Concorde

[david_e]

Shame that Boring Airways aren't keeping the old bird flying on.

Find it hard to believe that with the the know how available they can't put a replacement, bigger, lighter, stronger, quieter - together.

If they won't sell it to Branson, what about Ryanair or Sleazyjet?

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[ecudc]

I know I'll miss the daily house shake at 6:00 pm.

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[chas]

A little bit will live on - most of the Royal Navy have Ollys for main propulsion.

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[StephenSails]

Totally agree David, I tuned in my airband radio this afternoon to hear them chatting, it was very interesting and a sad moment for Britain.

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[oldgit]

Re: Concorde a sad moment for who?.

not for many under the flight path or for all the people who had to hang around in the hold while the fuel hungry monster with its half dozen subsidized passengers took landing priority because no fuel for go around.Should have been put into museum 25 years ago.Nice try but failed on all scores.

<hr width=100% size=1>If it aint broke fix it till it is.

 

[Talbot]

most = more than 50%. IIRC the newer ships are fitted with Speys.

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[Talbot]

Not true anymore as most = more than 50%, and it is only the carriers and the old Type 42's that have the ollies. IIRC the newer ships have speys.

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[Peppermint]

Re: A Folly

In the true sense. Expensive, Beautiful, Useless.

To fly on it was an amazing cocktail of discomfort and luxury and almost the least exciting thing you could do, although the take off is quite something.

The noise issue was over rated. How often do you see one, twice a day? But being brought up on a V-Bomber base or two might have de-sensitised me.

I hope someone takes them on. They are the ultimate "going to windward machine" open to the public.

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[MapisM]

For those who will really miss it...

...there are much better alternatives. And at (almost) bargain prices!
Just have a look at <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.adventures.cc/start.asp?p1=1&p4=31> this </A> if you can't believe it.

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[Moose]

IMO it is the best aircraft ever made. So there/forums/images/icons/smile.gif

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L' Moose

 

[BrendanS]

It's drooping! Could you not have posted a piccie in the erect position

Your's a pyschoanylisthingy

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[bob_tyler]

Re: Concorde a sad moment for who?.

Dear Oldgit,

I would have thought better of you than your statement here. Most of your postings are interesting and to the point.

This one, I'm afraid, just make you a Sad Old Git.

Sorry.

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[Moose]

Re: Concorde a sad moment for who?.

Agreed (to some extent)

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L' Moose

 

[cgull]

Re: Barry Maniloe

Did you know that Barrie Manilow is an EXACT fit in the cockpit of Concorde!

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[MainlySteam]

If not the best, must certainly be close to it. Possibly civil aviation's equivalent of the SR-71 Blackbird in terms of operational aircraft exploring the bounds.

Is sad.

John

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[whiskerstay]

Re: Concorde a sad moment for who?.

All scores? Hardly.

BA actually ran her at a profit, even if Air France didn't. She is still the first, and only supersonic airliner in the world, and is Britain & France's answer to the space race, an engineering marvel. She is utterly beautiful, and has captured the hearts of many of us. She is one of the few great British achievements of the 20th Century, and was (and is) enough to make the USA envious (a rare privalege).

She doesn't fail in any of these, she excells.

I have to admit I shed a tear or two watching her take off from JFK this morning. It's terribly sad, but credit to BA for giving her a fitting end to her professional career.

I was just in time getting onto the roof of our building to see the three of them on descent into Heathrow - I suspect no-one will ever see three Concordes in flight, and in close proximity to each other, ever again.

/<

<hr width=100% size=1>"Stop mucking about, darling, and get the bloody mud weight over."

 

[mikewilkes]

Re: Concorde a sad moment for who?.

Did you manage to get a piccy you could post?

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[oldgit]

Re: Concorde a sad moment for who?.

Goody an argument.
Pass.Stunning looker
Cost.Fail.the thing never got back what it cost.Est equiv of 3000 quid for every taxpayer in UK.Never mind France.
British.Fail The French did over half the work and kept the project going when the UK nearly came to its senses and wanted to pull out.
Useability.Fail.It could not fly over long distances where it would have been most use.
Useful.Fail.not allowed into most of the worlds airports.
Pushing the envelope of technology.Fail the Americans were going faster,higher and further years before with their aircraft.Using their SR aircraft over Vietnam a decade before.
The Amercans went for the 747 we went for the Concorde.Tell you anything?

<hr width=100% size=1>If it aint broke fix it till it is.

 

[trevor_loveday]

Thoroughly agree - it will be very sadly missed in my family.

I once came very, very near to flying on her... My Mum phoned up one evening several years ago and told me that her daily newspaper (Mail, probably) was running a competition and the prize was a "Bay of Biscay" flight on Concorde out of Heathrow, then land at the RIAT (Royal International Air Tattoo) display at RAF Fairford. The winner would have a VIP seat for the display. Concorde would then depart back to Heathrow and continue its duties and the winner would be driven back to Heathrow to pick up their car after the display.

As a pilot, this sounded like a great way to spend a Saturday so I helped her with the answers for the competition. Usual sort of Concorde stuff - Brian Trubshawe, 1969, etc.

At the end of the conversation, my Mum told me that my Dad wasn't that interested in the idea and so she vowed that if she won, she'd take me (it was probably my Mum who got me interested in flying in the first place, thinking back). I spoke to my wife and told her of the arrangement, and she agreed that if I did an entry and won, I could reciprocate the offer for my Mum.

Two weeks later, my Mum phoned. She had trouble telling me that she'd won the competition and my Dad had decided to take an interest...! I understand they enjoyed themselves.

Besides this, I've taken my children (and some of their friends) to Heathrow (50 mins drive) many times to watch Concorde take off. We've never failed to be thrilled each time. There were always at least ten and often more people parked up illegally at the end of the runway just to see it go. Because it didn't have flaps on the wings (those bits that slide out at the back before take-off and landing), it needed to go much faster than most airliners before it could get airborne. This also reduced its ability to climb at slow speed. The combination of these factors meant that it came over the fence at around 500 - 1000 feet, where many of the other airliners were already at 2-3000 feet. The noise was incredible but only for an instant as it went immediately overhead ("past your zenith" for sextant operatives). It wasn't so much that you heard it - you could feel it as your whole body was moved by the force of the sound waves! Nobody could take their eyes off it for another 10-20 seconds as it built speed and then would turn the afterburners off as it cruised serenely during the subsonic phase over land.

Once or twice, we saw it at night and the length of the afterburner flames were almost as long as the fuselage.

Lastly, I once flew to Lundy (little island in the Bristol Channel, twelve miles off the coast). Concorde came this way to head out to America and entered the acceleration phase to supersonic flight once over the Bristol Channel. Although distant, you could hear the supersonic bang as it departed - wonderful.

It is highly unlikely that there will be another like it in our lifetimes and I feel very priveliged to have enjoyed it so much.

I now just keep my fingers crossed that BA will keep one flying and use it in air shows occasionally. I saw Concorde once doing a few flypasts at an airfield and it will make a wonderful display aircraft. If anyone has ever seen an Avro Vulcan (which has the same four engines, but slightly less powerful versions), you'll know what I mean.

Lastly, everyone's entitled to their views and if you're a bean counter you will probably view Concorde as a fiscal disaster. Sometimes, though, realising that you only get one life on this planet, you need to release your soul and enjoy the moment. I've seen thousands of people enjoying Concorde and the sense of pride, excitement, awe and wonder was always tangible. God bless her.

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[trevor_loveday]

Re: Concorde a sad moment for who?.

Fred, thanks for this post. This is a more reasoned view.

I notice from your bio that you list one of your interests as "Flying". What's the link there then?

Lastly, please tell me exactly what you would have felt if you'd been driving round the M25 at around 11am on a weekday morning and you saw it blasting through the sky over the road in front of you? I'd be interested, even though I acknowledge and accept your other views (which, sadly, have a lot of truth in them).

Regards,

Trevor

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