An Historic Flight from the Port of Albany to New York City

Glenn F. Curtiss (1878-1930), "a hometown mechanical genius with a flair for speed, trundled a fragile, box kite-like contraption onto a half mile racetrack on the outskirts of Hammondsport, NY"... "made the first pre-announced flight in America of a heavier-than-air flying machine." Curtiss established the Curtiss Aeroplane & Motor Company, the Curtiss Flying School, and developed the hydroaeroplane and flying boat. His early work on seaplanes, in addition to his association with the U. S. Navy, earned for Curtiss the title of "Father of Naval Aviation".
Read more about Glenn F. Curtiss

In 1910, Curtiss flew from Albany to Governor's Island. A site mark on the Ports Administration Building front lawn denotes the historic flight. The following is the original article from that event.

New York Times, May 25th article:
ALBANY, May 25, 1910 In the barren, windswept little patch of seaweeds, sand, and grimy factory buildings in the middle of the Hudson which the river navigators know as Van Rensselaer Island, two expert mechanicians are hard at work by lantern light tonight assembling the aeroplane which to-morrow may start out on the most ambitious feat of aerial navigation ever at-tempted in this country.  Full Article Here

Dutch flat-bottom boats were among the attractions featured as part of the September 26th Hudson 400 Celebration of Discovery. When the festivities were over, the boats were hoisted up on to a ship by the Port's Liebherr Crane in order to make their trip back across the ocean. The Liebherr Mobile Harbor Crane has a lift capacity that ranges from 123 short tons at 65 feet to 38 short tons at 158 feet.

* Photography by Tom McGuinness

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