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We were docked next to the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum and were able to observe the USS Intrepid and many aircraft from the deck of the Norwegian Jewel. Therefore, we are including the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum in our tour. We wish to thank Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia; for the information we obtained concerning the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum and its displays. For very detailed descriptions of the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum and its displays, we suggest going to the Wikipedia web site. The Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum is a military and maritime history museum with a collection of museum ships and aircraft located at Pier 86 at 46th Street on the West Side of Manhattan in New York City. The Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum showcases the World War II aircraft carrier USS Intrepid, the submarine USS Growler, a Concorde SST and a Lockheed A-12 supersonic reconnaissance plane. The Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum also features numerous aircraft of the United States as well as aircraft from other nations. The museum also serves as a hub for the annual Fleet Week events. Numerous visiting warships dock at the various cruise ship terminals to the north of the museum, and events are held on the museum grounds and upon the flight deck of the Intrepid. The Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum was founded in 1982, at Pier 86 after Zachary Fisher, a prominent New York real estate developer and philanthropist, and journalist Michael Stern succeeded in saving the Intrepid from the scrap heap in 1978. The museum closed on October 1, 2006 for a 2 year renovation of the Intrepid and its facilities. The museum was again reopened to the general public on November 8, 2008. The USS Intrepid became a National Historic Landmark in 1986. A little known fact is that In September of 2001, the Intrepid served as the temporary field headquarters for the FBI as it began its investigation of the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks. On October 1, 2006, the Intrepid closed for repairs and renovations to herself and her pier. Intrepid was moved down the Hudson by tugboat to The Peninsula at Bayonne Harbor, New Jersey (previously the Military Ocean Terminal) to undergo restoration. On November 8, 2008, the Intrepid reopened to the public. Aircraft are also displayed on the flight and hangar decks and the British Airways Concorde was also moved from a barge into an exhibit space on the pier. The USS Growler (1989), a diesel electric submarine which carried out nuclear deterrent patrols armed with Regulus missiles, is also on display, right next to the Intrepid. The USS Growler (SSG-577), is an early cruise missile submarine of the Grayback class, was the fourth ship of the United States Navy to be named for the growler, a large-mouth black bass. The USS Growler was laid down on 15 February 1955 by the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard of Kittery, Maine. She was launched on 5 April 1958, being sponsored by Mrs. Robert K. Byerts, widow of Commander Thomas B. Oakley, Jr., who commanded the third Growler on her 9th, 10th, and fatal 11th war patrols. The USS Growler was commissioned at Portsmouth on 30 August 1958 with Lieutenant Commander Charles Priest, Jr., in command. After training exercises off the East Coast Growler sailed south for her shakedown cruise, arriving at the Roosevelt Roads Naval Station, Puerto Rico, on 19 February 1959. After a brief run back to Portsmouth, she returned to the Caribbean Sea in March to train in launching Regulus I and II guided missiles. Growler returned to Portsmouth 19 April via Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and New London, Connecticut. The Growler then proceeded into the Pacific via Norfolk, Virginia, Key West, Florida, and the Panama Canal, finally putting in at Pearl Harbor on 7 September to serve as flagship of Submarine Division 12. At Pearl Harbor, the Growler then participated in a variety of battle and torpedo exercises as well as missile practice before beginning her first Regulus Deterrent Mission. On this mission, which lasted from 12 March to 17 May 1960, Growler departed Hawaii with a full store of Regulus sea-to-surface missiles, armed with nuclear warheads, and patrolled under a strict cloak of secrecy. Their patrols could last two months or more at a stretch and required them to remain submerged for hours and even days�which at first hardly seems difficult when compared to the patrols of nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines, but was a strain for the crew of a much smaller diesel boat. From May 1960 through December 1963 the Growler had made nine such deterrent mission patrols, one of which, the fourth, terminated at Yokosuka, Japan, on 24 April 1962. Returning to Mare Island, California, the Growler was decommissioned on May 25, 1964; and was placed into reserve. She was moved to the Inactive Fleet section in the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington, and was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on August 1, 1980; and was scheduled to be used as a torpedo target. However, on 8 August 1988, Congress awarded the hulk to Zachary Fisher, Chairman of the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum. Due to the renovations to the entire Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum complex, including the USS Intrepid and Pier 86; the Growler was towed to Brooklyn for repairs. Holes were found rusted in the hull which complicated matters and pushed the Growler repair costs past $1.5 million. The Growler returned to Pier 86 in late February 2009, and was re-opened to the public on 21 May 2009, during the Intrepid museum "Fleet Week 2009" celebration. The SSM-N-8A Regulus used on the Growler, was both a ship and submarine launched, nuclear armed cruise missile deployed by the United States Navy from 1955 to 1964. Production of the Regulus was phased out in January 1959, with delivery of the 514th missile, and it was removed from service in August 1964. The Regulus not only provided the first nuclear strategic deterrence force for the United States Navy during the first years of the Cold War and especially during the Cuban Missile Crisis, preceding the Polaris missiles, Poseidon missiles, and Trident missiles that followed, but it also was the forerunner of the Tomahawk cruise missile. Here is a list and description of the various aircraft on display at the museum; listed by the armed force using them. US Air Force: The F-16 Fighting Falcon that flew in support of Operation Desert Storm. The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multirole jet fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force. It was designed as a lightweight, daytime fighter, it evolved into a successful multirole aircraft. Over 4,400 aircraft have been built since production was approved in 1976 The Fighting Falcon is considered a dogfighter with numerous innovations; including a frameless bubble canopy for better visibility, side-mounted control stick to ease control while maneuvering, reclined seat to reduce the effect of g-forces on the pilot and the first use of a relaxed static stability/fly-by-wire flight control system that makes it a highly nimble aircraft. The F-16 has an internal M61 Vulcan cannon and has 11 hardpoints for mounting weapons, and other mission equipment. Although the F-16's official name is "Fighting Falcon", it is known to its pilots as the "Viper", due to it resembling a viper snake and after the Battlestar Galactica Colonial Viper starfighter. In addition to USAF active, reserve, and air national guard units, the aircraft is used by the USAF aerial demonstration team, the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, and as an adversary/aggressor aircraft by the United States Navy. The F-16 has also been selected to serve in the air forces of at least 25 other nations. The first production Lockheed A-12 (the predecessor of the SR-71A): The Lockheed A-12 was a reconnaissance aircraft built for the Central Intelligence Agency by Lockheed's famed Skunk Works, based on the designs of Clarence "Kelly" Johnson. The A-12 was produced from 1962 through 1964, and was in operation from 1963 until 1968. The single-seat design, which first flew in April 1962, was the precursor to both the U.S. Air Force YF-12 interceptor and the famous SR-71 Blackbird reconnaissance aircraft. The final A-12 mission was flown in May 1968, and the program and aircraft retired in June of that year. US Navy: The actual seventh F-14 Tomcat ever built: It was used in 1973 as a Super Tomcat prototype. The Grumman F-14 Tomcat was a supersonic, twin-engine, two-seat, variable-sweep wing fighter aircraft. The F-14 was the first of the American teen-series fighters which were designed incorporating the experience of air combat against MiGs during the Vietnam War. The F-14 first flew in December 1970. It first deployed in 1974 with the U.S. Navy aboard USS Enterprise (CVN-65), replacing the F-4 Phantom II. The F-14 served as the U.S. Navy's primary maritime air superiority fighter, fleet defense interceptor and tactical reconnaissance platform. The F-14 was retired from the active U.S. Navy fleet on 22 September 2006, having been replaced by the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. An A-4 Skyhawk: The Douglas A-4 Skyhawk is a carrier-capable ground-attack aircraft designed for the United States Navy and U.S. Marine Corps. The delta winged, single turbojet-engined Skyhawk was designed and produced by Douglas Aircraft Company, and later McDonnell Douglas. It was originally designated the A4D under the US Navy's pre-1962 designation system. Fifty years after the aircraft's first flight, and having played key roles in the Vietnam War, the Yom Kippur War, and the Falklands War, some of the nearly 3,000 Skyhawks produced remain in service with several air arms around the world, including active duty on the aircraft carrier, S�o Paulo, of the Brazilian Navy. A Beech T-34 Mentor trainer: The Beechcraft T-34 Mentor is a propeller-driven, single-engined, military trainer aircraft derived from the Beechcraft Model 35 Bonanza. The earlier versions of the T-34, dating from around the late 1940s to the 1950s, were piston-engined. These were eventually succeeded by the upgraded T-34C Turbo-Mentor, powered by a turboprop engine. The T-34 remains in service almost six decades after it was first designed. A TBF Avenger: The Grumman TBF Avenger (designated TBM for aircraft manufactured by General Motors) was a torpedo bomber developed initially for the United States Navy and Marine Corps, and eventually used by several air or naval arms around the world. It entered U.S. service in 1942, and first saw action during the Battle of Midway. A E-1 Tracer: The E-1 Tracer was the first purpose built airborne early warning aircraft used by the United States Navy. It was a derivative of the Grumman C-1 Trader and first entered service in 1958. It was replaced by the more modern E-2 Hawkeye in the early 1970s. The E-1 was designated WF under the old US Navy system; the designation earned it the nickname "Willy Fudd". Since the S-2 Tracker was known as S2F under the old system, that airplane was nicknamed "Stoof"; the WF/E-1 with its distinctive radome gained the nickname "Stoof with a Roof." An F-11 Tiger that was once the number 5 jet on the Blue Angels. The Grumman F11F/F-11 Tiger was a single-seat carrier-based United States Navy fighter aircraft in operation during the 1950s and 1960s. Originally designated the F11F Tiger in April 1955 under the pre-1962 Navy designation system, it was redesignated as F-11 Tiger under the 1962 United States Tri-Service aircraft designation system. The F11F/F-11 was used by the Blue Angels flight team from 1957 to 1969. Grumman Aircraft Corporation made about 200 Tigers, with last delivered 23 January 1959. A FJ-2/-3 Fury: The North American FJ-2/-3 Fury were a series of swept-wing carrier-capable fighters for the United States Navy and Marine Corps. Based on the United States Air Force's F-86 Sabre, these aircraft featured folding wings, and a longer nose landing strut designed to both increase angle of attack upon launch and to absorb the shock of hard landings on an aircraft carrier deck. Although sharing a U.S. Navy designation with its distant predecessor, the straight-winged FJ-1 Fury, the FJ-2/-3 were wholly different aircraft. The FJ-4 Fury was a complete structural redesign of the FJ-3. A F-8 Crusader: The Vought F-8 Crusader (originally F8U) was a single-engine aircraft carrier-based air superiority fighter aircraft[1] built by Vought for the United States Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps, replacing the Vought F7U Cutlass. The first F-8 prototype was ready for flight in February 1955, and was the last American fighter with guns as the primary weapon, principally serving in the Vietnam War.[2] The RF-8 Crusader was a photo-reconnaissance development and operated longer in U.S. service than any of the fighter versions. RF-8s played a crucial role in the Cuban Missile Crisis, providing essential low-level photographs impossible to acquire by other means.[2] US Naval Reserve units continued to operate the RF-8 until 1987. An A-6 Intruder: that was used as a test bed for new radar and avionics in 1988. The Grumman A-6 Intruder was a twin jet-engine, mid-wing attack aircraft built in the United States by Grumman Aerospace. In service with the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps between 1963 and 1997, the Intruder was designed as an all-weather replacement for the piston-engined A-1 Skyraider medium attack aircraft. A specialized electronic warfare derivative, the EA-6B Prowler, remains in service as of 2010. As the A-6E was slated for retirement, its precision strike mission was taken over by the now retired F-14 Tomcat equipped with LANTIRN pod. A F3H Demon: The McDonnell F3H Demon was a subsonic swept-wing United States Navy carrier-based jet fighter aircraft. After severe problems with Westinghouse J40 engine that was ultimately abandoned, the successor to the F2H Banshee served starting in 1956 redesigned with the J71 engine.[1] Though it lacked sufficient power for supersonic performance, it complemented daylight dogfighters such as the F8U Crusader and F11F Tiger as an all-weather, missile-armed interceptor[2] until 1964. It was withdrawn before it could serve in the Vietnam when it, and ultimately also the Crusader, was replaced by the extremely successful F4 Phantom. McDonnell's Phantom, which was equally capable against ground, fighter and bomber targets, bears a strong family resemblance as it was itself conceived as an advanced development of the Demon. The supersonic USAF F-101 Voodoo also retained much of the Demon's layout. An F-9 Cougar: The Grumman F9F/F-9 Cougar was an aircraft carrier-based fighter aircraft for the United States Navy. Based on the earlier Grumman F9F Panther, the Cougar replaced the Panther's straight wing with a more modern swept wing. The Navy considered the Cougar an updated version of the Panther, despite having a different official name, and thus Cougars started off from F9F-6 upwards. A Piasecki H-25: The Piasecki H-25 Army Mule/HUP Retriever was a compact single radial engine, twin overlapping tandem rotor utility helicopter developed by the Piasecki Helicopter Corporation of Morton, Pennsylvania during the late 1940s and produced during the early 1950s. The company changed its name in the 1956 to Vertol Aircraft Corporation and subsequently was bought by Boeing Aircraft Company in 1960, and became Boeing-Vertol. US Marine Corps: A F-4 Phantom II.: The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the United States Navy by McDonnell Aircraft.[2] It first entered service in 1960 with the U.S. Navy. Proving highly adaptable, it was adopted by the U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S. Air Force by the mid-1960s and became a major part of their air wings. The Phantom is a large fighter with a top speed of over Mach 2. It can carry over 18,000 pounds (8,400 kg) of weapons on nine external hardpoints, including air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles, and various bombs. The F-4, like other interceptors of its time, was designed without an internal cannon, but later models incorporated a cannon. Beginning in 1959, it set 15 world records,[4] including an absolute speed record, and an absolute altitude record. A V-8B Harrier II: The McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) AV-8B Harrier II is a family of second-generation vertical/short takeoff and landing or V/STOL ground-attack aircraft of the late 20th century. An Anglo-American development of the Hawker Siddeley Harrier and Sea Harrier, it is primarily used for light attack or multi-role tasks, and is typically operated from small aircraft carriers, large amphibious assault ships and austere forward operating bases. A F3D Skyknight. : The Douglas F3D Skyknight, (later F-10 Skyknight) was a United States twin-engine, midwing jet fighter aircraft manufactured by the Douglas Aircraft Company in El Segundo, California. The F3D was designed as a carrier-based all-weather aircraft. It saw service with the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps. While it never achieved the notoriety of the North American F-86 Sabre it downed several MiG-15s as a night fighter over Korea against no losses of its own. It also served as an electronic warfare platform in the Vietnam conflict. The aircraft is sometimes unofficially called "Skynight", dropping the second "k". A H-1J Sea Cobra: The Bell AH-1 SuperCobra is a twin-engine attack helicopter based on the US Army's AH-1 Cobra. The twin Cobra family includes the AH-1J SeaCobra, the AH-1T Improved SeaCobra, and the AH-1W SuperCobra. The AH-1W is the backbone of the United States Marine Corps's attack helicopter fleet, but will be replaced in service by the AH-1Z Viper upgrade in the next decade. US Army: A fully restored Army AH-1 Cobra: The Bell AH-1 Cobra (company designation: Model 209) is a two-bladed, single engine attack helicopter manufactured by Bell Helicopter. It shares a common engine, transmission and rotor system with the older UH-1 Iroquois. The AH-1 is also referred to as the HueyCobra or Snake. The AH-1 was the backbone of the United States Army's attack helicopter fleet, but has been replaced by the AH-64 Apache in Army service. A Vietnam-era UH-1 Iroquois: The Bell UH-1 Iroquois is a military helicopter powered by a single, turboshaft engine, with a two-bladed main rotor and tail rotor. The helicopter was developed by Bell Helicopter to meet the United States Army's requirement for a medical evacuation and utility helicopter in 1952, and first flew on 20 October 1956. Ordered into production in March 1960, the UH-1 was the first turbine-powered helicopter to enter production for the United States military, and more than 16,000 have been produced worldwide.[1] The first combat operation of the UH-1 was in the service of the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. The original designation of HU-1 led to the helicopter's nickname of Huey.[2] In September 1962, the designation was changed to UH-1, but Huey remained in common use. Approximately 7,000 UH-1 aircraft saw service in Vietnam. A Bell 47: The Bell 47 is a two-bladed, single engine, light helicopter manufactured by Bell Helicopter. Based on the third Model 30 prototype, Bell's first helicopter designed by Arthur M. Young, the Bell 47 became the first helicopter certified for civilian use on 8 March 1946.[1][2] More than 5,600 Bell 47 aircraft were produced, including aircraft produced under license by Agusta in Italy, Kawasaki Heavy Industries in Japan, and Westland Aircraft in the United Kingdom. The Bell 47J Ranger is modified version with a fully enclosed cabin and fuselage. US Coast Guard: A Sikorsky H-19: The Sikorsky H-19 Chickasaw, (also known by its Sikorsky model number, S-55) was a multi-purpose helicopter used by the United States Army and United States Air Force. It was also license-built by Westland Aircraft as the Westland Whirlwind in the United Kingdom. United States Navy and United States Coast Guard models were designated HO4S, while those of the U.S. Marine Corps were designated HRS. In 1962, the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Marine Corps versions were all redesignated as H-19s like their U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force counterparts. A Sikorsky HH-52 Sea Guardian: In 1960, the S-60 became the first American turbine-powered helicopter to be certified by the FAA for commercial operations. It was also the first helicopter to be built with a watertight boat-hull fuselage. NASA: The Aurora 7 Capsule Replica: Mercury-Atlas 7 was a Mercury program American manned space mission launched May 24, 1962. The Mercury spacecraft was named Aurora 7 and made three Earth orbits, piloted by astronaut Scott Carpenter. A targeting mishap during reentry took the spacecraft 250 miles (about 400 km) off course, delaying recovery of Carpenter and the craft. The mission used Mercury spacecraft #18 and Atlas #107-D. Foreign Aircraft: The British Airways Concorde G-BOAD (2004): This actual airplane which is on display, set a world�s speed record for passenger airliners on February 7, 1996, when it flew from New York to London in 2 hours, 52 minutes and 59 seconds. An Italian Aermacchi MB-339:, painted in the colors of the Frecce Tricolori. The Aermacchi MB-339 is an Italian military trainer and light attack aircraft. It was developed as a replacement for the earlier MB-326. A French Dassault �tendard IV: The Dassault �tendard IV is a supersonic carrier-borne "strike" fighter aircraft designed for service with the French Navy. An Israeli IAI Kfir: The Israel Aircraft Industries Kfir (Hebrew: "Lion Cub") is an Israeli-built all-weather, multi-role combat aircraft based on a modified Dassault Mirage 5 airframe, with Israeli avionics and an Israeli-made version of the General Electric J79 turbojet engine. A Chinese built MiG-15: The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 was a jet fighter developed for the USSR by Artem Mikoyan and Mikhail Gurevich. The MiG-15 was one of the first successful swept-wing jet fighters, and it achieved fame in the skies over Korea, where early in the war, it outclassed all straight-winged enemy fighters in daylight. The MiG-15 also served as the starting point for development of the more advanced MiG-17 which was still an effective threat to supersonic American fighters over North Vietnam in the 1960s. The MiG-15 is believed to have been one of the most widely produced jet aircraft ever made, with over 12,000 built. Licensed foreign production perhaps raised the total to over 18,000.[1] The MiG-15 is often mentioned along with the North American F-86 Sabre in lists of the best fighter aircraft of the Korean War and in comparison with fighters of other eras. A Polish built MiG-17: The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 (NATO reporting name: Fresco) (China:Shenyang J-5) (Poland: PZL-Mielec Lim-6)[1] is a high-subsonic fighter aircraft produced in the USSR from 1952 and operated by numerous air forces in many variants. The MiG-17 cannot carry air-to-air missiles, and is mostly used for ground attack, but can shoot down enemy aircraft with its numerous cannons. It is an advanced development of the very similar appearing MiG-15 of the Korean War, and was used as an effective threat against supersonic fighters of the United States in the Vietnam War. It was also briefly known as the "Type 38", by USAF designation prior to the development of NATO codes. A Polish MiG-21: The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21; NATO reporting name "Fishbed") is a supersonic jet fighter aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. It was popularly nicknamed "balalaika", from the aircraft's planform-view resemblance to the Russian stringed musical instrument or ol�wek (English: pencil) by Polish pilots due to the shape of its fuselage.[2] Early versions are considered second-generation jet fighters, while later versions are considered to be third-generation jet fighters. Some 50 countries over four continents have flown the MiG-21, and it still serves many nations a half-century after its maiden flight. The fighter made aviation records. At least by name, it is the most-produced supersonic jet aircraft in aviation history and the most-produced combat aircraft since the Korean War, and it had the longest production run of a combat aircraft (1959 to 1985 over all variants).[ A British Royal Navy Supermarine Scimitar: The Supermarine Scimitar was a British naval fighter aircraft operated by the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm. The prototype for the eventual production version flew in January 1956 and production aircraft were delivered in 1957. It saw service with the Royal Navy from 1958 until 1969.

If you are planning to visit New York City, there are two main airports. John F. Kennedy International Airport (IATA: JFK, ICAO: KJFK, FAA LID: JFK) which is an international airport located in the borough of Queens in New York City owned by the City of New York and leased to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, about 12 miles (19 km) southeast of Lower Manhattan. LaGuardia Airport (IATA: LGA, ICAO: KLGA, FAA LID: LGA) which is an airport located in the northern part of the New York City borough of Queens. The airport is located on the waterfront of Flushing Bay and Bowery Bay, and borders the neighborhoods of Astoria, Jackson Heights and East Elmhurst. There are many hotels and motels in the area. We have some links to Priceline.Com on this page since they can arrange all of your air flights, hotels and car. We also have some links to Altrec.com on this page since they are a good online source for any outdoor camping gear and clothing that you may need. We,of course, appreciate your use of the advertising on our pages, since it helps us to keep our pages active.

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