Concorde to fly again?

[manintheback]

Word on the street in the mundane but in this case relevant world I inhabit is that if France win the Olympic bid as expected one of the birds will take to the sky again for limited but high profile use.

[trevelyan]

thats a no then...

:)

[gordonroxburgh]

Nope, not going to happen.

There are ZERO Concorde spares in the UK or France.

After the high profile auctions were over, both airlines scraped their holdings, which were essentially all the parts as the OEMs and manufactures did not hold any, as BA/AF were the only operators.

With no spares she not evening taxing in 2012, so you can forget about buzzing Paris.

[ChristiaanJ]

With Fox-Charlie being kept under "care-and-maintenance" for the judicial enquiry, all kind of rumours kept flying :D .
Now that the program has been terminated, the chances of seeing a Concorde in the Paris skies in 2012 are less than seeing a Santos Dumont dirigible replica... Might be an idea actually. Would cost a damn sight less than the $200 million or so needed to keep a Concorde airworthy until 2012. Gordon is right, the spares are gone, the infrastructure is gone. The money needed could be better spent.

[TimS]

Bl**dy shame though !!!

[kansasw]

This is a bit off topic possibly, but not too far I hope. Flying into Seattle/Tacoma about 1/17/05 from the south, me pax on the left, we passed Boeing and saw the usual collection of parked aircraft, including one that looked just like (in the 1-second glimpse) a Concorde parked.

Yes? No? Time for new glasses?

[BluffOldSeaDog]

http://www.museumofflight.org/visit/concorde.html

[Sleeve Wing]

Suggest we don't ever misjudge the French - anything, but anything, to steal a march on "Les Rosbifs".
Who bought all the spares ??

Sleeve. ;)

[Hudson Bay]

So who has the spares? There is no way on this earth they would of been disposed of permanentley. How much would it cost to put her back where she belongs? There is no such word as Can't. The moment you stop dreaming is the moment you die. Come on guys live the dream.

[Phileas Fogg]

kansasw,
You mean this one?

http://www.airliners.net/open.file?id=517273&WxsIERv=QWVyb3NwYXRpYWxlLUJyaXRpc2ggQWVyb3NwYWNlIENvbmNvcmRl IDEwMg%3D%3D&WdsYXMg=QnJpdGlzaCBBaXJ3YXlz&QtODMg=U2VhdHRsZSAtIEJvZWluZyBGaWVsZCAvIEtpbmcgQ291bnR5IElud GVybmF0aW9uYWwgKEJGSSAvIEtCRkkp&ERDLTkt=VVNBIC0gV2FzaGluZ3Rvbg%3D%3D&ktODMp=RmVicnVhcnkgMTQsIDIwMDQ%3D&BP=0&WNEb25u=SmVhbg%3D%3D&xsIERvdWdsY=Ry1CT0FH&MgTUQtODMgKE=VGhpcyBpcyB0aGUgc291dGggZW5kIG9mIFNlYXR0bGUgQm9 laW5nIEZpZWxkLiBEZWZpbml0ZWx5LCBvbmUgb2YgdGhlIGhpZ2hsaWdodHM gZHVyaW5nIGFwcHJvYWNoaW5nIHRvIFNlYXR0bGUtVGFjb21hIHJ1bndheSA xNlIuIFlvdSBjYW4gc2VlIHRoZSBNdXNldW0gb2YgRmxpZ2h0IGJ1aWxkaW5 nIGluY2x1ZGluZyB0aGUgUmVkIEJhcm4sIGEgZG9uYXRlZCBCcml0aXNoIEF pcndheXMgQ29uY29yZGUgKEctQk9BRykgdGhhdCBoYXMgYWxyZWFkeSBiZWV uIG9wZW5lZCB0byB0aGUgcHVibGljLCBhIEI3MzctMTMwIHByb3RvdHlwZSB pbiBOQVNBIGNvbG9yIChONTE1TkEpIHRoYXQgaGFzIHJlY2VudGx5IGJlZW4 gYmFjayB0byBob21lLCBhIGRvbmF0ZWQgQW1lcmljYW4gQWlybGluZXMgQjc yNy0yMjNBZHYuIChOODc0QUEpLCBhIFZDLTEzNSB1c2VkIGFzIEFpciBGb3J jZSBPbmUgKDU4LTY5NzApLCBhbmQgYSBCNzQ3LTEyMSBwcm90b3R5cGUgKE4 3NDcwKS4%3D&YXMgTUQtODMgKERD=MTQyMjk%3D&NEb25uZWxs=MjAwNC0wMi0yNiAwMDowMDowMA%3D%3D&ODJ9dvCE=&O89Dcjdg=MjE0&static=yes&sok=V0hFUkUgIChhaXJjcmFmdF9nZW5lcmljID0gJ1N1ZC1CQUMgQ29uY29y ZGUnIE9SIGFpcmNyYWZ0X2dlbmVyaWMgPSAnQWVyb3NwYXRpYWxlLUJyaXRp c2ggQWVyb3NwYWNlIENvbmNvcmRlJyBPUiBhaXJjcmFmdF9nZW5lcmljID0g J0Flcm9zcGF0aWFsZS1CQUMgQ29uY29yZGUnKSBBTkQgKGNvdW50cnkgPSAn VVNBIC0gV2FzaGluZ3RvbicpICBvcmRlciBieSBwaG90b19pZCBERVND&photo_nr=17&size=L

[ALLDAYDELI]

Ah, non other than G-BOAG the Seattle Concorde (British Airways)
Is it inside yet or still parked outside with the other exhibits??

[BeauMan]

Wasn't going to bother commenting on it, but Hudson Bay's comment about 'living the dream' was just far too funny to pass up.

I would suggest 'waking up' might give you a slightly more, err, realistic viewpoint... :rolleyes:

Ain't gonna happen. Next topic. :zzz:

[slingsby]

Having been very closely affiliated with the UK Concorde program, I can categorically deny and scotch any rumours that the once graceful lines of Concorde will ever grace our skies again. Most spares (if not all by now) have been sold for scrap as they were unique to Concorde. Some engines were sold to various museums to be put on display, various other parts donated as well. Specailist tooling jigs and equipment no longer exist.

I for one in the beginning of the demise, dreamt of one ship being kept airworthy, but alas the costs would not be financially viable for either airline to carry. No amount of public outcry and petitions will see the boards of any CAA/DCA convene to discuss even a single flight. The C0fA was withdrawn permenantly, pilots re-assigned and type ratings expired. Engineers placed on new courses now dedicated to other types in the fleet.

I dream too, but it is only a dream. The reality is now of M0.82 and FL370, slow sedate climb rates reaching 250knts after 10 mins instead of at the end of the runway, oceanic clearances done at a lesurely pace, regular excursions into the lovely holding patterns instead of bounding through at 280knts for a straight in. No worries about SSC tracks and wondering if you have slowed down 20 miles too late. Ah those were the days.

[Dylsexlic]

Just to add my decimal pennyworth, the AF concordes were likely to have to cease flying anyway as the AVQ30 wx radar system was declared officially unsupportable in October 2003 after many months of negotiations.

Although the replacement RDR4B Honeywell system was an option, this was a small (but expensive) part of the whole economy of operating the Concorde into the future. If, as was ultimately decided, it was uneconomical to operate any longer, then it was clearly an unnecessary expense to fit the later radar as it had no use to AF outside the Concorde.

It was possible to keep the AVQ30 system going using existing unserviceable equipment and robbing parts to make good units. However, under strict JAR regulations, even this practice is now outlawed and would, at best, have added only 3 to 6 months operational life.

The BA concordes were already upgraded using the system from their B747 classics.

It's easy to forget that the cockpit analogue technology and systems were as old as the aircraft. Whilst the airframe was still very young in flying terms, the flying systems were of a different era and hellishly difficult to upgrade to comply with all the new European legislation.

Hence the astronomical costs of ownership could never be recouped within a reasonable amount of time on a pax load of 100 and a minimal cargo capacity (well, just courier mail really), no matter how much you charged for tickets.

BTW - this really is just my opinion so shoot me down in flames if it all seems b*ll***s to you knowledgeable types out there.

[Hudson Bay]

I will always remember meeting up with Captain Tommy Thompson many years ago. I was just four years of age and it was he and the image of concorde that made me want to fly. Sadly there are people who like to think that they are being "realistic" removing such a fine aircraft from the skys. After meeting up with Captain Thompson (anybody remember him?) I was told for many years after "Be realistic you will never be a pilot" If I had listened I wonder where I would be. Well now I'm living my dream and I want to do for Aviation what Tommy Thompson and Concorde did for me. Inspire and encourage because we have the best job in the world. If you don't share that dedication thats your given right but I would strongly reccomend that you live your dream because there is no better way to live your life. Go Concorde Go.........

[kansasw]

Re the Seattle Concorde sighting: Thanks Phileas and Alldaydeli, that would be the one. It is outside. K

[brain fade]

Come now boys & girls
If the French want to fly it- they will! It's not like the UK over there yet :D
Who would have thought the yanks would have put the 'Charger' back in the air? It's , literally, not rocket science:ok:

[ChristiaanJ]

In France, some of the "prestige" spares, such as a radome, engines, cockpit instruments, etc. were auctioned off by Christies. After that, Air France personnel was allowed to pick and chose parts for themselves. Some went to museums, the rest was unceremoniously scrapped.

In Britain they had more luck.
First there was an auction by Bonhams, again of the "prestige" spares".
Then BA, through the Dovebid firm, auctioned off a HUGE amount of stuff. In a four-day auction they went through 6000 lots of about 150,000 items in all.
Just about anything you care to name. Seats? Sure. A complete toilet cubicle? Sure. A PFCU? I seem to remember at least one.
There were boxes full of compressor and turbine blades, and vast amounts of less spectacular stuff. The list is just too long...
Not everything was sold there, so a second auction was held.

Even before the auctions, BA had gone through a lot of the spares and selected several tons of bits and pieces that would be useful for the restoration of G-BBDG at the Brooklands museum. Anything from screws to spare elevons and leading edges, and landing gears. In all I seem to remember about twenty lorry-loads were moved to Brooklands.

At the end, the left-overs - which still filled a hangar - were scrapped.

Now that the worst Concorde mania is over, you may find some interesting pieces on eBay. Just beware the doubtfuls.... only the other day somebody tried to pass of something as a Concorde part, while it clearly wasn't.

[Big Hilly]

A nice idea but sadly, I am ashamed to say that I suspect it will come to nothing.

This thread prompted me to watch my copy of the 'Hangar Video' on DVD that BA did for the 'end of Concorde party' and I can honestly say that it still brings a tear to my eye.

I do wonder, however, if people will say in, say, 50 years time, "God, how could they have done that?"!

Might I remind us all of the heart-rending quote: "If this magnificent machine was alive, it would be crying supersonic tears". . . .

BH

[silverhawk]

Can you imagine a Concorde supersonic flypast at 1000' during the 2012 Olympic opening ceremony?

Sure show the French who knew how to operate the machine.

Blue red and white touch paper lit...and retires

[Skylark_air]

After the Paris air crash, AF & BA spent money on updating the entire concorde fleet to such an extent that after they were restored, they were technically brand new aircraft.

Alas, they were taken out of service purely because of finances. Less people were flying with concorde, (one little crash, and in circumstances which could have occured to any aircraft).

Although when both airlines announced they were to get shot of concorde, sales went through the roof, however both airlines were too proud to go back on their word, (and their wallets).

This is why only so few were made, they were very expensive to operate. They also didn't carry many passengers, to each flight was going to cost a lot.

The other reason was that AF and BA were the only airlines which could both afford the aircraft, and have a need to run it (for TA travel). Other EU Airlines couldn't afford to run concordes, or had no need. If they could fly over the land, then more american airlines would probably have bought a few for the NY-LA Run, but as supersonic travel was banned (even opposed by Charles Lyndburg) over the US, they thought it wouldn't be worth it.

If more had been made, more people would have felt comfortable flying on it, and it wouldn't have been taken out of service after just one major incident.

[brain fade]

If it had been the Boeing or McDD Concorde there would be thousands of them, there'd be no US ban due noise & the USAF would have a fleet of SR-73 Concorde ELINT /Recce a/c as well as a couple squadrons of B-73 Concorde supersonic bombers.
Always the same in the UK. Great at building stuff but **** at selling it:{ :{ :{

[Caslance]

If it had been the Boeing or McDD Concorde you wouldn't have seen the "environmentalist" opposition to it the USA, either. It would have been open house at every major airport in the land.

No point in knocking ourselves, mate - a classic case of "not invented here" killed off the Concorde's commercial prospects long before any oil price hike.

[paulo]

The full words...

Speedbird One - “I would like to thank you all, ATC, all the fans at the end of the runway on their airband radios, and to some of the media who have supported this aeroplane over the years, I would like to dedicate this last 001 take-off. But I can say that if this magnificent machine was alive, it would be crying supersonic tears tonight."

ATC – “Well thanks for that, and we're all sorry up here as well.”

Speedbird One - “3 2 1 NOW” - Commander Adrian Thompson holds RT open for the throttles.

Thousands at the end of 9R then watch the reheats for the final time, on the last "Double Oh One" to KJFK.
-----

It's not coming back. :{

[GemStA]

surely a few searches on ebay will uncover the lost spare parts!!!.....I'll get bidding!!! :8 :D

[Kalium Chloride]

Oh, for heaven's sake, give it a :mad: rest.

This constant saccharine sentimentality has turned me from being a Concorde admirer to being so fed up of hearing about it that I wish I had all the soddin spares so that I could make sure the damn thing stayed on the ground.

Reading all this sugary nonsense is like eating a syrup-and-honey cake while watching the last reel of a U-rated Spielberg movie. :yuk:

[Caslance]

I'm with KC.

It was an aeroplane, for pity's sake. A machine for moving people from A to B.

A very uneconomical and inefficient one, too.

It's gone.

It won't be back.

Not ever.

Time to move on........:hmm:

[Harrier46]

Caslance

Philistine!

[sandy helmet]

There's one in Barbados parked next to the main airport's terminal building.
It looks in pretty good nick - and there's talk about giving it back. Maybe they could get that one up and running.

[Taildragger]

I think the spares issue is a Herring Rouge.! There are plenty of aircraft out there to rob, plus a warehouseful of bits.
What matters most is the type certificate which has been withdrawn by the manufacturers. This makes it illegal to fly it.
Maybe they could put it on a Permit to Fly. Now there's a thoguht.!!! The PFA should be prepared to accept an application.
Sorry folks...this one is just not going to fly. No pun intended.!
No matter how much you want it, sometimes the problems are insurmountable, much as I, you, and the whole world wants it.
Even BA, ever mindful of a good PR opportunity, bowed out of operating one on the circuit.

[Caslance]

Harrier 46:

Realist, matey. :ok:

[cessna l plate]

Yes, it was just a machine. A lump of metal designed to carry SLF from one place to another!

The difference came in that it did it quickly, was designed at a time when UK engineering was at its best, and gave the UK something to be proud of.

Like him or loathe him, Jeremy Clarkson is right, when something is designed, engineered and built with such dedication, and gives such an outstanding end product, then even though it is only a couple of hundred tons of metal, it has a soul of its own, and for me that sums up concorde pretty well.

As pilots, we all hold a little thought at the back of our minds, no matter how realistic we wish to be, that maybe the old girl will take to the skies once again.

[Caslance]

Ahem - the French had a hand in it too, you know! :rolleyes:

[bluebird121]

;) i can't see concorde being in the air again but i would love to see it at East Fortune when it is fully restored. does anyone know if this has been completed yet or not:ok:

[BahrainLad]

mmmm.....and Yquem '45 is just grape juice.

[cessna l plate]

Quite correct, the French did play their part.
They also had significanetly more than a passing interest in her early demise, owing to the fact the Airbus (A mainly French company) and Air Trance decided that they had better things to so with their time than preserve a piece of history.

On that basis, although the French played a part in the design, they effectively killed her off single handed, and on that vasis they are not worthy of a mention, so there!!!!

[Clarence Oveur]

Spoken like a true brit. :rolleyes:

[Caslance]

On that basis, although the French played a part in the design, they effectively killed her off single handed, and on that vasis they are not worthy of a mention, so there!!!!Yes, whatever.......although I'm still trying to get my head round the concept of 60-odd million French people all single-handedly killing off the Concorde.

What's a "vasis", BTW?

[Farrell]

cessna l plate


Stand in the middle of the "Concorde Tent" in Le Bourget (where there are two of them!) and shout out your opinions at the top of your voice.......then wait for the response.

the french are very proud of Le Concorde.......and you my friend, will quickly be branded a "Connard!"

Salut! :ok:

[TURIN]

How many more times?:zzz:

THE DAMNED THING WAS CRACKING UP.

This was known well before 9-11 and kept under constant review.

The entire fleet required extensive life extension modification work to continue SAFE operation.

BA, AF, AIRBUS and the two governments could not afford the huge cost involved.

Yes, it is sad but please, GET OVER IT!:{

[cessna l plate]

the french are very proud of Le Concorde.......and you my friend, will quickly be branded a "Connard!"

Why on earth would a frenchman want to call me duck?????

I take on board the points made, and indeed, the majority of the French people are pasionate about the old girl. This goes a little deeper though. During the time of Concorde design and build, we had the greatest aircraft industry in the owrld. Flying the first jet airliner. Companies such as AVRO's, Hawker Siddeley and so-on. What are we left with now, BAE systems, who it would appear are if not owned by Airbus, are certainly run by them.

We have given away all our expertise in this field to the French in this manner, and Concorde was the icing on the cake. I admit the the entire French nation didn't kill the machine, but neither did they do much to save it!!

[Caslance]

Why on earth would a frenchman want to call me duck????? That would be "canard", mon ami.

"Connard" is something very, very different. :E

[Alex.c]

as the concord is still classed as a bomber. she has to be available for a flight within 25 minutes. so she could still fly at any time. the one at man still has regular maintenance checks and still goes for engine fire up. so he might actually be right.

[Paul Wilson]

Hello?????

as the concord is still classed as a bomber. she has to be available for a flight within 25 minutes

Reality check.

Can I have what you're smoking please?

[surely not]

The question is why someone who extols the supposed greatness of the British aircraft industry has chosen cessna ! plate as their prune name?

As for the perceived greatness of the UK aviation industry I would suggest that in the '60's we were brilliant at producing aircraft that weren't bought by anyone (other than British airlines or the RAF) in great numbers!!!!!

VC10 and Super VC10, BAC 1-11, HS Trident, BAC Lightning, BAC Strikemaster, Beagle 242, Beagle 206, Handley Page Herald, Avro anything!!
The Hunter and Canberra were from the 50's, and the P1127 was still being developed.

We lost our industry because we didn't produce what the market wanted at a price the market was prepared to pay.

[Dr Illitout]

Not only have the engines of G-BOAC not been run since it landed, all the oil's have been drained from all the systems. The air intakes and exhauts have been open to the elements, the undercarrige bays have been open to the birds. Also the promised hanger for it has been forgotton about. To get it airworthy would require a SERIOUS amount of effort and money.

Dr. I.

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

<<as the concord is still classed as a bomber. she has to be available for a flight within 25 minutes. so she could still fly at any time>>

Ooops.. loony escape...

[speedbirdzerozeroone]

I suppose I have no say in this matter?...........(hehehe)

[simon brown]

I drive past Filton on the A38 a few times a week and it pains me to see her sitting their all forlornly at the west end of the airfield. Should be located in a much more visible place instead of being shunted away in the corner:(

Speedbird, dont you get a bit cold down the end of '27? its much warmer by the main gate you know...people can give you a bit of a pat over the fence. Health and safety will insist on a cork over your pointy bit though as you could have someones eye out on that.:ok:

[speedbirdzerozeroone]

Thanks SB, I'll put in a request...

Further to your last remark, i can only comment: 'the times i've heard that.'

Cheers.