Latest news with #IntrepidMuseum
CBS News
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
NYC to celebrate America's 250th birthday with parade of ships for "Sail 4th 250"
New York City will welcome tall ships of the world as part of a celebration of America's 250th anniversary on the Fourth of July, 2026. The port of New York and New Jersey will host a parade of ships from around the world, and the event is expected to bring millions to the city. Preparations are well underway. City officials, alongside military personnel, announced the largest fleet of the world's tall ships and gray hull ships will sail into New York harbor, pass in presidential review, and salute the Statue of Liberty. Officials say the event, called Sail 4th 250, will be a special U.S. Navy Fleet Week for the holiday, and the U.S. Navy's Blue Angels will take to the skies over Manhattan. The celebration will also include a massive Fourth of July fireworks display, and a tickertape parade on July 6 honoring post-9/11 combat veterans and their families. "This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, this a huge, huge, fun celebration. These are majestic ships. Some will be here at the Intrepid Museum, other ships will be elsewhere, they will be all free and open to the public," Intrepid Museum executive vice president David Winters said. "To be able to host the 30+ tall ships that represent multiple countries and to invite the world to New York City to experience the Fourth of July is so exciting," said Julie Coker of New York City Tourism + Conventions. The city says the event is expected to bring in more than $1 billion of tourism revenue.
New York Post
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Sail4th 250 kicks off — here's what's in store for America's 2026 semiquincentennial bash in NYC
New York is celebrating America's 250th birthday all year long. Sail4th 250 organizers officially launched the blockbuster celebration on Wednesday — offering New Yorkers a glimpse of what's to come for America's 2026 semiquincentennial party. The six-day, once-in-a-lifetime event will feature more than 30 tall ships from international militaries, a spectacular Blue Angels flight show, displays of rare historical documents and more — and is expected to generate a record-breaking $2.85 billion revenue windfall for the Big Apple. Advertisement 5 More than 30 international tall ships will sail into the New York Harbor for next year's celebration. Photo Courtesy of OpSail 2000 'We're bringing the world's greatest fleet of tall ships to the port of New York and New Jersey as we celebrate America's 250th birthday,' Chris O'Brien, president of Sail4th 250, announced at a press conference aboard the iconic World War II-era Intrepid aircraft carrier. 'I like to call this beautiful harbor — and there's no harbor like it — America's home port. On July 4, 2026, this port will serve as the world's home port as we bring so many nations together to mark this milestone of America's 250th.' Advertisement Sail4th event will span July 3 through 8 across the Big Apple, with each day packed to the brim with events, tours, shows and more that center on the historic milestone. The most impressive display will fittingly take place on July 4, and will involve an impressive flotilla of at least 30 Class A Tall Ships and 40 gray hull vessels — making for the largest parade of vessels to ever sail into the Port of New York and New Jersey. 5 'On July 4th, 2026, this port will serve as the world's home port,' Sail4th 250 President Chris O'Brien said at a press conference Wednesday. Robert Miller The ships, each a military training vessel from another country, will ceremoniously voyage into the harbor from beneath the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge before landing in ports on Staten Island, in Brooklyn and Manhattan. Advertisement A 'senior government official' will be aboard the incredible parade — but planners wouldn't budge on naming the guest of honor. 'The vision to bring tall ships from across the globe to New York in 2026 is not only a powerful tribute to the city's maritime heritage, but a profound symbol of international friendship, unity and shared values,' explained Ken Fisher, the co-chairman of the Intrepid Museum. 5 The flotilla will mark the largest ever sail into the Port of New York and New Jersey — even more than sailed during a similar event in 1976. Photo Courtesy of OpSail 2000 The ships will open their doors to the public in the following days, allowing visitors to explore the decks and meet with military cadets from around the world. Advertisement The tall ships won't be the only impressive vessels on display — Cunard's Queen Mary 2, the world's only ocean liner, will be docked in the Harbor for the occasion. There will be plenty of shows in the sky as well, including the Navy's Blue Angels, which are moving their annual free shows from the shores of Jones Beach on Long Island to the Big Apple for the big birthday bash. 5 A color guard salutes aboard the Intrepid. Robert Miller Museum officials will also have hundreds of rare, historical documents on display, including 18th-century copies of the Declaration of Independence, Martin Luther King Jr.'s 'I Have a Dream' speech and more. But the party isn't just about the past. On July 6, the city is throwing a 'Homecoming of Heroes' ticker-tape parade in honor of post-9/11 combat veterans and first responders. Sail4th week will also coincide with the New York/New Jersey-hosted 2026 FIFA World Cup and Fleet Week, which was moved from its traditional Memorial Day Weekend slot for the momentous occasion. 5 'The vision to bring tall ships from across the globe to New York in 2026 is not only a powerful tribute to the city's maritime heritage, but a profound symbol of international friendship, unity and shared values,' explained Ken Fisher, co-chairman of the Intrepid Museum. Robert Miller The overwhelming celebrations are expected to draw in more than 8 million visitors to the Big Apple — and generate a record-breaking $2.85 billion in economic activity. Advertisement 'We are excited that once again, New York City will be on the world stage, providing a platform for unforgettable events that reinforce New York City as the anchor of America's 250 celebration across the country,' said Julie Coker, president and CEO of the city's Tourism + Conventions. The Post is one of the bash's sponsors.
USA Today
25-06-2025
- Business
- USA Today
After the fatal Concorde crash, could supersonic flight return?
The closest I've ever been to being on a supersonic flight was looking at the Concorde on static display at the Intrepid Museum in New York. But, for an entire generation of travelers and aviators, flying at twice the speed of sound was a daily reality, at least for the wealthy. July marks 25 years since an Air France Concorde suffered a catastrophic incident just after departing Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport, and a few years later, the entire commercial supersonic flight program ended. As private entrepreneurs and the Trump administration renew a push for supersonic flights, I had a chance to speak to a student filmmaker who brought the history of the Concorde to light for a new generation of aviation professionals. Jillian Preite produced a short film about the Concorde for a class at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and shared why the plane is so inspiring, even to those who never got to see it fly. 'I honestly didn't know much about it before starting this project,' she said. 'It had such an impact way back in the 1960s that's still being put into place now.' What made the Concorde special? "What they did was absolutely mind-blowing,' John Tye, a former British Airways Concorde pilot, said in the documentary. 'They didn't have mobile phones or computers, we'd only just got color television when Concorde first flew, so this was one of the greatest technical achievements of mankind.' The Concorde, developed in the 1960s under a partnership between British and French manufacturers, was the first (and so far, only) commercial supersonic aircraft. It entered service in 1976 with British Airways and Air France. The commercial supersonic aircraft made the trip from New York to London or Paris in about three and a half hours, less than half the time it takes a traditional jet, but passengers paid a premium for the speed. Tickets on the Concorde were virtually unattainable for the average traveler, and its passengers were often business executives on an expense account or celebrities. 'This is insane that we're able to get a commercial plane to go this far in that amount of time,' Preite, who studied communication and broadcast meteorology and graduated from Embry-Riddle in May, told me. She now works as a meteorologist in Tallahassee. Passengers also enjoyed high-end cabin service, though the short flight time meant there wasn't a tremendous amount of luxuriating to be done over lunch. The Concorde crash Throughout its service history, Concorde suffered only one catastrophic hull loss. On July 25, 2000, an Air France plane that had been chartered by a tour group struck a piece of debris on the runway at Charles de Gaulle Airport. It damaged the tire, a fragment of which ruptured the fuel tank and ultimately, the plane crashed shortly after takeoff, killing everyone onboard. 'The Concorde is so associated with business travel and the fact that the crash was not a business trip, it was a charter carrying mostly German citizens that were flying to the United States to get on a cruise ship, so there were families that were part of the crash, that was one of the things (that people often forget),' Steve Master associate professor of communication at Embry-Riddle and advisor on Preite's project, told me. In the weeks after the crash, both Air France and British Airways grounded their Concorde fleets, with the planes only returning to service in November 2001. The Concorde's end of service Although the Concorde did fly again for about two years after the crash, the program never fully recovered, and Concorde operations at both airlines ended in the fall of 2003. 'They just weren't making any profit from it, so I think the crash was the straw that broke the camel's back. It was already tumbling, and the crash was an excuse, 'it's now dangerous, let's get rid of it,'' Preite said. 'It was a very controversial plane, and the crash really put it in for it.' Concorde used a tremendous amount of fuel to reach and maintain supersonic speeds, and there were significant concerns about its environmental impact. In addition, the sonic boom it generated when breaking the sound barrier limited the routes it could fly, and its takeoff configuration required full power, leading to significant noise on the ground around airports during its operations. What's next for supersonic flight? Since 2003, there haven't been any commercial supersonic flights, but that doesn't mean no one is trying to return to the speedy glory days. Boom is probably the most well-known company working toward the goal of restoring supersonic passenger aviation, and it already has speculative orders from carriers including American Airlines, United Airlines and Japan Airlines. Still, the American company has major hurdles to overcome before its aircraft enter service, including getting its custom-built engines approved and significant slate of flight testing after that. There is not yet any realistic entry into service date for the next generation of supersonic aircraft, and engineers still have to prove that efforts to mitigate the sonic boom will work at scale, among other things. Last week's Cruising Altitude: Want to fly in a fancy seat for less? Try this hack. Still, it is likely that there will, eventually, be supersonic passenger jets again. It's all but unheard of for an advanced technology to just be shelved after decades of successful service. President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order aimed at reducing regulatory hurdles to supersonic flight testing in an effort to jumpstart the next phase of research. Neverthless, the economics remain a question, even if the aircraft are technically capable. 'It's definitely going to happen, it's just the fact of: is it going to be successful in making profit, or go downhill like the Concorde did?' Preite said.
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Yahoo
I toured a Concorde. Take a look inside the discontinued supersonic commercial jet flown by celebrities and royals.
Concorde, the first and only supersonic commercial jetliner, operated from 1976 to 2003. Flown by royals, celebrities, and executives, it was discontinued because of high operating costs. A Concorde plane is open for public tours at the Intrepid Museum in New York City. Supersonic passenger air travel is a thing of the past, but you can still tour the plane that made it possible. In 1962, the governments of Britain and France signed the Anglo-French Agreement, pooling their money and resources to develop a supersonic commercial jet. The name "Concorde" was chosen because it means unity or harmony in both English and French. The first test flight was conducted in 1969, and Concorde flew commercially for the first time in 1976. Concorde's ability to cross oceans at twice the speed of sound attracted high-profile passengers, including celebrities, business executives, and members of the royal family. But its high operating costs and a deadly crash led to its retirement in 2003. Modern aviation startups are working to revive supersonic passenger air travel with new technology, but they also face challenges around economic viability and safety. Since Concorde jets are no longer operational, the planes have become museum pieces, providing visitors with a taste of the luxurious flight experiences they once provided. In May 2024, I toured a Concorde jet at the Intrepid Museum in New York City. The sea, air, and space museum is housed on a 900-foot-long aircraft carrier. Take a look inside. The last Concorde flight took off in 2003, and the Intrepid Museum added one of the jets to its collection that same year. A total of 20 Concorde planes were built, and 14 flew commercially through British Airways and Air France, with most routes flying between New York City and London and New York City and Paris. Concorde's supersonic speed caused loud sonic booms upon breaking the sound barrier, which limited its routes to those above water. Concordes were ultimately discontinued because of high operating costs and safety concerns. British Airways spent about £1 billion a year on its fleet of Concorde jets, which proved unsustainable, according to the Intrepid Museum. In 2000, a Concorde flying from Paris to New York burst into flames and crashed shortly after takeoff when a blown tire ruptured the plane's fuel tanks, killing 113 people. All Concordes were grounded for a year and rebuilt with stronger fuel tanks, but the business never recovered, contributing to Concorde's retirement. Concorde's record flight time from New York City to London was 2 hours, 52 minutes, and 59 seconds, making it a popular choice for frequent travelers. Celebrity passengers included Queen Elizabeth II, Christie Brinkley, Phil Collins, Paul McCartney, and the British oil executive Fred Finn. Touring Concorde's cabin at the Intrepid Museum requires a separate timed reservation. Regular admission to the Intrepid Museum costs $36 per adult, and the Concorde tour costs an additional $11. Tickets can be purchased on the Intrepid Museum's website. I didn't realize that Concorde tickets were sold with timed admission for tours every 30 minutes, so I missed my slot while exploring the USS Growler, the only nuclear-missile submarine in the US open to the public. A manager was able to rebook me on the next Concorde tour at the museum's box office. Boarding the plane at the Intrepid Museum felt just like boarding a regular flight, except without the noise of a busy tarmac or jet engine. Before boarding, Concorde passengers would relax in a special Concorde lounge with an open buffet. The overhead bin space on the Concorde looked standard to me. Concorde passengers would drop their luggage off in the Concorde lounge. On the tour, I got to sit in Concorde class, which was a tier above first class. At 204 feet long and with a fuselage that was 9 feet 5 inches wide, Concorde planes held up to 100 passengers, though full flights were rare. For comparison, a Boeing 737-700 measures just more than 110 feet long with a 12-foot-4-inch-wide fuselage and seats 149 passengers, according to Boeing. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, tickets cost up to $12,000 round-trip, which would equal about $20,000 today when adjusted for inflation. Queen Elizabeth always sat in seat 1A. As the window seat in the first row, 1A was one of the most private seats on the plane. My seat felt more like a comfortable armchair than a plane seat. The seats used on the tour were covered in plastic to help preserve the luxurious leather. Concorde's cruising speed was Mach 2, or about 1,350 mph. Each of the Concorde's four engines featured 38,000 pounds of thrust and could take the plane from zero to 250 mph in under 30 seconds, our guide said. The Concorde's windows were smaller than other aircraft to prevent them from cracking under the pressure of the plane's supersonic speed. I was surprised by how small the windows were compared with the windows on commercial flights I'm used to. Our tour guide passed around scans of Concorde artifacts, such as a ticket from 1997. Dolores Peterson paid $6,703.04 for an Air France Concorde flight from New York to Paris in 1997. The guide also shared a 1976 refueling sheet showing how much fuel a Concorde plane used, contributing to its exorbitant costs. "Upon takeoff, this plane weighs about 408,000 pounds. More than half of that, 209,000, is in fuel alone," our guide said. "It burns about 2 tons of fuel, about 1,800 kilos, just taxiing. It's an extremely thirsty bird." After the short presentation concluded, we were free to wander the cabin. Concorde's logo was displayed near the door of the plane. A set of custom Concorde china dishes was on display — no plastic cutlery here. Food was prepared by a gourmet chef. Seasonal menus included beef Wellington, venison, and quail with wine pairings chosen by a sommelier. The lavatory looked like a standard airplane bathroom with a bit more space and a few extra amenities. The bathroom was decorated with faux-marble finishes and extra toiletries. For me, the highlight was peeking inside the flight deck once occupied by a captain, a first officer, and a flight engineer. Before the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Concorde passengers could mingle with the pilot and crew in the cockpit as part of the exclusive flight experience. The flight engineer sat in the seat on the right in front of the large instrument panel. The flight engineer was responsible for every system on the plane, including fuel management and landing gear, and had the most extensive training of any crew member. "He's forgotten more about Concorde than most people will ever know," our tour guide said of flight engineers. After my tour of the Concorde concluded, I climbed higher on the USS Intrepid to get a better view of the historic aircraft. While many contemporary celebrities opt to fly on private jets, Concorde offered record-setting flights across the ocean at twice the speed of sound, seemingly making it worth their while. Read the original article on Business Insider
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Yahoo
US Coast Guard's Fleet Week demonstration in NYC nixed due to real offshore search mission on Memorial Day
This was not a drill. Members of US Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City nixed a Fleet Week search and rescue demonstration in Manhattan on Memorial Day for the real thing — more than 100 miles away. The Atlantic City unit, known as the 'Blackjacks,' were diverted to a distress call 20 miles off the Jersey shore on Monday after a radio transmission that sounded like 'Help' was transmitted just before noon, a US Coast Guard rep told The Post. 'Any sign that there could be potential distress, that's enough for us to launch [a search and rescue operation] and go search,' the rep said, adding that no other 'correlating' evidence, such as a missing person or missing boat, were reported. The investigation – which was conducted in the area of Barnegat Light, Atlantic City and Cape May in New Jersey, was called off just after 3 p.m., the rep added. Coast Guard Station Cape May also responded to the search. The Fleet Week demonstration, slated to start at 2 p.m., was set to involve a dummy doll being rescued in the water by a Coast Guard member dropping in from a helicopter. Some US Coast Guard members at Pier 86 — where the demonstration was planned to take place after the annual Memorial Day commemoration ceremony at the Intrepid Museum — told The Post they were unsurprised the diversion happened due to the popularity of marine-related activities over the holiday weekend. On Memorial Day weekend, there's 'more than a 50% chance that they are going to get diverted,' one Coast Guard member at the Pier 86 event said. 'A lot of people's boats have been up [out of the water] for the winter, and now they finally want to get out. Sometimes they don't take enough fuel, or forget to check the electronics: it could be a number of things.' An example of frequent calls to the Coast Guard during the busy holiday weekend are for disabled vessels – boats which could simply be adrift while passengers onboard are safe. Several people have been pulled from the water across the Mid-Atlantic region this weekend, but there haven't been any reports of missing persons, severe injuries or deaths as a result, according to a Coast Guard rep. Despite the unexpected absence at the Memorial Day celebration in Manhattan, plenty of other Coast Guard members filled booths outside the Intrepid Museum – including divers based in California and Hawaii. Diver Richard Rudek, 24, told The Post he assists in underwater maintenance operations – such as underwater construction, repairing buoys and other navigational tools – as well as search and recovery operations 'relatively frequently.' Rudek said his team went out to recover the wreckage of a 2024 helicopter crash in Kauai, Hawaii, which 'helped to provide closure to the families.' His favorite part of his job, however, remains underwater navigation projects – where 'you never know what you're going to get into.' 'Sometimes it's zero [visibility], you're in scuba [gear] and holding several thousand pound objects with, basically, balloons. Every job is super different,' he said. The Coast Guard's Atlantic Strike Team — which responds to fires, hurricanes, hazmat incidents and other emergencies from East Palestine's train derailment to the Los Angeles fires to the Baltimore Bridge collapse — was also in attendance at the fleet week event. 'Most Coasties join because they want to help,' said Lieutenant Connie Tobler. 'The best part [of the job] is search and rescue,' said Officer Bismarck Miranda, who recalled an operation a decade ago in which he rescued a 4-year-old and their family 50 miles off the shore of Key West. 'Being able to rescue that and see the baby and the family come back to the United States safely — that was probably the best feeling.'
