First Concorde services

[Captain Spunkfarter]

I've heard that BA has plans to fill Concorde Alpha Foxtrot with its own staff for its first LHR-JFK flight in an attempt to secure public confidence in the aircraft. Can anyone confirm this?

[ 09 September 2001: Message edited by: Captain Spunkfarter ]

[Gaza]

BA have/will operate a number of proving flights. According to BA it is to test the product and not the aircraft. First to be offered were those who worked on the project to get it flying again followed by BA staff who entered a lottery to win a place.

[Captain Spunkfarter]

mmm...I'm not so sure Gaza. That's a very big gesture by BA. Giving free flights to those involved in Concorde's return is a costly venture (100 seats which it could retail at £8000+ a seat)...why not just give them all a nice big bonus?
Also, using BA staff to test the Concorde product is a false experiment, as most of these staff will not have experienced the Concorde product in the past so there is no opportunity for comparison.
I'll be interested to see how BA spin these proving flights.

[Captain Slack-Bladder]

Concorde was a perpetual fuel emergency before its mods. Now with an increase in weight and less fuel capacity most of us would need reinforcement of the sphincter to operate it. It only seems fair that the first "proving" flights should be with BA staff, specially as they are so overstaffed and wouldn't miss a few. ;)

[fireflybob]

A media report which I read recently said that the weight savings which had been achieved with the recent interior refit, etc. are almost equal to the extra weight for the mods, etc. Hence no significant change in the range/payload situation.

With the a/c being out of service as long as it has been and the ramifications of the mods surely any responsible operator would want to do some proving flights with non fare paying passenger?

I say all power to BA's elbow to get this beautiful bird back in the sky again and if some of the staff who have worked hard to get it airborne get a freebie then they deserve it!

[fen boy]

On the weight issue each of the new tyres is also significantly lighter than the previous version giving a significant overall saving. The new interiors are also lighter.

As far as the route proving flights I think you will find that most operators use this method when initiating new routes or new aircraft types.

[stoopid]

so if anything untoward happens ( i hope to god it doesnt) would it be any less of a public relations disaster if they were ba staff on board as opposed to fare paying pax?

[brockenspectre]

I am happy to offer myself as passenger if BA needs a "real passenger" to help test the new service!!

I have always thought she was the best "bird" in the skies and speaking as a bird myself, I continue to think so!!

It would be a sacrifice to offer myself as a pax but hey...someone has to do it!!!

:D

[Captain Spunkfarter]

Fireflybob and Fenboy

A BA Senior Engineer recently informed me that although the new tyres on Concorde are lighter than the previous ones, the Kevlar lining in the fuel tanks will have a significant effect upon passenger loads.

He says that BA believes it can still carry a full load (100 passengers) on its Heathrow - JFK route, but the Barbados and Antigua flights will only carry 88 passengers.

Can anyone from BA confirm this?

[BRL]

B.A. Why don't you offer one of the flights to PPRuNe..? There has been quite a lot of support for the plane on this site and talk of some ppruners chartering one out when it starts to fly again, so how about it.?

[ExSimGuy]

I for one would be more than happy to fly Conc.

Indeed, I have asked my daughter to check out what is the situation regarding interline ID90s on the aircraft as I hope to be travelling to US again in December and would jump at the chance of trying the "product"

It is a regret that I was not able to afford an offer, many years ago, when I worked at Cranebank LHR and BA offered staff a £25 ticket one way LGW-LHR on a positioning flight. At that time, with a new baby and new mortgage, I just could not justify the expenditure. :(

Hopefully - this year . . . :)

[Final 3 Greens]

Capt Spunkfarter

The flights to JFK are non revenue earning, therefore there is no "expensive" gesture by BA. They have to do these proving flights and need pax, so why not reward those who worked hard to make the return to service possible?

Unless you are a BA person engaging on a wind up (i.e. big bonus), you are unlikely to be aware of the company culture - this gesture will mean a lot to those who are part of it and will be a welcome distraction from this week's unpleasant news.

[G.Khan]

Has anyone thought to check out the response of the anti-Concorde lobby in the U.S. of A, especially in the New York area?
Hard to imagine they will sit idly by and allow the Concorde unrestricted access to "their" airspace, as they see it. No media/PR/legal machine better eqipped to jump on any band-wagon and scream "unsafe" than those to be found in America.

[250 kts]

There was talk that they were to offer the trip to a number of ATCers( now partly owned by BA),but we are so short of numbers, management have decreed no more than 1 controller on any Concorde/ tandem / taxi. etc. ;) ;) ;)

[sirwa69]

When it returns to passenger service there will not be id90's as such but a staff price of 400 GBP one way between LHR and JFK. Only open to staff and partners.

[Captain Spunkfarter]

Final 3 Greens

No, I'm not aware of BA's company culture, perhaps you can explain it to me.

And if BA is just showing its appreciation for those who helped get it back in the air, how does it pick 100 people?

[Gaza]

Capt Spukfarter

As I said in my first post there are a number of test pax (non-rev) flights taking place. Some are just Iceland and back, others are LHR-JFK. I believe that the seats on LHR-JFK were allocated by ballot open to all BA emplyees.

I'm sure some of the BA bods on this forum can confirm.

[Captain Spunkfarter]

Thanks Gaza.

I have another related query. Concorde AF has undergone three months of towing, taxi and flight testing for a planned return date sometime in October. None of the other aircraft in the fleet appear to have left the Maintenance Area.

Can we therefore expect the same level of testing for every aircraft? In which case, Concorde AF is going to be worked like a dog until the others are certified - a minor maintenance problem on this aircraft would be pounced on by the media. Would BA not be better off waiting until at least two aircraft in the fleet have regained their C of A?

[ 09 September 2001: Message edited by: Captain Spunkfarter ]

[Captain Spunkfarter]

Also, will all Flight Crew have to be re-certified on type or does 12 months of sim time alone keep their type ratings valid?

[ExSimGuy]

Capt S,

Does every new B777 out of the factory get the same testing as the prototype did? Come on now !

[fen boy]

Captain, I beleive the BA staff tickets were given away intially to the engineers who had fitted the mods and the rest to a raffle for staff.

As far as the crews are concerned, yes, the have been flying the sim but also require three 'real' take-offs and landings within 60 days. This is why 'BOAF' went to Shannon so they could all do circuits and bumps.