Space Shuttle Enterprise On Its Way To New York City [flyover expected bet 9:30 & 11:30AM today!]

newyork.cbslocal.com ^ | April 27, 2012

[ETL]

NEW YORK (CBS-New York) -- Space shuttle Enterprise will soon begin its final voyage to its new home in New York City.

The shuttle is being airlifted on the back of a 747 from Washington’s Dulles Airport. It will then fly over New York City before landing at John F. Kennedy International Airport.

Enterprise was the first shuttle ever to be built by NASA. It never flew into space, but Enterprise paved the way for others that did. NASA engineers used the Enterprise to figure out how to land a shuttle, launching the glider from the back of a modified 747 in 1977.

After years at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, its new home will be on the deck of the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum. ..."

[ETL]

The CBS article above makes no mention of WHEN the NYC flyover might be. But according to the following piece it may be between 9:30 and 11:30 this morning (Friday).

"Those eager to welcome Enterprise to New York should be able to view the shuttle from across the metropolitan area. For security reasons, the exact flight plan is not being shared, but according to the web site NYCAviation.com, which cites a flight itinerary obtained from the Federal Aviation Administration, Enterprise is scheduled to fly along the Hudson River from the Statue of Liberty north to Tarrytown, N.Y., possibly arcing back around over Manhattan and Long Island before landing at JFK. The schedule suggests the shuttle should be crisscrossing the city between 9:30 and 11:30 A.M. After arriving at JFK, Enterprise is scheduled to be transferred by barge to its temporary home on the flight deck of the Intrepid aircraft carrier in June. Future plans call for it to be housed in its own permanent enclosure at the museum."

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=space-shuttles-enterprise

[Freddd]

Well, Obama does like those big planes flying over NY....

[icwhatudo]

Anyone have a flight line from Dulles to NY? Will we see it above the 95 corridor in MD?

[Vaquero]

it was the first...never flew in space, but it was christened by the crew of TV’s enterprise...and it flew in the air... like the flying brick it was.

I hope it swings east over Long Island at some time in its travel...I would love to see it on the 747

[Gay State Conservative]

Wow...if I had known that I would have gone down for the day so I could see it from the Empire State Building's observation deck.But come to think of it I'll bet the observation deck will be full.

[Vaquero]

bump

[BilLies]

That will be a sight to see, lucky NYC.

Will Obama be aboard going to Dinner, a Broadway Show ....and a Fund Raiser?

[Gay State Conservative]

Anyone have a flight line from Dulles to NY? Will we see it above the 95 corridor in MD?

DC/NYC is one of the busiest flight corridors in the world...I think it could take any one of a hundred different routes,not all of which would be "straight line".

[ETL]

Well, Obama does like those big planes flying over NY....

OBAMA PLANE PHOTO OP STARTLES NEW YORKERS
By DAVID SEIFMAN, MURRAY WEISS and JEREMY OLSHAN
April 27, 2009

A jumbo jet being chased by a F-16 fighter jets buzzed Lower Manhattan this morning, panicking New Yorkers, many of whom were forced to evacuate their office buildings.

It was not a terrorist attack, however, but a photo opportunity for Air Force One, sources told the Post.

OBAMA PLANE PHOTO OP STARTLES NEW YORKERS (2009)
http://www.nypost.com/seven/04272009/news/regionalnews/obama_plane_photo_op_startles_new_yorker_166470.htm

[dead]

Thanks for the heads up. Hope to catch a glimpse this morning.

[Gay State Conservative]

Will Obama be aboard going to Dinner, a Broadway Show ....and a Fund Raiser?

Possibly.But I *did* hear that a flyover is scheduled for the Costa del Sol so that Moochelle and the girls can have a look.

[Gay State Conservative]

Hey,”dead”,just checked out your profile page.Hysterical!!!

[ETL]

This article says between 10:30 and 11:30AM today...

Where to Watch Space Shuttle Enterprise in New York

NOTE: The route is subject to change due to weather and operational constraints. Follow @nycaviation on Twitter for route updates.

Enroute to its new home at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum, Space Shuttle Enterprise is tentatively scheduled to fly to New York on Friday, April 27, between 10:30am and 11:30am, riding piggyback on a Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft.

This once-in-a-lifetime flight will be visible to millions of people as the Shuttle/Carrier combo fly over much of the New York City area at low altitude (1000-3000 ft) before landing at John F. Kennedy International Airport. The five boroughs will see the most action, but areas as far north as Tarrytown and Nyack, NY, and as far east as Westbury, NY, will get some shuttle love as well.

On the map above, the blue line represents an approximation of the planned path, green thumbtacks mark the best spots to spot the action, and the white diamonds mark key landmarks on the path.

Based on an FAA flight itinerary we’ve obtained, here are 17 spots in Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Staten Island, Long Island, New Jersey and Westchester where we think you’re most likely to get a good view.

Please note that this route is subject to change due to weather and traffic conditions, and some of these spots might not get a flyby at all. The two things we can guarantee are that 1.) the Hudson River corridor will see the most action and 2.) the plane will land on JFK’s Runway 31L.

Follow @NYCAviation on Twitter for the latest information about the flight path and schedule.

Also follow the Space Shuttle Enterprise Arrival thread on the NYCAviation Forum to find out where spotters will be

On Twitter or Instagram? Tag your shuttle photos with #shuttlespottingnyc and we’ll retweet and/or publish the best ones!

Good luck spotting the shuttle!

Manhattan

1. Anywhere on the Hudson River: Pretty much any place with a view of the Hudson in the 30 mile stretch between Jersey City and Tarrytown — including the entire west side of Manhattan — will offer a great view as the Shuttle Carrier flies a lap up and down the river at altitudes between 1500 and 3000 ft.
2. Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum: Regular admission fees apply, but you can watch the Hudson River flyby from the flight deck.
3. Randalls Island: The north end of the island should offer a decent glimpse of the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft enroute to its LaGuardia Airport flyby.

Queens

1. World’s Fair Marina, Flushing: From the east side of the Marina, a head-on low altitude view of the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft on its LaGuardia Airport Runway 13 fly over.
2. World’s Fair Marina Pedestrian Bridge, Flushing: This bridge over the Grand Central Parkway, near the western end of the marina, will provide an elevated, side-on view of the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft during and after its LaGuardia Airport Runway 13 fly over.
3. Fort Tilden, Rockaway Point: Distant view of the Shuttle Carrier as it flies east just off shore over the Atlantic enroute to its JFK flyby.
4. Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, North End: This spot should offer a stunning view of the Shuttle Carrier after its JFK Airport flyby.

Brooklyn

1. Brooklyn Heights Promenade: Will offer a distant but clear view as the Shuttle Carrier flies past the Statue of Liberty at around 1500 ft.
2. Shore Parkway Promenade: In the shadow of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, this area should get at least two viewings of the Shuttle Carrier as it flies north over New York Harbor and south again.
3. Coney Island: Distant sightings possible as Enterprise begins its flight up the Harbor, or possibly after it flies south and east for its JFK flyby.

The Bronx

1. Riverdale Park: View the Shuttle Carrier over the Hudson, with the beautiful Palisades in the background.

Staten Island

1. Fort Wadsworth: In the shadow of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, this park will offer a good view as the Shuttle begins its flight over New York Harbor and up the Hudson, and again when it flies south and east for its JFK flyby.

Long Island

1. Inwood Park, Inwood: This is probably the closest publicly accessible view of the flyby and the landing on Runway 31L.
2. Eisenhower Park, Westbury: The Shuttle Carrier will approach from the west and/or north as it overflies the New York TRACON radar facility near the intersection of Stewart Ave and Merrick Ave.

New Jersey

1. Liberty State Park, Jersey City: Especially good views of the Statue of Liberty flyby.
2. Palisades Interstate Park: From the cliffs, an elevated view of the Shuttle Carrier flying up and down the Hudson.

Westchester

1. Pierson Park, Tarrytown: Should offer a pretty good view of the Shuttle Carrier making a U-turn near the Tappan Zee Bridge.

Places NOT to go

1. Inside JFK Airport: There is an event to celebrate the arrival, but it’s invite-only. If you’re flying that day, great, maybe you’ll get a glimpse from the terminal. If you have a favorite, legally-accessible spot somewhere else on airport grounds, go for it. But security will be tight. If you don’t know where you’re going, don’t bother trying to wander around the airport to find a good viewing location, because you’ll probably miss the landing, get harassed by security or both.

The Route

• As it first approaches the area, the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) flies up the Hudson River past the west side of Manhattan at 1,500 feet, and then climbs to 3,000 after it passes the George Washington Bridge.
• SCA will then make a left-handed U-turn when it reaches the Tappan Zee Bridge to fly down the Hudson, descending back to 1,500 ft when it reaches the Alpine radio tower near the New York/New Jersey border.
• SCA continues past Manhattan down to the Verrazano Narrows Bridge.
• Once it passes south of the Verrazano, the next part of SCA’s itinerary depends on which runways are in use at Newark Airport…

If Newark is landing and departing to the south (Runways 22L and 22R) (most likely scenario):

• SCA flies eastbound just off the south shore of Brooklyn and Queens at 1,500 feet, and then turns around to the left to fly a low pass of JFK’s Runway 31L at 1,000 ft.
• From there, SCA flies west toward the Statue of Liberty, which flies by at around 1,500 ft.
• SCA continues west and flies over Newark’s Runway 29 at 1,000 ft.
• A climbing right turn to 2,000 ft takes SCA north over Teterboro Airport (technically not a flyby)
• Then it’s to the east for a 1,000 ft flyby over LaGuardia’s Runway 13.
• Back up to 2,000 ft and to the east for about 20 miles for a flyover of the FAA’s New York TRACON radar facility in Westbury.
• A right turn to the south and landing on JFK’s Runway 31L.

If Newark Airport is landing and departing to the north (Runways 4L and 4R):

• SCA makes a right turn after the Verrazano and flies over Newark’s Runway 4R at 1,000 ft
• Climbing to 2,000 ft while continuing north, flies over Teterboro (not a flyby)
• Makes a right turn and fly eastbound to LaGuardia, for a Runway 13 flyby at 1,000 ft
• Back up to 2,000 ft and to the east for about 20 miles for a flyover of the FAA’s New York TRACON radar facility in Westbury.
• Right turn and landing on JFK’s Runway 31L.

Radio Frequencies

• New York Approach (CAMRN): 127.400 | Listen on LiveATC.net: Flash player or MP3 player
• JFK Airport Tower: 123.900 | Listen on LiveATC.net: Flash player or MP3 player
• Newark Airport Tower: 118.300 | Listen on LiveATC.net: Flash player or MP3 player
• Teterboro Airport Tower: 119.500
• LaGuardia Airport Tower: 118.700 | Listen on LiveATC.net: Flash player or MP3 player

Callsigns

• Pluto 95: Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft with Enterprise.
• Pluto 90: NASA C-9 jet (military version of DC-9) will fly 30 mins ahead of the SCA for weather reconnaissance, will land at JFK without flying the SCA’s path over the city.
• Pluto 98 and Pluto 99: NASA T-38 jets (small fighter trainers) will stage at Stewart or Farmingdale before joining SCA on its flight over NYC.

Weather Notes

If any of the weather components is forecast for anywhere on the route from Dulles to New York, the event will be postponed:

• Ceiling: lower than 3,000 ft
• Visibility: less than 5 miles
• Crosswind: greater than 20 kts

  http://www.nycaviation.com/where-to-watch-space-shuttle-enterprise-in-new-york/

[texaschick]

That would be the shuttle that should be at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. We deserve it more than New York City, seeing how astronauts train here and mission control was here. Thanks Obama appointee Bolden.

[ETL]

I hope it swings east over Long Island at some time in its travel...

See post 13.

[Gay State Conservative]

That would be the shuttle that should be at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. We deserve it more than New York City, seeing how astronauts train here and mission control was here. Thanks Obama appointee Bolden.

Silly "chick"...Texas is a deep red state.New Jersey,OTOH,just might be up for grabs in November.Get the picture?

[armymarinemom]

That would be the shuttle that should be at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Exactly!!

[GranTorino]

It should make a stop at Wright Pat for two years and then head to Houston permanently.

[texaschick]

lol! Yeah, I get it.

[animal172]

I have never understood why New York was given the Enterprise. What connection is there to NYC and the space program. The real shame is that Houston was left out. The second most important site next to Cape Canaveral since we started out space program. Who will ever forget, “Houston, we have a problem”.