747400sp From United States of America, joined Aug 2003, 3301 posts, RR: 2 Reply 1, posted (1 year 5 months 4 weeks 1 day 19 hours ago) and read 8826 times:
Please do not take this as I am disrespecting you, but please do not remind me of that sad day? It still kinda up set me, that I never saw a Concorde in action, accept on video.
jetblast From United States of America, joined Nov 2004, 1198 posts, RR: 11 Reply 2, posted (1 year 5 months 4 weeks 1 day 19 hours ago) and read 8790 times:
What a shame. Concorde was a source of pride for so many people (including at least two that I know of on this forum who had the special honour of working with the airplane). Even today at BA we still talk about her...
yellowtail From United States of America, joined Jun 2005, 5164 posts, RR: 2 Reply 4, posted (1 year 5 months 4 weeks 1 day 18 hours ago) and read 8669 times:
Quoting jetblast (Reply 2): Even today at BA we still talk about her...
and have her in your commercials.
When in doubt, hold on to your altitude. No-one has ever collided with the sky.
MadameConcorde From San Marino, joined Feb 2007, 10243 posts, RR: 40 Reply 6, posted (1 year 5 months 4 weeks 1 day 17 hours ago) and read 8561 times:
Crossing the Atlantic on board the QE2 --Queen of the Seas-- and crossing the other way with Concorde --Queen of the Skies-- There was no better way to travel.
QE2 and Concorde both started their fabled careers the same year in 1969.
Those were the days...
...
10th April 2003
Today’s announcement from British Airways about the retirement of Concorde in October means that there are only 12 opportunities left to combine the two great icons of contemporary travel: QE2 and Concorde. For 20 years now at the top of the list of people’s dream holidays has been to cross the Atlantic one way on board QE2, and cross the other way on supersonic Concorde. For those still wanting to make that dream come true, Cunard is offering nine-night holidays with fares from £4,499 per person – that’s less than half the cost of a Concorde ticket.
Cunard’s ‘Grand New York’ package combines a six-day transatlantic voyage on QE2, a three-night stay at the Waldorf Astoria, a half-day sightseeing tour, transfers and a one-way flight on Concorde. Departure dates are 26 May; 19 and 22 June; 16 and 19 July; 11, 14 and 29 August; 22 and 26 September and 1 and 16 October.
For a six-day Atlantic crossing on QE2, with a return on Concorde, fares start from £3,694 per person.
There was a better way to fly it was called Concorde
26point2 From United States of America, joined Mar 2010, 666 posts, RR: 0 Reply 7, posted (1 year 5 months 4 weeks 1 day 13 hours ago) and read 7846 times:
Thank you for starting this thread Madame Concorde.
Since a little boy my dream was to one day fly Concorde. The day I heard on the news that the program was to be shutdown, late April, 2003, I secured a one way Concorde 002 JFK-LHR flight for 10 days later. They got me back on the 744. Plane was half "legit" pax and the other half enthusiasts like me out to fulfill a dream...and it was awesome. The whole affair was the most fabulous experience especially the 3:15 minute flight. Will never forget it.
I flew G-BOAG and six months later was on her again....at the Museum of Flight in Seatlle. The toilet I used now preserved as a museum exhibit. Funny.
ThirtyEcho From United States of America, joined Dec 2001, 1634 posts, RR: 1 Reply 8, posted (1 year 5 months 4 weeks 1 day 10 hours ago) and read 7039 times:
Good thing I wasn't in the left seat that day, or Tex Johnson either. I'd have pushed it into reheat and said, "Lets show 'em what this baby can really do."
Very sad day; the day that aviation took a giant step backwards. It will be another 50 years before we get back to where we used to be and I won't be around to see that.
Cingularity From United States of America, joined Sep 2007, 7 posts, RR: 1 Reply 9, posted (1 year 5 months 4 weeks 1 day 10 hours ago) and read 6895 times:
I don't think so. I've met plenty of people named Tim.
Aviat & AviaProgress only exist in my head. A flight of fantasy.
HorizonGirl From Canada, joined Mar 2005, 783 posts, RR: 17 Reply 11, posted (1 year 5 months 4 weeks 1 day 8 hours ago) and read 6441 times:
What a loss..
So many years later, and I still find myself deeply saddened when I think about it. How it was my dream to even get near one of these amazing aircraft. I know that it was a dream I shared with many.
triple7man From Thailand, joined May 2005, 681 posts, RR: 0 Reply 12, posted (1 year 5 months 4 weeks 1 day 7 hours ago) and read 6322 times:
Concorde never failed to turn heads. I remember driving through DFW Airport on the way to work in 1996 and there was a Concorde taxiing out for takeoff. I don't know how many cars stopped along the roadway to watch it take off.
When I worked for American Airlines we had a special agreement with BA to fly on Concorde and I took advantage of it; flying LHR-JFK in February 1999. I flew DFW-LGW on a 767. And after flying to New York in only 3:24, I didn't want to fly on a subsonic airliner again. Sadly those days are gone, but I'm glad I had the chance to fly Concorde.
The Intrepid Museum in New York as a BA Concorde on display. You can walk around it and through it, but it's nothing like flying on it.
The things I remember flying on Concorde were the small size of the windows and the lighting of the reheats (afterburners) once we got over the water to go supersonic. The wall panels and windows were very warm due to the friction of supersonic flight. We left LHR at 10:30AM and landed at JFK before 9:00AM. I have watched many a Concorde takeoff at LHR and usually all eyes are on it. I'm thankful for once to have my eyes in it.
In 2003 I was on an AA 777 flying CDG-DFW. We were being pushed back and there was an AF Concorde getting ready to takeoff. I wasn't by a window so I didn't get to see it. And in March 1999 AA put the 777 in service DFW-LGW-DFW. On the return flight the captain made an announcement that the Concorde was passing overhead and we might get a sonic boom. I asked him later if we got the sonic boom and he said no. It was an AF Concorde flying JFK-CDG. It was just amonth after I flew on Concorde.
It was a very sad day that Concorde was retired. I think of the pilots who flew it, and having to revert to subsonic aircraft.
ITVV has an excellent DVD on a BA Concorde flight LHR-JFK-LHR. It is a 5 hour DVD and covers all aspects of Concorde operations. I highly recommend it.
And although Concorde is retired I don't think any of us will forget her; especially those who flew on her, and the crews that worked her.
beeweel15 From United States of America, joined Nov 2003, 1693 posts, RR: 0 Reply 14, posted (1 year 5 months 4 weeks 1 day 4 hours ago) and read 5393 times:
Truly a sad day. Although I never flew on her I did have the opportunity to service her at T7 JFK. Truly an amazing aircraft. And I dont care what anyone says she made money.
bristolflyer From United Kingdom, joined May 2004, 2135 posts, RR: 0 Reply 16, posted (1 year 5 months 4 weeks 23 hours ago) and read 3952 times:
I remember it well...I was with the thousands of other people on Durdham Down in Clifton watching her fly over the Clifton Suspension Bridge and then make a majestic turn before heading off to land at Filton. I have a nice picture of her over the Bridge...and some good memories.
shufflemoomin From Denmark, joined Jun 2010, 432 posts, RR: 1 Reply 17, posted (1 year 5 months 4 weeks 22 hours ago) and read 3611 times:
I used to love watching her train at PIK when I was a boy. Just watched it touch and go every 15 or 20 minutes. Nothing that I have experienced yet to this day even comes close to comparing to the noise of her taking off. I think PIK was the closest anyone not working at an airport could get to her taking off and landing. Shame the whiny locals had the training moved to Shannon.
ltbewr From United States of America, joined Jan 2004, 12335 posts, RR: 12 Reply 19, posted (1 year 5 months 4 weeks 22 hours ago) and read 3441 times:
Sadly, there had to be an end of her reign. Economics, the environmental pressures, declining numbers of base customers, increasing communications technology, too many incidents including the terrible crash at CDG as well as Airbus not wanting to be involved anymore for liability and financial reasons led to their retirement. Even at some point, their hours/cycles of use would have led to their eventual retirement. At least the ones that remained upon retirement all have good homes and now anyone can see this spectacular aircraft but not fly it.
I have been in the one at the Museum of Flight in Seattle, recently saw the one at the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum branch at IAD, and can see it on its site at the Intrepid on the Hudson River. I also know of 2 then co-workers who ended up on it RT due to missing there standard 1st Class flight. They were not too impressed, I wish I had got from them the goodies they got from that flight. I also remember many years ago of seeing one parked at the gate when I was waiting for a BA flight to LHR and admiring its distinctive and beautiful look.. I wish I had the money or other opportunity to fly her too.
Let us be glad we had the chance to see her in service, for a few to have had the experience of being on it and admire them today in museums.
shufflemoomin From Denmark, joined Jun 2010, 432 posts, RR: 1 Reply 21, posted (1 year 5 months 4 weeks 21 hours ago) and read 3046 times:
I'm sure the reason has been discussed to death elsewhere, but I never understood they couldn't have updated the avionics and re-engine the thing and built more. I would happily pay a premium to be over the Atlantic in a few hours instead of 7 or 8.
tdscanuck From Canada, joined Jan 2006, 12709 posts, RR: 80 Reply 22, posted (1 year 5 months 4 weeks 21 hours ago) and read 3024 times:
Quoting shufflemoomin (Reply 21): I never understood they couldn't have updated the avionics and re-engine the thing and built more.
They could. It was never a technical problem.
Quoting shufflemoomin (Reply 21): I would happily pay a premium to be over the Atlantic in a few hours instead of 7 or 8.
Although you might, not enough people were willing to pay enough money to make the business case work. As fuel prices climb it disproportionately impacts high-burn missions like supersonic travel. The gap between a Concorde ticket and a regular ticket would only grow and there wasn't enough business to cover the fuel/avionics/engine costs of a redesign.
PlymSpotter From Spain, joined Jun 2004, 11134 posts, RR: 63 Reply 23, posted (1 year 5 months 4 weeks 20 hours ago) and read 2924 times:
I am glad to say I was there too, stood by the runway along with tens of thousands of others. Concorde wasn't just a machine, it was an icon of a far thinking generation in which anything seemed possible, a symbol of human technological achievement. Eight years ago, we took a significant step backwards.
threepoint From Canada, joined Oct 2005, 2091 posts, RR: 8 Reply 24, posted (1 year 5 months 4 weeks 20 hours ago) and read 2854 times:
Quoting shufflemoomin (Reply 17): Nothing that I have experienced yet to this day even comes close to comparing to the noise of her taking off.
See if you can attend an airshow where an Avro Vulcan bomber does a flying display. That'll give the Concorde a run for its money (er, in the noise department, not so much in terms of speed).
A B1 bomber at takeoff also cranks out a few decibels.
The nice thing about a mistake is the pleasure it gives others.
25 Gingersnap: Yeah I was just about to mention the Avro Vulcan. Very comparable to the sound of Concorde,
26 26point2: No surprising as they shared nearly the same engines.
27 David L: I was under the impression that it moved from PIK due to weather considerations. I certainly never heard about the locals complaining. I remember one
28 zrs70: I flew three times, all at a bargain! First time, I purchased a one way ticket FCO-LHR-JFK-LAX. While Concorde would have been about $6000 LHR-JFK alo
29 mikey72: It was the only aircraft you could hear departing from inside the departure lounge at Termnial 4 Heathrow. It flew right over my car once when I was
30 emalad: My first flight ever was on G-BOAF My mum booked me a ticket on a charter flight from EMA to LHR back in 1993. I was 18 at the time and took my Great
31 Babybus: Even reading this thread about Concorde gets me a bit choked up. In many ways it was like a real bereavement after she flew for the last time. She was
32 MadameConcorde: wow... I am amazed to see somebody here who did the magazines thing... There were quite a few of us on Flyertalk who did the same thing at the time..
33 otnysaslhr: Having worked at LHR for 26 years and lived in Feltham for a few - I really missed her when she went. If I was on the ramp at her departure times I wo
34 bennett123: Back in 2003, my brother, and his then wife worked for Airbus. As a result, I was able to watch the final landing from inside Filton. It was a freezin
35 shufflemoomin: http://www.concordesst.com/latestnews_03_4.html Sadly, it's true. These muppets live next to an airport and complain about the noise. Thanks to those
36 mirrodie: ANd those are great commercials, paying homage to COncorde the VC10 and 747....among the most graceful IMHO. Spence, the nose was repaired years ago.
37 David L: Hmm, it seems you're right. More specifically, muppets from Troon, apparently.
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