A British Airways Concorde floated up the East River on a barge to be returned to its museum home after a months-long refurbishment.
The Intrepid Museum in New York City has housed the iconic airliner since 2003, when it first arrived to Pier 86.
It has been a staple exhibit at the museum since its arrival and allows visitors the opportunity to take-in the power of the aircraft and learn about its history. It is the only British Airways Concorde on display in the Northeast.
However, the Concorde took a brief break from the spotlight of the museum to be refurbished in the Brooklyn Navy Yard after arriving there last August.
‘The months-long restoration project included removal of the aircrafts paint coating, sanding, and recoating, using the same colors and markings that made Concorde a true aviation legend,’ according to a museum update.
A British Airways Concorde floated up the East River on a barge to be returned to its home after a months-long refurbishment
Finally on Wednesday March 13, Concorde was loaded on a barge to be carried up the Hudson River from Brooklyn to Weeks Marine in Jersey City, New Jersey
The Intrepid Museum in New York City has housed the iconic airliner since 2003, when it first arrived to Pier 86
A section of Pier 86 has also been given a makeover to match Concorde’s shiny new look.
Finally on Wednesday March 13, Concorde was loaded on a barge to be carried up the Hudson River from Brooklyn to Weeks Marine in New Jersey for an overnight rest stop.
The remainder of the short journey will conclude on Thursday, with Concorde set to arrive between 9:15 am and 9:30 am.
Visitors can watch from Pier 86, which will open to the public at 9 am, as the aircraft arrives.
Approximately two hours after its arrival, Concorde will be lifted by a 300 foot crane and returned to Pier 86, which will be live-streamed via ‘Concorde Cam’ on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
‘The Concorde is a product of Anglo-French cooperation. When the Concorde entered Air France and British Airways’ transatlantic service in 1976, it was the only operational supersonic passenger transport in the world,’ the Intrepid Museum’s website explains.
‘With a crew of nine, the Concorde could fly at 1,350 mph (2,150 kph) at an altitude of 60,000 ft (18,181 m), high enough for its 100 passengers to see the Earth’s curvature.’
It has been a staple exhibit at the museum since its arrival and allows visitors the opportunity to take-in the power of the aircraft and learn about its history. It is the only British Airways Concorde on display in the Northeast
After being relocated for ‘necessary maintenance,’ Concorde will return home on Thursday March 14 and arrive between 9:15 am and 9:30 am
Concorde has set multiple records – including ‘Westbound Around the World’ and ‘Eastbound Around the World’ world air speed records.
The plane was developed by British and French scientists from 1962 and had its first flight in 1969.
Commercial flights began in 1976. Its developers believed they’d receive orders for 350 Concordes, but soaring fuel costs meant just 20 of the planes were completed.
British Airways and Air France were its primary operators.
The fastest transatlantic airliner flight was from New York JFK to London Heathrow on 7 February 1996 by the British Airways G-BOAD in 2 hours, 52 minutes, 59 seconds from take-off to touchdown aided by a 175 mph.
Flights between New York and London were the most popular and iconic route for the airliner.
It was banned from going supersonic over many countries because of its sonic boom and was beloved by Hollywood stars who could skip between the United States and Europe far more quickly than on a conventional passenger jet.
Concorde was taken out of service in 2003 because of high running costs. Since then, multiple attempts to develop a successor supersonic airliner have not borne fruit.
Tours of the Concorde will resume on April 4, 2024, and visitors will be able to go inside the Concorde as they learn about its history.