Markus

I don't have many regrets, but one of them is not having flown on Concorde to New York. I know it wasn't as spacious or refined as the upper/business class cabins on most of the new generation of aircraft, but then those planes cannot hold a candle to Concorde.

Why is it so special? For me it's because it was the pinnacle of passenger jet engineering. Granted the very large aircraf we have know are in a way engineering marvels, but are they capable of supersonic flight, I don't think so. That was the other endearing thing about the old girl, she could fly supersonic, and was the only passenger jet in active service to do this and I think that this will remain for quite some time.

There's also the fact that she was British, ok, not 100 percent british as Air France was involved. She also pished off the yanks as they could not build their own copy and did their oh-so-normal spoilt brat impression and decide to try and prevent it from landing in the US.

I do hope there will be a spiritual sucessor to Concorde, preferably one that can accommodate far more passengers, and thus bring supersonic intercontiental flight to the masses. It does irk me somewhat that crossing the atlantic in the 21st Century still takes far too long.

bugeyeandy

I work for BA as an engineer, the company has little concern anymore of its past and only concern for the future and profit.
Concordes' cards were marked as soon as it became too difficult to source parts and one was used as a spares supply. I'd love to see it still in the air and i'd also have loved to see Branson take a few on and run them for many more years but as we all know he's a publicity ***** and had no genuine interest in doing that.
There is still a Concorde outside our East Base hangars and although it was handed over to the BAA for them to display they too have seen fit to abandon it. Shame really.
There are still people within BA who share your sense of occasion and history but unfortunately the ones holding the purse strings are more like Snug Rhino above and couldn't care less.
IMO the chances of seeing one take to the skies again are zero, i'd love to one day eat my words though

Flatcapdriver

I really wish people would stop perpetuating this myth about BA and what a nasty bunch they are for not continuing to operate the aircraft.

The simple fact of the matter is that EADS (Airbus) refused to continue with the manufacture and stocking of spares available for the aircraft, consquently the CofA was withdrawn. Without it, the airlines could not operate Concorde.

After the crash at CDG, despite rumours to the contrary, BA was the only airline commited to getting the aircraft back into service with Air France initially reluctant and only shamed into it by BA's commitment which is why they spend so much refurbishing their airframes to comply with the 21st century.

Once the decision had been forced upon BA, Branson in his usual inimitable style got as much cheap PR out of the situation as possible by stating that he'd operate the aircraft and traded on the usual anti-BA brigade's emotions. Again, without the CofA Virgin could never have operated the aircraft. Not then, not now and not in the future but by trading on people's ignorance he got some valuable PR which didn't cost him a penny.

The only reason Concorde was ever profitable was down to the government of the day writing off the development costs which ran into the billions. Without that, BA and Air France would never have turned a profit.

There was nothing genuine about Branson's aspirations to operate the air frames apart from naivety.

Gav

I live 15 minutes from Manchester airport and i'm really really pi$$ed off at myself for neve going to watch it take off or land

Hopefully one day i will

JTaylor

Spot-on.

The Snug Rhino

Not quite spot on though is it - BA made a profit ONLY because the debt was written off by the gov and the bottom line is they make a LOT more money from their high end passengers flying them PROPER business class and not at mach 9 in a tin loo roll.

If it was a good commercial jet it would still fly today....but its not. Its a 1999 Subaru RB5. Quick, but thats about it unless you count "nostalgia".

David Lock

Well nostalgia's high on my agenda

dl

DCI Gene Hunt

Any other 70's people remember that classic film....

The Concorde ... Airport '79


At twice the speed of sound, can the Concorde evade attack? ..... you bet it can

Although...the Concorde featured in the film first flew as F-WTSC on 31 Jan 1975, and was the 7th Concorde built. It was re-registered as F-BTSC (serial number 203)in May 1975, and it appears with this registration in the film. The Concorde was leased from Aerospatiale (France) for the movie, and was sold to Air France in October 1980. This Concorde was the same aircraft which crashed after tyre bust caused a fule tank to rupture and the leaking fuel catch fire on July 25th 2000, while taking off from Charles De Gaulle Airport in Paris

FlightMan

Nope, I certainly hit the target. That last post confirms it.

David Lock

YouTube - Pink Floyd - Money

JTaylor

Almost every post you make is akin to a reasonably good Gordon Gekko impersonation.