Some beautiful memories of a beautiful aeroplane. Thanks all.
I've got a few, mainly of her few appearances at RIAT, or the old Clophill Village Fete in Bedfordshire (anyone else remember those?). I'd love to be able to remember her first flight from Filton, but I was only one day old. Maybe that's why I feel such an affinity for the old girl; we're almost twins.
Certainly I felt as though a piece of me had died on the day of the Paris crash, and although I don't want to witness the end, I'll be at LHR on Friday. I owe it to Concorde.
But the one image of Concorde that I'll never forget was from earlier this year, early April I think. I'd just returned from Brussels with work, and while my colleague unlocked his car I suddenly heard that unmistakable roar. We both looked up and there she was, climbing out over us in the car park at the end of 09L, and roaring away in a climbing turn into the murky twilight, burners glowing. We were rooted to the spot, even after she'd gone. That graceful old lady was defiantly making her point; "Look at me! I might be thirty-something, I might have had my problems, but I'm not finished yet. I'm STILL the most impressive aeroplane the world has ever seen!".
A week later, the end was announced....
