Concorde

[HEM]

I recall seeing the 002 prototype perform 4 flypasts at the Woodford 1-day airshow (we lived nearby) in 1969.

I've walked through the AIr France machines in Sinsheim and the BA one in Seattle Museum of Flight (just 1 year ago).

I have a very detailed Concorde video (no clue where it came from) which starts off by going through a very detailed walk-around of the aircraft before a flight to New York & the return to LHR.

 

[grendel]

I have seen her take off and land at Manston Airport (which at the tim was one of the few airports with a runway just long enough for the space shuttle I believe - sadly no more - like concord.

[Regulo]

Programme on BBC4 at 9 p.m. Tuesday about Concorde. 

[MauriceMynah]

I was always a bit miffed that when Branson wanted to take over Concorde and address the safety issues, British Airways blocked him. 

[BoF]

I used to work at Heathrow and often went aboard Concorde. As everyone has already said, it was small and cramped inside, but oh boy were the seats comfortable! The service was excellent, as you would expect for the price of a ticket, and the crew were all hand-picked and at the top of their profession. There was certainly ‘status’ in saying you were a Concorde crew member.

 

As others have said, the Americans were not happy at being beaten by the British and French. They reacted in just the same way as they have done recently with the Canadian aircraft (Bombardier?), and tried to stop it entering US airspace. Only the East Coast airfields near the Atlantic were allowed to take it. Imagine if it had been a Boeing or McDonald aircraft. Would it still have been banned at other airfields? I doubt it.

[loribear]

On 06/10/2017 at 08:46, Chelsea14Ian said:

The last BA Concorde in service is now going on Display in Bristol. I have been over the prototype at Duxsford .If I get a chance would like to see the one at Bristol. Inside it is very small.Sadly I never got a chance to fly on her,what a plane when you think the design was sixties.I did see the last flight from work,5 or 6 can't remember went over what a sight.Sadly I think we missed a trick Think the Americans put a block on it and would have been  great if they came up with further developments. Suppose it came down to money.All that is left of Concorde,is her call sign.Speed bird 1.That is now used by BA planes flying from London city Airport to New York. 

Ian 

.

Hi ian, i went to duxford the other day & went in concorde & you're right it really is narrow , if you decide to visit it , take your own food , it was £9.00 just for two scones, but it is a nice place to visit with 7 hangars full of planes, 

[loribear]

Oh forgot to say we saw a waterboat there which neils dad flew in  in the RAF it was massive. But beautiful.

[Davydine]

On 07/10/2017 at 15:07, MauriceMynah said:

I was always a bit miffed that when Branson wanted to take over Concorde and address the safety issues, British Airways blocked him. 

As much as I like Mr. Branson, I doubt that he would have been able to convince Airbus to continue to provide maintenance support for Concorde and without support from the manufacturer she was never going to be kept in the air. I rather suspect it was a clever piece of publicity for Virgin and nothing more.

 

[Chelsea14Ian]

1 hour ago, loribear said:

Oh forgot to say we saw a waterboat there which neils dad flew in  in the RAF it was massive. But beautiful.

The plane is Sunderland sea plane built by Short brothers in Belfast I think.

[BoF]

2 hours ago, Chelsea14Ian said:

The plane is Sunderland sea plane built by Short brothers in Belfast I think.

Yes, it is a Sunderland Flying Boat. There is one at the RAF Museum at Hendon that you get aboard and have a good look round. There is also a civilian version, called a Sandringham, in the Southampton Hall of Aviation. It has Australian registration and was used right up to the 1970s to fly from Sydney to Lord Howe Island. It was taken out of service when they finally built a land plane airstrip on the island. You can have a look around inside this one as well, the interior layout is exactly as it was back in the 1970s and if there aren't many people in the Hall, the curators will open up the ladder to the cockpit and let you have a play around up there.  Boys own world, or what!   

This is a link to a youtube video about the Sandringham.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQYGqt3x9s8

[Malanka]

Driving back from Slough to Maidenhead one day I saw three Concordes all flying behind one another it was a remarkable sight.

 

There is still one parked at the BA maintenance sheds at the end of the runway at Heathrow, I saw it Saturday morning from the first class cabin of the BA 777 I was flying in. I had just finished my full english breakfast with tea in a porcelain tea pot and cup. 

Was a lovely experience..

[BrundallNavy]

When I worked in the Executive Jet Centre at Heathrow we where very near the end of the runway and would often go outside to watch the morning flight to America, the sight and sound was truly amazing.

Doug.

[JamesLV]

My two experiences of this beautiful bird have been initially of growing up in North Devon and hearing her go supersonic over the Atlantic, and secondly being stood on the platform at Clapham Junction waiting for my train to/from uni and seeing her fly over, been on the one at Duxford and the one at Brooklands, very small but so classy!

[Polly]

I went aboard the prototype Concorde at Yeovilton years ago, very small inside, totally unforgettable.

[JennyMorgan]

1 hour ago, Polly said:

I went aboard the prototype Concorde at Yeovilton years ago, very small inside, totally unforgettable.

Likewise.

A very near neighbour's son was a Concord pilot and on his last flight came in low and slow over our houses with the nose down. Nose up, throttles forward and off he went, wow, that was big time noisy!  Don't know why but I felt quite emotional at her passing & her parting, the end of an era I suppose.

[Chelsea14Ian]

I think many many people felt the same feeling about the plane .It's a head Turner.Not many commercial planes had that affect .Sadly I don't think we will see it's like again

 

[Davydine]

2 hours ago, JennyMorgan said:

 Don't know why but I felt quite emotional at her passing & her parting, the end of an era I suppose.

Same here, I definately felt emotional when she retired.

I have a fascinating DVD which was filmed on board one of the BA concordes and follows the whole flight, from the walk round to the full flight to New York and the return flight. All of the key stages of the flight were filmed in the cockpit, with full explanations of what is happening from the pilots and engineer. Really interesting for anyone who is keen in aviation.

[JamesLV]

5 hours ago, Polly said:

I went aboard the prototype Concorde at Yeovilton years ago, very small inside, totally unforgettable.

I think I've been on that one too actually, what a truly fantastic museum that is as well!

[JennyMorgan]

6 hours ago, Polly said:

I went aboard the prototype Concorde at Yeovilton years ago, very small inside, totally unforgettable.

We'd been on a farmhouse holiday where Red Rum was resting  and drove past the Yeovilton museum on the way home. Back then Concord was parked outside, we just had go and have a look. Excellent museum then, probably even better now!

[JamesLV]

Ah yes, that would've been before they made the 'carrier' exhibit, a full size mock up of the ark royal deck and underbelly