posted 04-02-2012 03:09 PM               

Viewing space shuttle Enterprise's final ferry flight and museum delivery

This thread is intended for members' comments and viewing reports about the space shuttle Enterprise's delivery to the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum.

Weather permitting, the prototype Enterprise will depart Washington Dulles International Airport on the morning of Monday, April 23, 2012. Ferried atop a modified Boeing 747 shuttle carrier aircraft, Enterprise will be flown to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York for a midmorning landing the same day.

Later this summer (exact date to be announced), the Enterprise will move by barge to the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum, where it will go on display on the converted aircraft carrier's flight deck.

posted 04-16-2012 10:21 PM               

Shuttle Enterprise to Fly Over New York City Metro Area April 23

NASA's 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft with space shuttle Enterprise mounted atop will fly at a relatively low altitude over various parts of the New York City metropolitan area on Monday, April 23.

The Federal Aviation Administration is coordinating the flight, which is scheduled to occur between 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. EDT.

The exact route and timing of the flight depend on weather and operational constraints, including the on-time delivery of space shuttle Discovery to the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Stephen F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va., this week. If all goes as planned, the aircraft is expected to fly near a variety of landmarks in the metropolitan area, including the Statue of Liberty and the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum. When the flyover is complete, the SCA will land at John F. Kennedy International Airport.

During the weeks following the arrival, Enterprise will be "demated" from the 747 and placed on a barge that will be moved by tugboat up the Hudson River to the Intrepid museum in June. The shuttle will be lifted by crane and placed on the flight deck of the Intrepid, where it will be on exhibit to the public starting this summer in a temporary climate-controlled pavilion. The Intrepid continues to work on a permanent exhibit facility to showcase Enterprise that will enhance the museum's space-related exhibits and education curriculum.

If the flight is postponed for any reason, an additional notice will be released.

posted 04-16-2012 10:54 PM               

If all goes as planned, the aircraft is expected to fly near a variety of landmarks in the metropolitan area, including the Statue of Liberty

posted 04-18-2012 09:11 AM               

Both wind and rain are concerns. Wind is also a concern in Chantilly for mating Enterprise to the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft.

posted 04-19-2012 11:33 PM            

quote:

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Originally posted by MikeSpace:
I'm near the ocean in New Jersey and trying to figure a good location to get photos while in flight.

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posted 04-20-2012 12:42 PM               

Prototype space shuttle Enterprise bound for NYC reunited with NASA aircraft

NASA's original prototype space shuttle, Enterprise, was reunited Friday (April 20) with the jumbo jet that first ferried it for a series of important test flights in the late 1970s.

The test orbiter was mounted atop NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, a modified Boeing 747, for its flight next week to New York's John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport. Weather permitting, Enterprise is scheduled to depart on Monday morning (April 23) to be delivered for display by the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum later this summer.

Credit: collectSPACE.com / Ben Cooper

posted 04-20-2012 02:59 PM               

Space shuttle Enterprise's delivery to New York delayed by weather concerns

Space shuttle Enterprise's jet flight from Washington, D.C. to New York has gone from "on time" to "delayed."

Mounted early Friday morning (April 20) on top of NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), a modified Boeing 747 jet, Enterprise was scheduled to take off on Monday morning from Washington Dulles to John F. Kennedy International Airport to be displayed by the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum. Instead, the ferry flight has been delayed.

"Enterprise flight to NYC postponed until further notice due to unfavorable weather forecast for [Monday]. Details to follow," the Intrepid wrote on Twitter on Friday afternoon.

posted 04-20-2012 05:23 PM               

Flight engineers are Henry Taylor and Larry LaRose. And the weather pilot is Arthur "Ace" Beall.

posted 04-21-2012 01:07 PM               

Space Shuttle Program Transition and Retirement (T&R) engineers Saturday completed the final steps to ready Space Shuttle Enterprise for its flight to New York's John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport while managers continue to evaluate the expected weather that has postponed delivery past Monday.

The team installed "rain covers" over Enterprise’s vent door openings ahead of the expected rain. Engineers made the covers out of foam board covered with aluminum sheeting, weather stripping and wood. The items were purchased from a local hardware store and fabricated into covers at their hotel parking lot. In parallel to the cover work, the aft and forward attach points were torqued to ferry requirements.

The covers will be removed before ferry.

The latest weather briefing and forecast essentially is unchanged with rain and thunderstorms moving into the northeast Saturday evening and remaining in the area through Monday.

The SSP T&R team, in consultation with Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum officials, have concluded that the delivery of Enterprise atop the 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft will occur no earlier than Tuesday (April 24) due to the uncertainty of how fast the poor weather will move out of the area.

posted 04-22-2012 01:04 PM               

Space Shuttle Program Transition and Retirement managers met Sunday afternoon (April 22) to again evaluate the weather forecast for space shuttle Enterprise's Ferry Flight to New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport. The group, in conjunction with Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum officials, deferred setting a date for the ferry flight until Monday.

Managers will convene at 1 p.m. EDT for the OV-101 Ferry Flight Readiness Review and again will evaluate the weather and system readiness to support the ferry flight. They are expected to formally set the date at the conclusion of the meeting.

The latest forecast indicates a low pressure system on the east coast will deliver low clouds and rain in both the Washington, D.C. and New York areas, precluding the flight of NASA's prototype shuttle until Wednesday at the earliest.

posted 04-22-2012 07:40 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by Robert Pearlman:
Jeff Moultrie captained the SCA for Discovery's ferry flight and will be the first officer for Enterprise's delivery. Bill Rieke was first officer for OV-103 and will be captain for OV-101.

Flight engineers are Henry Taylor and Larry LaRose. And the weather pilot is Arthur "Ace" Beall.

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posted 04-23-2012 05:09 PM               

Space shuttle Enterprise's NY arrival reset for Wednesday, weather permitting

The countdown for space shuttle Enterprise's touchdown in New York is back on.

The prototype NASA orbiter, which never flew in space but was used by the space agency for approach and landing tests in the late 1970s, will now take off from Washington, D.C. for the Big Apple on Wednesday (April 25), pending a final review of the weather on Tuesday.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is coordinating the flight, which is scheduled to occur between 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. EDT (1330 and 1530 GMT). The exact route and timing depend on weather and operational constraints.

posted 04-24-2012 08:40 AM               

NASA's prototype space shuttle Enterprise now aims for Friday landing in New York

Grounded for more than 25 years as a museum display, the space shuttle Enterprise will need to wait just a few more days before taking to the air for one last flight.

The prototype NASA orbiter, which never flew in space but was used by the space agency for approach and landing tests in the late 1970s, will now take off from Washington, D.C. for New York no sooner than Friday (April 27), if the weather cooperates.

"A large region of low pressure dominating the east coast has made it difficult to reliably predict an acceptable day for the flight," NASA said in a statement released after a meeting held Tuesday morning (April 24) to reassess the weather forecast. "Managers now are tentatively targeting the flight for Friday, April 27, weather permitting."

posted 04-25-2012 08:53 AM               

NASA managers and Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum officials met Wednesday morning to review plans for the ferry of space shuttle Enterprise from Washington Dulles International Airport to John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport in New York.

Weather is predicted to be favorable for the entire flight, although forecasting more than a day in advance is problematic because of a large region of low pressure dominating the East Coast. Managers will assess the forecast again on Thursday morning.

Once officially approved, NASA's 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) with Enterprise mounted atop will fly at a relatively low altitude over various parts of the New York City metropolitan area on Friday. The aircraft is expected to fly near a variety of landmarks, including the Statue of Liberty and Intrepid. After the flyover is complete, the SCA will land at JFK.

The Federal Aviation Administration is coordinating the flight, which is scheduled to occur between 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. EDT, weather permitting. The exact route and timing depend on weather and operational constraints.

posted 04-26-2012 09:20 AM               

Space shuttle and skycrapers: How to see NASA's Enterprise fly over NYC

For the second time in as many weeks, a space shuttle is set to take flight on top of a jumbo jet, offering an overhead spectacle as it flies past famous U.S. landmarks.

NASA's original prototype orbiter Enterprise will take off on Friday morning (April 27), weather permitting, from Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C. and fly to New York City and John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport.

Mounted on the space agency's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, a modified Boeing 747 jetliner, the air- and spacecraft duo are expected to fly over the Hudson River near the Statue of Liberty and the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum, the latter Enterprise's eventual new home.

posted 04-26-2012 09:23 AM               

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