Shuttle Enterprise to New York April 23rd, 2012

[Zee71]

Still going through photo's from this mornings detachment. Here are a couple more.

Head-on shot as the obiter is being lowered (sorry of the slightly blurry image)
http://mbsphotography.smugmug.com/Aviation/Enterprise/i-pHNWRwR/0/L/Enterprise07JFK13May2012-L.jpg

Panoramic shot (click on the image to see a larger view)
http://mbsphotography.smugmug.com/Aviation/Enterprise/i-4gZhpsM/0/M/Enterprise08JFK13May2012Panora-M.jpg (http://mbsphotography.smugmug.com/Aviation/Enterprise/22672066_q3q5Vz#!i=1845375669&k=4gZhpsM&lb=1&s=O)

[gonzalu]

Outstanding coverage, Mark, Eric. I wish I could be there with you :-(

[eric8669]

Outstanding coverage, Mark, Eric. I wish I could be there with you :-(

Thanks Manny. It was a long day. With waking up early for the airshow I can't believe i made it to 3:30AM

[yankees368]

Really great stuff everyone.

[Speedbird1]

Here's my theory about why NASA decided to remove Enterprise at midnight Sunday. They didn't want a swarm of spotters like us all-over the area; perhaps overflowing the VanWyck and the parking lots. Instead, just like they did when they hoisted-up the Concorde, they invited only members of the press, some PA and Intrepid officials and TV news media. They have no use for spotters like us as we already know when we get chased-away so often at the airports. Today's Daily News has a nice photo of the procedure, so we know the press got invited. It would have been nice if we were told the projected time. Doing this at midnight is further proof that they didn't want us around. My last comment is about the SCA. Has it departed yet? I think it will fly direct to Cape Canaveral to pick-up the final shuttle for transport to LAX and then return to its home base at Dryden AFB. Maybe we'll get some photos then.

[moose135]

The story in the paper said they did it at night because the forecast winds were going to be lower. There is a wind limit when they lift it with the cranes.

[eric8669]

Hey speedbird you could have come out no one was stopping you. NASA guys even came up to talk with us. Thanked us for coming out, told us we did great work and to enjoy the show. I pretty sure it was because of the winds.

[NIKV69]

http://img715.imageshack.us/img715/2109/9416101.jpg

[PhilDernerJr]

I don't think there is any organization that really plans things around the possible presence of enthusiasts like that. What beef would they have against us? We shouldn't be so paranoid or high horse as to think such a thing.

[Zee71]

I believe the move was strictly weather related. The conditions that night/morning were very favorable. In my opinion I think they did it at night specifically to prevent traffic congestion on the Van Wyke and the service road. Even at that wee of the morning folks were still stopping, and one cabbie demolished his cab by rear ending a spectator on the north bound Van Wyke. Folks were coming and going all night taking photos, but only a few die hards stuck it out (Eric, Ira, myself, and a couple of others). Hats off to Eric for sticking it out. Manny............wish you could have been there enjoying the action.

[gonzalu]

... Manny............wish you could have been there enjoying the action.

Don;t remind me :frown: I am very upset I could not make it.... especially for the Cabbie Wreck! :tongue:

[fk6065]

The removal was originally set for dawn on Monday, today, but due to concerns over the weather forecast and anticipated rain they made the decision to push up the removal to Saturday night

Saturday afternoon they rolled out the 747 and were supposed to start the removal around 10PM as this was the calmest time for the winds over the weekend for them to do the removal. It was all about safety and the weather and nothing about spotters


I was there till midnight but was just to tired to pull an all nighter

[Zee71]

Here are two more.........the next set I hope will be of the SCA departing

http://mbsphotography.smugmug.com/Aviation/Enterprise/i-tTgDMWB/0/L/Enterprise10JFK13May2012-L.jpg

http://mbsphotography.smugmug.com/Aviation/Enterprise/i-94BtTWd/0/L/Enterprise11JFK13May2012-L.jpg

[PhilDernerJr]

I wish Enterprise wasn't so....clean. haha

[moose135]

Just give it a few weeks in that bubble wrap on the Intrepid, Phil...sorry, I didn't mean to go there. :wink:

[eric8669]

Just give it a few weeks in that bubble wrap on the Intrepid, Phil...sorry, I didn't mean to go there. :wink:

Its going to Jersey first.

[Matt Molnar]

I wish Enterprise wasn't so....clean. haha
Maybe Intrepid will put it in a garbage barge like they did with those old fighters.

[moose135]

Its going to Jersey first.
So it will be dirty and smell bad by the time it gets to the Intrepid - excellent!

[eric8669]

So it will be dirty and smell bad by the time it gets to the Intrepid - excellent!

If I could quote one of the NASA guys I spoke to "I'm eager to see how the Intrepid people are going to do this" From JFK to Barge #1 to Jersey where it will be put on Barge #2 then onto the intrepid. its suppose to be a three day journey.

[Chris S]

BTW, Do you know where in NJ it's going first ?? Bayonne ??

[alberchico]

If I could quote one of the NASA guys I spoke to "I'm eager to see how the Intrepid people are going to do this" From JFK to Barge #1 to Jersey where it will be put on Barge #2 then onto the intrepid. its suppose to be a three day journey.

Why can't barge number 2 simply be towed to JFK ? When the Concorde was barged in it was a straight trip from the airport to the carrier....

[Zee71]

Barge #2 will be a barge will a very large crane. I don't believe barge #2 would be able to fit under the Cross Bay bridge (I'm not sure about the Gil Hodges bridge).

[Speedbird1]

I guess I jumped the gun when I said they decided to do the disengagement at midnight to avoid an overflow of traffic. The theory of calmer winds at midnight makes sense. What I also noticed was that the 2 big NYC papers never sent their photographers out there as well; instead they published the same photos taken by the AP. In several months, I'm sure the Intrepid will issue a DVD showing everything we missed. My next concern is if the SCA has departed JFK yet.

[Speedbird1]

Gil Hodges Bridge can easily be lifted-up at the center for the barge;like a drawbridge. The Cross Bay is a different story.

[Speedbird1]

My question as well. When Concorde was barged-over, she overnighted at Homeport in S.I. Bayonne seems logical.

[Speedbird1]

Thanls for these rare photos of the disengagement. You guys are truly devoted to wait on thr bridge for hours in the darkness to see this amazing sight. I would have given-up and left as I did last Thursday. Did you happen to see where the SCA went after the procedure?

[Speedbird1]

Great shots. Sorry I wasn't there but it's a 3 hour trip from my house and I wasn't sure if the movement would be Sat. night or early Sunday. Train travel on the A Train in the middke of the night is no picnic. As a senior citizen, I'm vulnerable. Thanks again for sharing these.

[fk6065]

As for the move there are concerns about the height of the lower bridge that it has to go under. That is one reason why the landing gear wasn't lowered. They are going to have to wait for low tide and even then they will probably clear the bridge by inches, it is a very big concern.

The other concern is that Enterprise is just sitting outside after spending a large art of her life in a controlled enviornment. I realize it is under a tent but rain gets blown and humidity is everywhere.

SCA 905 is tentatively scheduled to depart on Friday, don't know the time, it will be going back to Edwards AFB and then on to its final mission with Endeavor in the fall.

[Zee71]

Speedbird.....SCA is parked outside the tent (adjacent to the shuttle, which is inside the tent as Fred stated). I know the center span of the Gil Hodges bridge lifts, but I haven't seen that risen in eons!!! Definitely the challenge is going to be the Cross Bay bridge.

Below is the Low Tide information for the first few days of June:

June 1 - 12:19AM, 12:28PM
June 2 - 1:16AM, 1:22PM
June 3 - 2:12AM, 2:17PM
June 4 - 3:07AM, 3:12PM
June 5 - 4:00AM, 4:06PM
June 6 - 4:51AM, 4:59PM
June 7 - 5:04AM, 5:50PM
June 8 - 6:29AM, 6:42PM

[yankees368]

Speedbird.....SCA is parked outside the tent (adjacent to the shuttle, which is inside the tent as Fred stated). I know the center span of the Gil Hodges bridge lifts, but I haven't seen that risen in eons!!! Definitely the challenge is going to be the Cross Bay bridge.

Below is the Low Tide information for the first few days of June:

June 1 - 12:19AM, 12:28PM
June 2 - 1:16AM, 1:22PM
June 3 - 2:12AM, 2:17PM
June 4 - 3:07AM, 3:12PM
June 5 - 4:00AM, 4:06PM
June 6 - 4:51AM, 4:59PM
June 7 - 5:04AM, 5:50PM
June 8 - 6:29AM, 6:42PM

The marine parkway bridge was actually risen a few times recently, apparently for construction. So I guess it must still work. Who knew.

[Matt Molnar]

Endeavour, with its gear extended, measures 56 feet tall. Enterprise might be a little bit different but probably by inches. With the gear retracted I'd guess it's about 6 ft shorter, but the height of the barge itself will eat up all of that and more.

Cross Bay Bridge offers 55 feet of clearance, but it's not clear if that's the maximum or based on average tides.

In any case, it'll be close, within 10 feet, maybe much less.

[Mateo]

The Gil Hodges is 55' and lifts, but that's a moot point because the Cross Bay is 52' and is fixed. The A train is a swing bridge, so vertical clearance is unlimited once it's open.

[Matt Molnar]

Looking at the map again, I guess it won't be the Cross Bay Bridge, but the Joseph P. Addabbo Memorial Bridge, which connects Howard Beach to Broad Channel.

[eric8669]

Looking at the map again, I guess it won't be the Cross Bay Bridge, but the Joseph P. Addabbo Memorial Bridge, which connects Howard Beach to Broad Channel.

I'm pretty sure its going to be the Cross bay Bridge.

[gonzalu]

Hmm, the rail bridges which are the first to be crossed are pretty tight at around 30 meters wide per channel between the center pivot and the edges... The shuttle is about 23 meters wingtip to wingtip and 17.25 meters high ... looks like it can go either way. The rest of the bridges should clear the height easily.

[eric8669]

Hmm, the rail bridges which are the first to be crossed are pretty tight at around 30 meters wide per channel between the center pivot and the edges... The shuttle is about 23 meters wingtip to wingtip and 17.25 meters high ... looks like it can go either way. The rest of the bridges should clear the height easily.

There is no way the shuttle can go under the bridge that connects HB and Broad Channel. The bridge is not high enough.

[fk6065]

The marine parkway bridge was actually risen a few times recently, apparently for construction. So I guess it must still work. Who knew.

Yes the Marine Parkway aka Gil Hodges Memorial Bridge still operates, it is just that there are not a lot of vessels that use that waterway that require to be raised. Like I said they are talking inches with the other bridge

[Zee71]

I agree with Eric .... Now way is it going to fit under that bridge. The MSL (mean sea level) for the Cross Bay Memorial bridge is 55 feet. So if you by that number at low tide it should be a few feet less.

[Speedbird1]

How about watching the barge from the Brooklyn shore when she crosses under the VZ Bridge?

[Zee71]

The 747 SCA departed JFK around 9:15am (5/18) off RWY 31L. Photo's to follow later.

[Zee71]

Here are some photo's of the SCA departing:

http://mbsphotography.smugmug.com/Aviation/Enterprise/i-2rJ5kXW/0/L/NASA-SCA01JFK18May201231L-L.jpg

http://mbsphotography.smugmug.com/Aviation/Enterprise/i-CxnDPpD/0/L/NASA-SCA02JFK18May201231L-L.jpg

http://mbsphotography.smugmug.com/Aviation/Enterprise/i-7FVp34J/0/L/NASA-SCA04JFK18May201231L-L.jpg

http://mbsphotography.smugmug.com/Aviation/Enterprise/i-dQTWC2s/0/L/NASA-SCA03JFK18May201231L-L.jpg

[bluejuice]

A couple of shuttle pictures from a different angle---JetBlue tower at JFKhttp://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k312/shepmp/Shuttle enterprise to JFK/IMG_0988.jpg

The flyby
http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k312/shepmp/Shuttle enterprise to JFK/IMG_0989.jpghttp://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k312/shepmp/Shuttle enterprise to JFK/IMG_0992.jpg

The Landing
http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k312/shepmp/Shuttle enterprise to JFK/IMG_0996.jpghttp://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k312/shepmp/Shuttle enterprise to JFK/IMG_1001.jpg

Landing on the roof of T4

[Speedbird1]

Great shots. How you guys knew the date and time of the SCA departure ia a mystery to me. Now could you tell us the time and date of the scheduled Blue Angels flyby over the Intrepid next week for Fleet Week? I guess the SCA has returned to Edwards. Do yo know the call-sign ( probably N905NA)? I guess trying to track the route would be impossible as its a miitary flight.

[Chris S]

Found this cool time lapse video on NASA's website of when the Enterprise was demated from the SCA:

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/videogallery/index.html?media_id=143569911

BTW, any updates on the schedule to barge the Enterprise over to the Intrepid starting on June 4th??

[Derf]

Here are a few shots from Yesterday morning
http://www.longislandwallpapers.com/Aviation/Enterprise-Space-Shuttle-at/i-4WCFm7P/0/L/IMG328012-L.jpg

http://www.longislandwallpapers.com/Aviation/Enterprise-Space-Shuttle-at/i-ZtPwSDx/0/L/IMG323567-L.jpg


http://www.longislandwallpapers.com/Aviation/Enterprise-Space-Shuttle-at/i-9Ngv5sr/0/L/IMG325012-L.jpg

[yankees368]

Hey, at least they put cones around it...

[PhilDernerJr]

My only actual beef with Enterprise is that it's too damn clean. I love me a dirty shuttle, post-re-entry!

[eric8669]

I see the crane is now setup at the end of 13R

[Matt Molnar]

I've merged all the posts about the move from JFK to Intrepid to a new thread: http://nycaviation.com/forum/threads/43286-Full-Schedule-Space-Shuttle-Enterprise-On-the-Move-from-JFK-to-Intrepid