LIVE! from the U.S.S. Intrepid!

[cjlasky7]

Posting this from the hangar deck of the U.S.S. Intrepid, one of the great military/air museums of this country, located on Pier 86 in Manhattan.

As usual when I'm way outside my normal routine, this is a special overnight stay ("Operation Slumber"!) arranged by the Cub Scouts. I am sitting on my cot, exhausted. Directly in front of me is a copy of one of the Gemini space capsules; a few feet beyond that, a WWII Grumman air fighter; directly above me, the flight deck, with one of the most impressive collections of military aircraft in the world.

I am not what you would call a student of military history. But purely as feats of engineering, the planes displayed and the carrier itself are awe-inspiring.

The bullets of the antiaircraft guns weigh 55 pounds apiece.

Each link of the anchor chain weighs over 150 pounds.

And, as a Star Trek fan, to see the space shuttle Enterprise in all its glory....what else do you need?

But as I said, I'm tired. Gonna have to corral the boy and get to sleep. Wake-up at 6:30, and we have to be out by 8.

Night all!

Comments

[shadowkat]

So you were safely tucked inside, where it was heated?

[cjlasky7]

Yep. The "Exploreum" on the hangar deck. Very well heated. It was "lights out" at midnight and "lights on" at 6:30 a.m. They chased us out at 8 so they could set up for the regular Sunday crowd.

[cactuswatcher]

What a thrill that would be for the kids!

[cjlasky7]

My only problem with this kind of experience is that I can't really relax into it. I have to set up and break down the cots. I have to make sure the boy is staying with the group, he's well (or at least adequately) fed, and all the stuff we took with us to the museum comes back with us.

So I think he had a great time... but I was too busy being a parent to be absolutely sure