It is with despair that I read of Labour's hand washing of the Concorde affair.
My mind goes back to the TSR2 days and how Labour then saw fit to banish one of Britains greatest aviation acheivements.
British Airways and Air France have maintained these flagships of aviation for over a quarter of a century and despite protesting do gooders moaning about noise and the environment and over reacting media safety experts, she has graced our skies and brought pride to the nations that built her.
So what now?
Richard Branson seems to have always had an eye for Concorde and is perhaps the only piece of British Airways he would ever like to own! (Remember when he painted the model on the roundabout at Heathrow in Virgin colours much to the annoyance of Lord King and his merry men)
As Mr Branson ponted out recently,BA were given Concorde with all its debts underwritten so in effect it is the British tax payers property. Therefore it is not BA's to sell.
If Virgin can put up a credible bussiness plan, then the government should take a serious look at it to give the tax payer a further return on his investment.
Lets not see these wonderous beasts become museum pieces yet. There are already enough of them dotted around the UK and France to preserve the memory.
Lets keep as many as possible in the air as no other jet liner comes close to its grace and performance.
It is still looked upon by the worlds airlines as the jewel in the crown and if Virgin are not up to the task, then perhaps it should be put up for grabs by another.
What could replace it? Nothing around now or even on the drawing board.
When I first saw it appear at a rainy dark day in 1972 at Farnborough with Mr. Trubshaw at the helm, I thought science fiction had become science fact. Talk of this slim delta becoming the norm of all future airliners was the order of the day. In reality, it has been a miracle that it has manage to survive all the obstacles in its way.
If I am guilty of being an aviation romantic, then I hold my hands up. I am sure there are a lot of people out there, both aviators, engineers and Joe public who share my view.
Don't let Labour screw this one up as it maybe, not in this lifetime you will see anything like it again.
Write to your M.P. and Mr. Blair and tell them you want them to act in your interest. After all thats what the government is supposed to be there for.
The British Aircraft Industy has been desimated over the last fifty years to the extent that not a single airliner is now built in this country. Isnt it about time the trend was reversed and a little U turn in Labour's desimating history was made?
Speak up and be counted!
I challenge anyone not to feel shivers down the spine as four Olympus reheats thunder into the sky!
No appologies for the soap box....it had to be said.
Coopervane
