When Will Damaged Concorde Get Towed ?

[Speedbird1]

Since the Intrepid Museum will re-open on Nov. 8 (with higher admission fees), I was wondering when Concorde G-BOAD, damaged at Floyd Bennett Field, will be towedback to Manhattan. As I recall, she was towed over to Brooklyn with no fanfare. I wasn't even aware she was towed until after the fact. Hopefully, the Intrepid folks will advise the press and public in advance of when she will get towed so we can witness this rarity.

[pgengler]

When G-BOAD first came up the Hudson, I was out along the waterfront with my old AE-1, that I didn't really know how to use. Turns out I had engaged the lock for the shutter button and managed to not get any photos. Then when they towed it back down to bring it out to FBF, it was under cover of darkness, and I spent an hour or so waiting just to watch it before I got cold and went back inside, having seen no evidence of movement. I'm really hoping they make the move back to the Intrepid in daylight again.

[Speedbird1]

I also was awaiting the Concordes' original voyage from JFK to Pier 86. I never heard that the barge would overnight in Staten Island, so I waited and waited with my friend for nothing. She stayed not far from the VZ Bridge. I went out again the next morning and waited at Battery Park on a sparkling, but chilly morning. I can't remember the date. I spotted her floating slowly towards the Statue. It was awesome. For some reason, she looked like the Space Shuttle orbiter from Battery Park. She slowly sailed up the Hudson. It was great. I ran over to Pier 86 (as I read that the welcoming ceremony was open to the public). When I arrived, I was told that admission tickets to the Museum must be purchased. I made the best of the situation and watched the welcoming ceremony from outside the fence. There may be a chance that the voyage will again take 2 days and I don't know when her nose will be replaced.

[LGA777]

Here a few of my photos from that very cold morning almost 5 years ago.

http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=187501

http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=187583

http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=187503

Cheers

LGA777

[nikon50bigma]

Is that concord still there at Floyd Bennet? Or where in Brooklyn is she?
Hmm will it be anything like the F-14 (Felix 101) when it left FRG last month? With cranes and everything?
I still haven't seen the concord, but seeing it up in the air like that, would be nothing like the real thing but would be worth it to make a trip out there.

[mirrodie]

She's in Floyd Bennett. Will swing by tomorrow.

[moose135]

Hmm will it be anything like the F-14 (Felix 101) when it left FRG last month? With cranes and everything?
Bay Crane, who did the Felix 101 move, did original move to the Intrepid, as well as the move to FBF, and I assume they will make this move as well. In fact, their home page, http://www.baycrane.com/ has a photo of one of the Concorde lifts.

[nikon50bigma]

thanks for the link Moose.
Any idea when the Concord will be leaving Flyod Bennet?

[Jetinder]

Sounds like you're all going to have huge huge fun chasing Concorde down the Hudson River to Intrepid, I'd really really love to see her again and join with you in chasing her....... must be very very exciting :), but London is to far from NYC :(........ so i'll have to chase her from this forum.

Can you guys please take a lot of photos of it all and put them on here so we (outside NYC and America) can share this unique experience with you ?

On 10 Nov 2003 I watched her last take off from Heathrow here's the report I wrote about it + photos of her last take off
:-
http://concorde35mm.110mb.com/page20.html

3 1/2 hrs later when she got to NYC, we heard she was being prepared to be put on a barge to Intrepid....... can't remember when we saw photos of his happening.


I ran over to Pier 86 (as I read that the welcoming ceremony was open to the public), When I arrived, I was told that admission tickets to the Museum must be purchased.
That is very very stingy and very mean of them to stop Concorde chasers witnessing this event ...... and considering it was a "public" ceremony i would have thought every one (the public) would have been allowed to see her for free......but 5 years ago this wasn't the case :(

When she left Heathrow BA never charged any one any money to see Concorde fly :) ..........


Then when they towed it back down to bring it out to FBF, it was under cover of darkness, and I spent an hour or so waiting just to watch it before I got cold and went back inside, having seen no evidence of movement.
In April 2004 when G-BOAD's sister G-BOAA was moved from Heathrow we all stood there at 2am in the pouring rain to see her below is the report i wrote about it + photos
:-
http://concorde35mm.110mb.com/page48.html

[Speedbird1]

I visited around the Intrepid on Friday, Oct. 3. You can get a great view of the carrier from the new pier 84, which is also a park. Unfortunately, Concorde will be placed on the other side, away from the park and even worse, they put-up high flagpoles around where Concorde will stand to block the view. I fear that she will be towed again in darkness, especially since her nose was damaged and it would be bad publicity for the opening of the Intrepid.

[markg]

I read somewhere that the company at FBF looking after it, have been bought out and that the new owners are refusing to pay the $250,000 cost of moving it back.

[PhilDernerJr]

That's not the case, Mark. Since the damage to the Concorde's nose, all of the details were worked out, and the aircraft will be moved over to the Intrepid, without its nose, soon. the repairs will be made when it gets back to the ship. I don't yet know the date though. If I learn that, I will pass it along to you folks.

[Matt Molnar]

One positive note: it's my understanding from reading an article somewhere that she will no longer sit on a crummy barge, but on a newly constructed pier.

[Speedbird1]

Thanks Phil. I missed when she was towed from the Intrepid to FBF. I think it was under the cover of darkness. Surely, with it's missing nose radome, they will keep her " return voyage" a secret. Bay Crane, who will do the towing, probably was told to keep it quiet. I've already visited the pier where the Concorde will sit and I'm distressed because on the north side they erected high flagpoles which probably will block the view. Only visitors paying the $21.50 admission, will get a close-up look.

[Jetinder]

Only visitors paying the $21.50 admission, will get a close-up look.

Thats pretty expensive to see her, for that money hope they hoover the carpets and make sure G-BOAD looks as good as she did 5 years ago (when she was still flying).

[moose135]

According to the Intrepid web site, tickets are $19.50 (purchased on-line, there is a $1.50 fee if purchased at the museum) for adults, with discounts for seniors, veterans, etc. That will get you into all the exhibits - the Intrepid, the Concorde, the Growler, etc.

[PhilDernerJr]

Only $19.50 to get in some growler? NICE!

[Speedbird1]

Yes, there is no more crummy barge. She has a nice space on the pier. Unfortunately, as I previously stated, they erected high flagpoles surrounding where G-BOAD will sit; thus blocking the view from the north. As someone remarked, she will be towed back to the Intrepid without her noses' radome, it will be kept hush-hush as to avoid bad publicity. remember when they announced that she would be kept safe on land during the Intrepid repairs?

[Gerard]

> As someone remarked, she will be towed back to the Intrepid without her noses' radome, it will be kept hush-hush as to avoid bad publicity.<

LOL we can fix that.

[h2opunk1822]

i give it till tomorrow before the world knows what time shes moving back!

[Speedbird1]

Any news of when the tow will be? Bay Crane won't tell when. I have a feeling it will happen at a strange time; maybe around dawn to avoid publicity. Isn't the tow too dangerous to do in total darkness such as pre-dawn?

[Speedbird1]

Any news of when the tow will be? Bay Crane won't tell when. I have a feeling it will happen at a strange time; maybe around dawn to avoid publicity. Isn't the tow too dangerous to do in total darkness such as pre-dawn?

[Jetinder]

Isn't the tow too dangerous to do in total darkness such as pre-dawn? I would have thought its ok as she during her life she did take off and land in the dark and was probably towed in the dark from the hanger to terminal building.

[Jetinder]

Isn't the tow too dangerous to do in total darkness such as pre-dawn? I would have thought its ok as she during her life she did take off and land in the dark and was probably towed in the dark from the hanger to terminal building.

[moose135]

Isn't the tow too dangerous to do in total darkness such as pre-dawn?
You mean like this other job Bay Crane did recently?

http://moose135.smugmug.com/photos/290801525_dn8Eu-L-1.jpg

[moose135]

Isn't the tow too dangerous to do in total darkness such as pre-dawn?
You mean like this other job Bay Crane did recently?

http://moose135.smugmug.com/photos/290801525_dn8Eu-L-1.jpg

[DHG750R]

Just caught a small piece on Newsday.com, saying G-BOAD was put on a crane early this morning to go to a dock in NJ

Story

British SST being returned to NY's Intrepid
October 16, 2008
NEW YORK - A retired British Airways Concorde is being prepared for its return to Manhattan's Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum.

The sleek white supersonic jetliner was lifted aboard a barge on Thursday at Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn, where it has spent the last year in storage.

The barge then headed to Jersey City, where it will remain until Monday for the final leg of its trip to Manhattan's Pier 86.

[DHG750R]

Just caught a small piece on Newsday.com, saying G-BOAD was put on a crane early this morning to go to a dock in NJ

Story

British SST being returned to NY's Intrepid
October 16, 2008
NEW YORK - A retired British Airways Concorde is being prepared for its return to Manhattan's Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum.

The sleek white supersonic jetliner was lifted aboard a barge on Thursday at Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn, where it has spent the last year in storage.

The barge then headed to Jersey City, where it will remain until Monday for the final leg of its trip to Manhattan's Pier 86.

[Speedbird1]

It was a surprise to me when I opened up today's NY Daily News and saw the Concorde being towed back to the Intrepid. She was towed sometime on Thursday Oct 16, with no advance warning. Why was it kept secret? How did the newspaper reporters know while the public didn't? Also, it looks like the nose was fully repaired. When was it repaired and where? Aviator Sports promised to send me an e-mail before the Concorde was towed so I could take photos. So much for promises. I'm glad she left Floyd Bennett Field. She got terrible treatment there and we weren't even allowed to board the aircraft. She will stay in Jersey City over the weekend until Mondays' high tide. I also never knew that the QE 2 made her last visit ever to NYC yesterday and left for Dubai. She will become a museum there. When will Mondays' high tide be by the Intrepid because that's when she is due to be lifted-up to her new pier. Later, I'll try to ride on the Staten Island Ferry and see where in Jersey City she is. Also, there is no place on land to view her being lifted onto the new Intrepid Pier open to the public. As I said before, they surrounded the Pier with many flagpoles which spoil the view. The only good view would be from on the Hudson River, aboard the Intrepid itself or from the Intrepid Pier ( both closed to the public).

[Gerard]

[quote="Speedbird1"]It was a surprise to me when I opened up today's NY Daily News and saw the Concorde being towed back to the Intrepid. She was towed sometime on Thursday Oct 16, with no advance warning.

Go to http://www.nydailynews.com and click the "NY Local" link at the top and they have a 2 minute video of the move from FB.

[Speedbird1]

Again, we got fooled. She was towed with her new nose from FBF. When and how the repairs were done are a mystery. Somebody must have filmed it. We were advised that the radome would be repaired after Concorde arrived at the new Pier. The press releases and photos would have showed her with a strange-looking nose, so they did the repairs, I suppose, over at Floyd Bennett. She already had her nose when I spotted her sitting on the barge Friday at the Bayonne pier, not far from the dry dock.

[Jetinder]

LGA777

They are great photos :) :)

[Gerard]

Interesting that in a number of pictures about the return of the Concorde they never mention it was at FBF, only that it was in "storage for a year". Nice spin there.

[Jetinder]

Interesting that in a number of pictures about the return of the Concorde they never mention it was at FBF, only that it was in "storage for a year". Nice spin there.
If their version of "storage" =
:-
1) Having birds nest in the planes engine bits.

2) kids bounce hard rubber balls off the plane and dent it

3) Have the plane's nose accidently broken off

4) Having the plane look like an utter wreck

to name a few things then they know what they can do with their "storage".

Would have been better if G-BOAD had been left on the old barge it was on until Interpid had been repaired.