A star exhibit at New York City’s Intrepid Museum came ‘home’ on March 14 following several months of restoration work
Concorde G-BOAD had been removed from its regular base – Pier 86 alongside preserved World War Two-era carrier USS Intrepid – on August 9 last year and was transported by barge to the Brooklyn Navy Yard where it recently received some maintenance and paint work.
The supersonic passenger jet, one of the attraction’s most popular exhibits, began its return journey at around 0630hrs on March 14, reaching its destination approximately two hours later. Upon arrival, the Concorde was lifted by a 300ft crane onto its usual Pier 86 display area.
The former British Airways (BA) jet is one of 20 Concordes built, 18 of which survive. It first flew on August 25, 1976, and for a while wore Singapore Airlines livery on its left side (with BA markings on the other) for a joint service with the two airlines. G-BOAD is notable for having made the fastest Atlantic crossing by any Concorde on February 7, 1996, taking off from New York and landing at London Heathrow in just under 2 hours and 53 minutes. It also spent more time in the air than any other Concorde, at 23,397 hours.
Having completed its final flight to New York’s John F Kennedy International Airport in November 2003, it was moved by barge to its final destination, then known as the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum. Of the 18 surviving Concordes, all but two are on public display.
