Concorde - it's all over

[DamienB]

If there was one sentence I heard more than any other at Filton yesterday, it was "I don't believe it" - and it wasn't even a Victor Meldrew convention!

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http://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/pprune/g-boaf-fzo-261103-1.jpg
http://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/pprune/g-boaf-fzo-261103-2.jpg
http://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/pprune/g-boaf-fzo-261103-3.jpg
http://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/pprune/g-boaf-last-touchdown.jpg
http://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/pprune/g-boaf-filton-1733.jpg

Kudos to Airbus and Rolls Royce and all at Filton for looking after so many thousands of people who wanted to watch, and to Bristol's police for making sure people could watch from the A38 in safety.

And a big :ok: to Phil Odell for that cracking display in the RR Spitfire (and RR's Spitfire team for getting her back in the air in time) - one classic saluting another in a very poignant manner.

http://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/pprune/rrspit.jpg
http://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/pprune/rrspit2.jpg
http://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/pprune/rrspit3.jpg

[Dop]

Lovely pics Damien. Two great British aircraft design classics together...

[digidave]

Damien,
Absolutely wonderful!
You've made me cry again!
dd
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[treadigraph]

Concorde and Spitfire, eh? Ohhhh, I agree...

[ThermalUndies]

Stunning photos. A huge thank you from me as I could not be there. You can almost hear it as well.

[Zlin526]

Excellent pics Damien,

What you didn't capture on film was the HUGE airfield invasion by the spectators in picture 4. As Concorde taxied slowly past them , hundreds rushed towards the aircraft, some even getting under the aircraft. The one solitary security chap in the flourescent yellow jacket didnt stand a chance!

Also, a nice display by Phill O'Dell in the Spitfire XIX.

Ho Hum, I wonder if there will be the same show of public feeling for the Boeing 747 when it bows out........Me thinx not!

Z

[Shaggy Sheep Driver]

Don't know how you do it, DB. But I'm bloody glad you do do it:ok:

I'd love to have seen it on video as well, but I was foolish enough to think the tossers who run BBC TV news would show it on their main bulleten. They still found a shedload of time to show rainy footage of horse-drawn coaches containing HRH off to read 'Presentation' Tone's latest promises of beurocratic tinkering in the Lords, and of course the golden goose of footie from the vacuouse sports presenter got its full slot. But the last flight of this amazing aeroplane? The thousands who turned out to witness it? Not so much as a mention.

Time to chop the licence fee and let them take their chances in the cold world of commercial TV methinks.

Grrrrr!!!!:(

[tharg]

Damien, thank you so much. Your impossibly beautiful images have done so much to preserve the beauty now missing from our sky.

We will not see her like again.

*sniff* I'mm with dd here. Where's me hankie *sob*

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[ICT_SLB]

Damien,
Thanks for posting the great pictures. For all those like me who couldn't be there, the Western Daily Press' write up is here:

http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=84812&command=newPage

Gives you some idea of the impact Concorde had on all Bristolians whether they worked on her or not.

[John (Gary) Cooper]

Damien, excellent!

What a fitting way to record this momentous occasion, thanks again.

[Circuit Basher]

Damien - to echo what has already been posted, you're a star!!

Quality of the pictures is superb (I've already had a selection sent to me by someone else who was there that works for Airbus). Almost as emotional as when I stood at the 24 end of Edinburgh main run to watch the departure there a few weeks ago.

I reckon the death penalty should be brought back for the beancounters at BA / Airbus!! :ok: :{

[montster]

Excellent pictures!

For anyone who hasn't been able to see the footage, they have a video of it on the BBC Bristol website

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bristol/content/concorde/

[DamienB]

Many thanks all for the kind comments.

Edit - ah I see what you mean Zlin - the last shot I took before getting on a bus to the other end of the airfield was this one, just showing the start of the 'airfield invasion'!

http://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/pprune/invasion.jpg

[Smoketoomuch]

Damien - stunning. Your pics 3 and 4 showing the last few seconds of the Concorde era are so poignant. I'm printing one out for my wall - hope you don't mind.
On the final flight Concorde looks even more beautiful than she ever has. Has there ever been a more elegant wing?

SSD - BBC coverage was dreadful, virtually non-existent. How could they not show it live? Hard to believe its the worlds biggest news organisation.

[DamienB]

Smoketoomuch - not at all, but if you want a really big print worthy of hanging on the wall you know where to come!

Sky's coverage was much better, live footage of take-off, pass over the bridge, landing etc. from multiple viewpoints. I recorded 11AM to 2PM and watched it all again when I got home :{

[DamienB]

Great article with more pics now up here:

http://www.f4aviation.co.uk/Hangar/2003/concorde/concorde.htm

[digidave]

Hi Damien,

Thanks for the link to the article.

I have a query, what is the story behind the "Concorde 002, British Aerospace, Filton 1969. Courtesy Airbus via Damien Burke 2003" picture? Were you there to take the picture or do you own it?

Just being a nosey old git :8

dd

[DamienB]

Not how I would have credited it to be honest. Pic supplied by Airbus - I just passed it on to the ed!

[no sponsor]

Damien,

Thankyou for sharing your fabulous pictures. I have downloaded them all, and they will be pride of place on my desktop.

NS

[homesickangel]

I have a copy of the Local Bristol news program for 26/11 and 27/11 and can convert to mpeg for download if anyone who wasn't there to have! I was there but my Mum recorded it for us (thanks mum!)

Damien, I would be great to do the same for your Sky coverage! I didn't think anyone was covering it live and like others, find it somewhat amazing the Beeb didn't do more at a national level... I know 3hrs would be a BIG file but it would be worth it! or send me a copy and I will edit and convert...

[DamienB]

No can do I'm afraid - watched it and deleted it. In the 3 hours there was only perhaps 30 minutes of Concorde coverage anyway. I deleted because I expected somebody else was bound to make an mpeg of any coverage - there's a bloke on the concordesst.com forums who is building up a nice collection of mpegs you can download from his server.

[Mike51]

Great pics as always, Damien.

I made the pilgramage to LHR to see the (last) take-off. A very sad day

As an aside, it seems that you and Sky News have kissed and made up after the Firefly episode then, Damien?

[DamienB]

Thanks Mike, but no, I still think they're a bunch of ghouls and the ITC agreed with me.

[Volume]

Hi everyone,

I just found this picture on
Airbus4U (http://www.airbus.com/airbus4u/index.asp),
is there any video aviable on the web, showing the Concorde passing the clifton suspension bridge ???
http://www.airbus.com/MultimediaElements/2355.jpg

[Cosmic Wind]

Having read how careful BA were when considering who was worthy of one of their free-be jets slightly surprised to learn that the Filton example is now out in the open until a museum to accodate her is built in a few years time.

Can't believe that Airbus UK has'nt got room for her inside. Not only that but the stored G-BBDG has it's own hanger at Filton.

[GlueBall]

We have seen and lived the future, but now it's back to 8 hours for the crossing. :{

[BLUE SKY THINKER]

Re. The now famous photo of Concorde over the Clifton Suspension Bridge, highlighted in Volume's post above.....

.....Does anyone know where I can download a jpeg example in its larger original, much more detailed form?

Thanks in anticipation.

[wub]

BST; have alook at:

http://www.concordefinalflight.com/

[BLUE SKY THINKER]

Thanks wub. .....:ok: FAB!

[AlanM]

Thought I should add these (at last!) of G-BOAF making the last ever departure of a Concorde, to Bristol Filton.

Enjoy!!

http://www.pbase.com/image/24270542

http://www.pbase.com/image/24270496

http://www.pbase.com/image/24270499

http://www.pbase.com/image/24270519

[vintage ATCO]

Looks like the file extension is missing off the file name, Alan. Do they need a .jpg perhaps :confused:


VA

[KBMphotography]

VA - can't get back in so have re-registered...!

G-BOAG to JFK (and Seattle)

http://www.pbase.com/image/24270415.jpg
http://www.pbase.com/image/24270386.jpg
http://www.pbase.com/image/24270395.jpg
http://www.pbase.com/image/24287073.jpg
http://www.pbase.com/image/24287074.jpg

G-BOAF to Filton

http://www.pbase.com/image/24270542.jpg
http://www.pbase.com/image/24270519.jpg
http://www.pbase.com/image/24270499.jpg

and an old one of G-BOAG in Jan 2002

http://www.pbase.com/image/24287075.jpg

enjoy..........

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www.kbmphotography.com
www.pbase.com/kbmphotography