If you’re visiting New York City, the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum is a great stop for any aviation enthusiast. After an extensive renovation from 2006 to 2008 the museum has always had a wide assortment of aircraft for viewing including:
- F-16 Falcon
- Lockheed A-12 the predecessor to the SR-71
- A-4 Skyhawk
- A-6 Intruder
- and more
One of the more recent additions is the former British Airways Concorde (G-BOAD) affectionately referred to as “Alpha Delta”. This aircraft set a record time in 1996 crossing the Atlantic in 2 hours and 52 minutes.
Visitors to the Intrepid Museum can purchase an additional tour to sit inside the Concorde. The tour starts with a history of the Concorde program and then you board the aircraft to sit in the seats and tour the flight deck.
British Airways G-BOAD (Alpha Delta)
The cabin ceilings are low, the windows small, and the seats spaced for a short three hour flight. No flat beds here nor would they be required. The front of the fuselage has very low ceilings, in fact walking in through the forward door requires bending down even for an average height person. No economy plus here:
When choosing your seat on the Concorde I’d recommend skipping the bulkhead – no floor cutout. 😉
Tonight’s Concorde menu includes:
- Trio of Salmon to start
- A choice of Fillet of Beef, Maine Lobster, Aubergine Ravioli or Antipasti Salad
- For dessert: New York Style Cheesecake or a selection of cheeses
Then we toured the flight deck:
Overall I would recommend visiting the Intrepid Museum and adding on the Concorde tour. The fact that you can sit in the seats and go into the cockpit lets you experience, if albeit briefly, a great piece of commercial aviation history. And with the recent arrival of the space shuttle, there is even more to see.
