Ice 2

Note:  Bowsprite has updated her blog with her fotos radio transcripts AND scooped everyone by including fotos here of  the recovered plane headed across to the Jersey side on the Weeks barge!  Way to go, bowsprite!

Ice:  cold, paralyzing, abrasive, noisy.  Foto of Francis E. Roehrig (now Aegean Sea) and fuel barge DBL-29 icebound in Rockaway Inlet.  Compliments of Jed.

Weeks tugs Thomas and Alexandria move lift barge 533 into position above A320 N106US yesterday morning.  Foto compliments of the indefatigeable bowspite.

Earlier foto of Weeks tugs and barge mentioned above moving past the Statue toward the North River.  For more of bowsprite’s photostream, click here.

Moose boat attempting unsucessfully to enter North Cove across the ice pack.  Obviously these are smaller than icebergs classified as “growlers,” but is there a technical name for these other than “chunks”?

Some of the government boats on the scene yesterday with Jersey city in the background.

Yeah, I used to ice fish and dreamed of driving ice bridges, but this pix make me want to move to the southern hemisphere for a season.  Meanwhile, my mind might contemplate a character-building winter swim, but the flesh … well… just gets goose bumps.

Speaking of geese, a strange image I couldn’t photograph yesterday afternoon involved a set of four helicopters high and distant over Jersey City in the vicinity of the flight path for Newark International, AND occupying the same apparent airspace, a flock of dozens of geese flying south in V-formation.  Escort them from the area, those  . . .  avian non grata…  it suggested.

Although it may be too late to see anything, Amy over at Newyorkology mentions that some of yesterday’s salvage activities could be viewed via the Liberty State Park’s webcam #3.  See link here.

Weeks 533 and Flight 1549 Re-Emerges

Call this post a quick story in the wee hours using twelve fotos or less.  Thomas of  Weeks Marine stands by the crane barge,

crane lowers slings over aircraft,

and Alexandria Weeks arrives with receiving barge amidst a plethora of emergency vessels.

At 1030ish, the deck barge stands by as the fuselage emerges,  and

a half hour later more fuselage emerges as starboard wing snaps free of the esplanade.

Crane barge moves slightly west,

and Virginia Weeks makes up to the barge in place of Alexandria.

Crane raises the aircraft, and

Virginia slides the barge underneath.

Plenty of space remains on the barge.  Notice all three Weeks tugs on the shot below.

With the aircraft securely cradled on the barge, it gets unslung, and

teams of investigators move in.  What is the sheeting hanging from the aft end of the plane?

Many thanks to Lee, family, and friends for my vantage point.  Now, notice the starboard engine.  That leaves only one to recover from the Hudson.

All fotos by Will Van Dorp, and possibly more fotos later.