May 6, 2009
Fleet Week starts May 20, features Growler sub return
When Fleet Week New York begins later this month, military buffs can expect not just big ships, sailors and flyovers, but also the return of the Growler retired nuclear submarine.
 The submarine, billed as the only extant sub that fired nuclear missiles, will officially reopen to the public at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum on May 21.
The Growler (SSG-577) first opened at the Intrepid in 1989 but closed in 2006 when the Intrepid and Pier 86 closed for repairs. The Growler was docked in the Atlantic Basin and then towed to the Brooklyn Navy Yard for drydock repairs. When the Intrepid museum reopened in November 2008, interior repairs were not yet complete on the Growler. Now she’s ready.
The Fleet Week schedule includes a special Iwo Jima commemoration, a Memorial Day ceremony and sports and cooking competitions between groups of visiting marines and sailors.
Pier 86 will also host performances by the casts of “Wicked” and “Stomp” and a concert from a band of ex-sailors called Chasing Corona.
Flyovers are tentatively scheduled for May 20 and May 25. (Update: The May 20 flyover of four F-18 Hornets is scheduled to start at 11:45 a.m.)
Nearby, the New York Air Show at Jones Beach State Park on May 23 and 24 will feature the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and the Canadian Snowbirds.
Plans were scratched for ships in Brooklyn, but the big ships dcked in Manhattan and Staten Island will be available for public tours through the week.
Update: The Parade of Ships is now set for May 20 from 10:30 a.m.
The visiting ships for Fleet Week 2009:
Manhattan:
USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7)
USS Roosevelt (DDG 80)
Staten Island:
USS Vella Gulf (CG 72)
USS Thunderbolt (PC 12)
USS Tempest (PC 2)
USS Hurricane (PC 3)
HMCS Fredericton
HMCS Athabaskan
HMCS Preserver
HMCS Montreal
HMCS St. John’s
Picture provided to NewYorkology by Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum/Rubenstein.
Earlier: Book excerpt: epic story of legendary warship Intrepid
Pictures of Concorde’s return to Intrepid on the Hudson
USS Intrepid passing Statue of Liberty on return trip
Parade of Ships underway in NY Harbor for Fleet Week 2008
May 6, 2009 10:19 AM in Cheap Stuff, Kids, Midtown, Museums, Out of Manhattan, Sightsology
Comments (2)
®Copyright 2004 - 2010, All Rights Reserved
|
