On Wednesday, August 9th, the Concorde G-BOAD was removed from the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum‘s dock to undergo a few months of restorations at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The Concorde experience is temporarily closed while Concorde is relocated offsite for necessary maintenance. The experience and exhibit will re-open to the public in Spring 2024. The Concorde was lifted off Pier 86 and onto a barge, which took about two hours to reach the Brooklyn Navy Yard, only about 52 minutes less than the Concorde’s record-setting flight from New York to London in 1996.
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. With a crew of nine, the Concorde could fly at 1,350 mph (2,150 kph) and at an altitude of 60,000 ft (18,181 m), high enough for its 100 passengers to see the curvature of the earth.
The British Airways jet has been at the museum since 2003, and this was the first time it has left the museum for restoration work. This aircraft, serial no. 100-010 (G-BOAD), first flew on August 25, 1976. Concordes crossed the Atlantic Ocean 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 its airport operations. A crash upon takeoff in July 2000 grounded the fleet until 2001. The Concorde flew VIP passengers until 2003, when both airlines retired their fleets from service. This airplane is on loan from British Airways.
The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum is dedicated to the exhibition and interpretation of history, science, and service as related to its home aboard the aircraft carrier Intrepid, a National Historic Landmark. As you explore the Museum you will be able to examine original artifacts, view historic video footage, and explore interactive exhibits. For more information, visit www.intrepidmuseum.org.
Intrepid looks like a parking lot. Concorde is out of place there.