Written by on Sep 10, 2012. Posted in On Location

Filming on the USS Lexington aircraft carrier in Texas

The USS Lexington is a World War II-era decommissioned aircraft carrier based in Corpus Christi in southern Texas. It functions as a floating museum in Corpus Christi Bay and is also available as a filming location.

Commissioned in 1943, the vessel served in the Pacific Theatre against the Japanese in World War II for nearly two years and sank or destroyed some 300,000 tonnes of enemy cargo. Lexington later served with the Seventh Fleet from San Diego in California before her final decommission in 1991.

Debbie Crites is Director of Marketing and Sales at the Museum On The Bay: “Quite a bit of the ship is open to the public and available for filming. The Flight Deck has been used quite often and it is important to note that Lexington is currently the only decommissioned carrier with an operational elevator. This elevator is of vital importance to crews as it enables large equipment access to the flight deck.”

“Parking space is abundant and our pier is designed to enable heavy vehicle access directly on to the hangar deck or the elevator for flight deck movement as required. The hangar deck is ideal for set preparation with an 18-foot overhead and 48,000 square feet of usable space.”

Lexington has been used extensively as a filming location in the past for brands including Budweiser, MasterCard and Axe, as well as Michael Bay’s feature Pearl Harbor. As a result the staff have experience in production roles ranging from Gaffer and Best Boy through to set construction and special effects.

Daily filming charges of USD5,000 apply for prep and wrap days, with USD10,000 for each full shoot day. In addition producers need to get public liability insurance of USD2 million, as well as compensation insurance for employees.

Hotel accommodation in the region is plentiful and caters for all budgets, while office space and long-term housing is also available.

To find out more about the USS Lexington, please contact Debbie here.