 25, 1976 and served with British Airways until November 2003. The Concorde could carry between 90 and 100 passengers and a crew of nine and is capable of covering 3,900 nautical miles without refueling. The Concorde flew VIP passengers until 2003, when both airlines retired their fleets from service. The airplane is on loan from British Airways. Damage from an accident in July, 2008 has been completely repaired and the plane restored to excellent condition for its return to the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum.
About the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
One of the world's largest maritime museums, the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, is housed aboard the 900-foot-long ESSEX class aircraft carrier Intrepid, which saw service during World War II, the Cold War, and the Vietnam War. It also served as a prime recovery vessel for NASA during the Mercury and Gemini space programs before it was retired in 1974. Four years later, Zachary Fisher established the Intrepid Museum Foundation for the sole purpose of "saving the Intrepid for generations to come." Listed in the National Park Service’s National Historic Landmark register, the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum was opened as a symbol of peace and education in August 1982. The Intrepid underwent extensive renovations for nearly two years and returned to its home at Pier 86 in October 2008. Prior to leaving its home on the Hudson River at West 46th Street, the Intrepid attracted more than 750,000 people each year from around the world, from children to senior citizens and world leaders. It also hosted more than 150 special events, and served as a focal point during New York’s annual Fleet Week celebration. The Intrepid produces a wide range of public programming, and is recognized worldwide as an historic icon that makes history come alive for visitors through its unforgettable series of dynamic and interactive exhibits. For more information, visit www.intrepidmuseum.org.
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