Concorde on the Move?

[Mr Chips]

I just half heard a news item on the radio about Concorde being ona barge on the Thames at Isleworth. Or did I? Anyone know where it is/whats going on?

Chips

[STANDTO]

Were you out late last night?

[silverknapper]

I know it's moving to East Fortune, near Edinburgh, didn't know when - is this it now perhaps?

[Mr. Sloan]

It's on it's way to East Fortune Mr. Chips......

Mr. Sloan





[Concorde floats to resting place]

The first Concorde used by British Airways is to make its final journey on a barge sailing down the River Thames on its way to a new home in Scotland.
Fans can watch its distinctive nose cone float by landmarks like the Houses of Parliament and the London Eye.

The airliner G-BOAA will be partially dismantled at Heathrow Airport before starting its last voyage by road and water to Edinburgh's Museum of Flight.

Part of the plane's wings and tail will be removed so it fits under bridges.


The Concorde is the last of a fleet of seven owned by British Airways to be taken to its final resting place after commercial flights ended in October 2003.


The airliner is due to leave Heathrow by road on 4 April, on the first leg of its week-long trip.

It will be loaded on to the Terra Marique, a new multi-purpose pontoon, on the Thames at Isleworth.

Plane spotters will have the perfect photo opportunity when the barge reaches the Houses of Parliament on the morning of 6 April.

Later that afternoon, the plane will continue past landmarks including the London Eye, Tower Bridge, Canary Wharf and the Thames Barrier.


We cannot fly them any more because we don't have a flight certificate so it seemed the best way
British Airways spokeswoman
There will be a brief stop at Gravesend before the Terra Marique, which is seagoing as well as operating on inland waterways, heads out to sea.

The Sunderland-based vessel will head north up the east coast, due to arrive off Scotland on 13 April.

Once the barge reaches East Lothian, the plane will be transported via the A1 to a new hangar at the Museum of Flight, at East Fortune airfield, near Edinburgh.

After restoration, the Concorde is expected to be on public display by the end of the summer.

A British Airways spokeswoman said practical constraints had been behind the decision to transport the airliner by water to Scotland.

Found homes

She said: "It was more of a logistic solution than anything.

"We cannot fly them any more because we don't have a flight certificate so it seemed the best way.

"We've chosen this location just because we wanted an even spread across the country so as many people can see them as possible."

G-BOAA was the first of BA's Concordes to start commercial flights in 1976.

One of the fleet has gone to Filton in Bristol, where it was first made, while two others have found homes at Manchester and Heathrow airports.

Two more have been taken to museums in America, while the final Concorde is in Bridgetown, Barbados.


:) :)

[PPRuNe Radar]

Full details on BBC News

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3597301.stm

Concorde's final journey begins


The last Concorde owned by British Airways has said farewell to Heathrow and taken to the water on the first step of a seaborne journey to Scotland. The 110-ton plane was loaded on to a specialist 2,000-ton barge at the tiny Thames port of Isleworth.

Its departure down the Thames and up the Britain's east coast has been delayed owing to tides until 12 April.

Concorde G-BOAA is to go on display at the Museum of Flight at East Fortune near Edinburgh.

It was moved on a transporter at walking pace on Saturday night along the main A30 and A4 from Heathrow to Isleworth.

A spokesman for Robert Wynn and Sons Ltd, which owns the barge Terra Marique, told BBC News Online on Sunday that Concorde had been loaded successfully.

But he said it was decided to delay the journey to Scotland following discussions with the Port of London Authority about changing tides on the Thames.

The supersonic plane is expected to be put on display this summer after restoration.

The total cost of transporting the aircraft, which could once travel at twice the speed of sound, is being funded as part of a £2m grant from the Scottish executive.

The G-BOAA aircraft is the last of British Airways' seven Concordes to find a home after the decision last year to end passenger service.

The other planes can be seen at Heathrow Airport, Manchester Airport, Bristol's Filton Airport, the Grantley Adams Airport in Barbados, as well as at a museum in Seattle, US, and at a floating exhibition in New York.

G-BOAA first flew in 1975, while its last commercial flight from New York to London took place on August 2000.

[simon niceguy]

R.

If you are to have a future in Aviation, you really must try to keep up !!!!!!

Regards,
C.

[Runway 31]

Now delayed due to expected tidal conditions on the 9 day journey. Now thats a new one for a delay.

[DamienB]

http://www.concordesst.com/latestnews.html

[Mr Chips]

Thank you all for replies! I guess its not worth popping to Isleworth for a look if its stowed below decks on the barge....


Were you out late last night?

No I wasn't Standto! However, as the whole circus was not far from where I live I wish I had been - must have been worth seeing!

If you are to have a future in Aviation, you really must try to keep up !!!!!!

Ahhh Mr G, therein lies a story! I have no desire for a future in aviation - at least not the branch I am in now! Long story - will tell you about it sometime, but expect an invitation to my "left" party (as opposed to a leaving party!) Wonder If I will get a handshake??? Still listening to the boys from your chariot??? Best nostaligia for me is seeing your old car still in the car park when the boy is on duty!

Mr Chips

[STANDTO]

Bizarre. Whatever next.

How on earth they couldn't authorise a 45 min ferry flight on a perfectly Airworthy A/C is beyond me

[BEagle]

Quite appalling that the greatest achievement ever in civil aviation should be treated this way. Eddington, may you rot in hell with all your ba$tard beancounters. I will never fly on your second rate airline!

[Stampe]

I believe AA was taken out of service after its last flight on August 12th 2000 and had been languishing as a hangar queen at LHR since then.So it was not likely to be in a fit condition even for a ferry flight.Happy memories of that airframe my only ever passenger Concorde flight JFK-LHR many year ago a truly fantastic passenger experience much akin to flying in a noisy Bac111.Take off struck me as a very agricutural experiece I,ll never forget it.Glad I did it seemed an extravagence at the time and that was a staff deal.

[PPRuNe Radar]

G-BOAA was never upgraded to the new airworthiness standard after the tragic Air France accident. It was scheduled to be, however the events of September 11th and the downturn in Transatlantic business ensured that it never took place.

It has not been certificated as airworthy since it was grounded and the necessary work to bring it to flying standard would be prohibitive, even to such a blatant money wasting organisation such as the Scottish Executive ;)

[gordonroxburgh]

The figures were around £1M to move by road but somewhere in the region of £5M-£10M to make the journey by air.

AA's care and maintenance programme was suspended in eary 2002, when it became clear the airline would only need 6 aircraft....and needed AA to help with parts.

If another one of the fleet had had to be grounded for any resson, eg fatigue, she would have been returned to flight.

Alpha-Alpha was to have been the last modified as she was out of hours for an inter check 4 days before the grounding in Mid August. They planned to do the check and the mods after the other 6 had been done. This was when they expected the tanks mods to take 6 weeks per a/c not 3-4 months!

Last flight was Aug 12th 2000 as the BA002 JFK-LHR. She was landed for the Final Time by SFO James Bedforth

[ramsrc]

How on earth they couldn't authorise a 45 min ferry flight on a perfectly Airworthy A/C is beyond me

I suppose it is all down to cost. East Fortune's runway is shorter these days than it was when they brought the Dan Air Comet in, so that wouldn't be possible, even if the aircraft were airworthy.

By the time you have moved her from another airfield with sufficient runway, you might as well ship her all the way by barge.

Sad though. She was build to fly, not to float...

[treadigraph]

Walking down the Thames by Kew Gardens on Saturday, we were speculating what the huge barge aground on the mud at Islewoth was for!

"Aggregates" said someone (bit impolite that, I thought)... no, it's more like a landing craft... Ahhhh Concorde!

We'll not see her like again I fear...

[The SSK]

Here's a piccie of a sleek, sharp-nosed craft on the Thames at Isleworth

And Concorde

http://www.mortlake.net/photos/sonic_boom_90a.jpg

[Globaliser]

Just come back in from going to see her outside Parliament and then moving off under Westminster Bridge. She's a very sad sight with her wings and fin off, but it was still good to have been there to say farewell.

[Rollingthunder]

There's an auction (on-line as well) going on now for 150,000 pieces of Concorde memorabillia. Four day auction. Google "Dovebid" for details.