30 Years ago today .............Concorde !

[vapilot2004]

Concorde took to the skies on her 1st scheduled trip on this day in 1976. (21,Jan 1976)

A British Airways and an Air France Concorde took off simultaneously from London and Paris marking the first commercial flight for the Concorde. The British Airways flight was bound for Bahrain while Air France was supersonic to Rio. Those were the glory days, eh ?

Caption on the Daily Express says "Now there are only two types of airline, those with Concorde and the others which take a great deal longer." :}

While not having the pleasure of flying aboard, I have seen her takeoff and land at KMIA - what a sight (and sound) and have also gawked endlessly at the Air France speedbird hanging (silently) inside of the Udvar-Hazy Air and Space museum outside of KDCA.

I am sure I am not alone in the wish that they were still flying !

(EDIT) : Link to Video of first landing at Blagnac:
http://php.concorde-jet.com/click.php?direct=ok&url=http://videosst1.free.fr/concorde_wtss_ldg.wmv


Cheers !

:ok: :ok:

http://h1.ripway.com/eisler99/concorde1.jpg

[Little Fokker]

It was also 30 years ago today that LHR received its' first fare-paying passengers in the form of a 747!


The 747, Pan Am Flight Two, touched down at Heathrow at 1414GMT - seven hours late due to technical problems. The jumbo had brought 324 passengers across the Atlantic from New York to London.

Oh how times have changed.

I had the pleasure flying in Concorde in 2003 from LHR to JFK as part of my 40th. The flight was booked prior to BA announcing its' retirement and I got it at a good price. Shortly after booking and the announcement, the prices went back to the norm as they were obviously inundated with pax grasping for a piece of history.

The flight took 3hrs 29mins. What impressed me the most was how graceful the plane approached JFK. It was so nimble and serene as we made the final approach - no stacking system here - almost as if it had priority clearance. Maybe BA001 had.....

Anyway, it was majestic to finally be inside this marvel and if you get the chance to go to New York, see it next to The Intrepid.

[Gulf4uk]

HI

A Sad loss but can i make one observation "SPEEDBIRD" this is the BOAC
Callsign not Airfrance dont want to Start a war but never used by the F!!!!ch .Make Some BOAC\BA pilots blow a fuse i bet . its the Same as ASCOT much covetted RAF callsign not all use it they have to use RAFAIR.
Concorde much missed but one piece of news Brooklands Museum UK
Is now ready to shown to the Public
http://www.brooklandsmuseum.com/aviation_exhibits.cfm

Tony

[Golf Charlie Charlie]

It was also 30 years ago today that LHR received its' first fare-paying passengers in the form of a 747!
The 747, Pan Am Flight Two, touched down at Heathrow at 1414GMT - seven hours late due to technical problems. The jumbo had brought 324 passengers across the Atlantic from New York to London.


I am sure this was about 1971, not 1976, so I'm guessing you meant 35 years ago.

[Little Fokker]

I am sure this was about 1971, not 1976, so I'm guessing you meant 35 years ago.

Close GCC....36 years ago. Will you believe it was typo?

[Mr_Grubby]

So then, 30 years ago today I would have been on a morning shift on D Watch at West Drayton (LATCC). Working on the Worthing sector allocating levels to aircraft leaving UK airspace via airways A1, A34 and A1E as they were called then.

Concorde went via A1 to Bahrain requesting something like FL370/390.
The French would only accept it at FL290 although there was nothing in the sky at those higher levels to affect it.

They were awkward to deal with even back then. So nothing has changed then.



Clint.

[chevvron]

The first Pan Am 747 arrived at Heathrow in mid 1970. I was on duty at the old LATCC radar unit on the north side (where Compass House is now) on the day it arrived (afternoon shift for D watch). This may ,of course, have been a proving flight rather than carrying fare paying passengers; certainly it did a jolly out to Brecon and back later in the day. The pilot's first words to London Control after departure were 'I'm not going to make 4000 (ft) by Woodley'!

[wub]

I was on duty at RAF Troodos in Cyprus on that day. We watched the BA Concorde approach the island on our radar, then we went outside in time to see it streak to the south of us and to hear the double sonic boom. Magic!

[asmccuk]

Thank you vapilot2004 for remembering the date.
Some colleagues and I organised a meeting near LHR that day, so we could go to the 27L* end of LHR to watch the BA departure, and then celebrate the event with lunch in a local hostelry. A good day to remember!
* (or was it 28L in these days?)

[Regular Cappuccino]

...And I was on duty in Bahrain, where we also flew on the pre-production model, while it was undergoing heat trials in the Gulf.
I was actually late in for my morning duty the following day, when it departed back to LL, because I stopped off at the post ofice (it opened very early) to buy a Concorde First Day Cover (which I still have).

While doing procedural Area Control in Tehran Centre, I also worked one of the first Air France Paris - Kish Island Concorde Schedules, carrying high rollers to the Shah's casino playground. There was no civil ATC at Kish (it was an air defence radar station and an F4 base) and no direct comms, so for the return leg, the aircraft departed VFR to the MSA (FL145) and called for an IFR clearance to Gay Paree. Bizarre.
RC

[The SSK]

OK - so here's a trivia question for you - which airport experienced the first scheduled Concorde landing?

[pax britanica]

Having a go at SSKs question Im going for Dakar Senegal because thatwas a tech stop/fuel stop for AF going to Rio?

PB

[vapilot2004]

Thank you vapilot2004 for remembering the date.
Some colleagues and I organised a meeting near LHR that day, so we could go to the 27L* end of LHR to watch the BA departure, and then celebrate the event with lunch in a local hostelry. A good day to remember!
* (or was it 28L in these days?)

Hello Asmccuk, you know, I have a total of 1 good friend who has flown aboard Concorde. (father was later on a BA captain). They still have their certificate :). What I wouldn't give to have experienced such a ride. . . . .. . ..

This unique aircraft above all others has been a great source of wonder and awe for me - a 'mere Yank' with not-so-distant Welsh roots on one side of me family :) I had the specs and a brochure on hand before she ever landed at JFK.

A Sad loss but can i make one observation "SPEEDBIRD" this is the BOAC Callsign not Airfrance dont want to Start a war but never used by the F!!!!ch .Make Some BOAC\BA pilots blow a fuse i bet

Hello Gulf4UK, - no wars please - - :eek: No disrespect intended uhoh: - - I knew the difference - just using a general term to desribe the one and the only true Speedbird in BA's or BOAC's fleet and did not intend to attribute the term to anything uhhh.. . .. continental :cool: - but thanks for the warn !

Here's to the world's one and only (thus far) supersonic transport .. . . Cheers :ok:

[Gulf4uk]

hi

Thanks your reply no wars the french dont like them very much .
we the locals here at Farnborough miss concorde a lot espeacilly at
At Airshow Time it was always the star whatever anyone else says
the last time was here they =parked it by the old Tower sadly also gone.
in the evenings you could sit it the Garden in Summer and watch and
listen to it coming over inbound to Heathrow . sadly i fear we may
never see another SST in skys over Farnborough i hope i am wrong


Tony

[nooluv]

Looking at little fokkers remarks.

"The flight took 3hrs 29mins. What impressed me the most was how graceful the plane approached JFK. It was so nimble and serene as we made the final approach - no stacking system here - almost as if it had priority clearance. Maybe BA001 had....."

I always thought that Concorde was never put in a holding pattern due to the amount of fuel it had in reserve after transatlantic crossing!
Anybody care to comment? Regards nooluv.

[m5dnd]

Nooluv,
"I always thought that Concorde was never put in a holding pattern due to the amount of fuel it had in reserve after transatlantic crossing!
Anybody care to comment"

I live under the Ockham Hold area for Heathrow and used to watch or hear Concorde holding overhead. Not sure what they did at the New York end of thing's but as they are above the jetstream things should be the same. It used to go round up 3 times occasionaly!.

Oh to hear it again !!..

[norodnik]

In my 28 trips, only ever held once, and that was inbound LHR.

I remember the flight well as the captain said he was a little late coming down from 41000 and therefore had to use idle reverse to slow us down and get us much lower. Then he came back and said that ATC were obviously mad at him for mucking them around that they were going to send us into the hold.

I think it was all a put on, but he made it fun. Of course, Concorde hates going slow and didn't amble around the circuit like the subbys do. Power was applied almost constantly to keep us on track and it was a bit like being in a race car as we turned as if we needed some extra power to get us to go round the corners.

Anyway, at that altitude Concorde's fuel usage is alarming, so it isn't go stay in the hold for long. If things were bad, BA would trade slots with some poor unfortuneate other same company flight who would go back down the list, whilst Concorde would get a straight in.

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

When Concorde first started ops into Heathrow it was given priority. However, I imagine word got out and it later took its turn in the queue. Have fielded many, many calls from BA Ops asking for priority "as its a little low on fuel"!!
One evening, way, way back, there was a lull in traffic and I was able to pop Conc straight downwind for 27L off Woodley... no speed control and tucked in for a tight 6 mile final. Captain said "Come across and I'll give you soemthing for that". I expected a right hook! Anyway, two of us drove over to stand J15.. up to the front door and met the Capt. He was full of praise for the no-mucking-about approach.... met us downstairs at our vehicle and slipped us a bottle of best fizz. We took it back and shared it amongst those on watch. Nothing like a couple of tablespoons of best champers when you're directing the jets you know!!!
We gave our son a ride for his 21st but he's the only family member to have ridden on Conc... as he very frequently reminds us.. (Should have added.... but he'e never flown in an Anson :-)).

[Captain Airclues]

We were #1 at the holding point when Concorde departed on 21/1/76 (the 747 in BOAC colours if you ever see the video). The long delay waiting to co-ordinate with Air France caused us to divert from New York to Boston as the vis went below limits at about 2000ft on the approach into KJFK.

Airclues

PS....at least I got the Concorde crew to sign my first day cover while standing next to them during flight planning.