Last Concorde landing at Heathrow, 24 Oct 2003 question...

[Jklsr55]

I am new to this amazing forum. I am a plumber from Montana. But an airline enthusiast none the less. I have been interested in the Concorde as of late. There is a video on YouTube showing the last flights from JFK landing in London on the 24th of October, 2003. One of the pilots kinda flubbed the landing a bit. Does anyone know this gentleman's name? All these guys were amazing pilots. I am sure this guy was bummed. I have wondered if his contemporaries ever rib him about it? I would never presume to bust his rocks for sure. I am just wondering if his name was ever made public?

[Brian Abraham]

What is the thrust of your criticism? Looked fine to me.

[India Four Two]

jklsr55,

Welcome to PPRuNe and AH&N in particular.

I presume you are referring to the slight bounce of the main gear at touchdown.

Concorde's Last Landing on Vimeo

I'm sure the captain was unhappy with it but apparently not an unusual occurrence, even for the most experienced pilots.

[Brian Abraham]

Aaah, found the problem. The one you are speaking of is the 3rd to last landing. Yes a bit of a bounce.

24 Oct 03-Concorde-last-landing-BBC-edit4b.wmv - YouTube

A smooth landing is mostly luck; two in a row is all luck; three in a row is prevarication.

[Shaggy Sheep Driver]

What a fabulous aeroplane.... the best!

[Aileron Drag]

Jklsr55,

"All these guys were amazing pilots".

Don't forget Barbara Harmer, who I regret we have lost to a horrible illness.

For information, British Airways pilots 'bid' for aircraft conversion courses, and are allocated a course according to their seniority, and whether they have 'served' their 'freeze-period' on their current type (in order to give a fair return for the training costs).

It is assumed by some that Concorde pilots were the most able. In reality, they were pilots who had bid for Concorde, and were senior enough to be allocated a course. Naturally, the course was very demanding (and lengthy), but then a Classic 747 course was pretty grueling too (so I am told).

Most pilots chose not to bid for Concorde, because for a captain it was your final bid - you would never fly anything else in the company. For a First Officer, the freeze was (if I remember correctly) seven years, which was a very long time, and could have 'cost' you a training job or command course.

Also, the route structure was very limited indeed, they did very little flying, and as one pal of mine (who was a Concorde Flight Engineer) said, "Every flamin' trip is like a bl**dy sim-check!" They had quite a few technical problems, and fuel was terribly critical.

I think we all would have given our back teeth to fly it, but not to 'work' on it.

Lovely aeroplane, though, and a pity they didn't build a second generation replacement.

[Lookleft]

To be fair to the pilots there appears to be a bit of a crosswind and they probably didn't have a lot of recency. I'm not sure if they were revenue flights but if they were flown at light weights it would also throw the judgement out for when to execute the perfect flare.

[18-Wheeler]

One thing I've wondered for a while, where those the actual last landings or did any of those Concorde's do another short positioning flight anywhere?

[Skipness One Echo]

CONCORDE SST - The Definitive Concorde Aircraft Site on the Internet (http://www.concordesst.com)

It's all here, where they ended up and when and how they got there.

[SpringHeeledJack]

where those the actual last landings or did any of those Concorde's do another short positioning flight anywhere?

I observed the last Concorde flight taking off from LHR to Bristol Filton (last landing) and as far as I know that was the last airborne movement by any of the fleet. I think it was late Oct/ early Nov 2003, though the date escapes me.


SHJ

[Haven't a clue]

26 November 2003 - went to LHR to see it.......

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

The very last Concorde flight of all time took place on 26th Novermber, 2003 from Heathrow to Filton. Here's a pic I took of it from the 7th floor of the Tower building as it approached 28R.

http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a610/brendan_mccartney/GBOAF_zps0a36f840.jpg

[2 sheds]

Thanks SHJ and HD for now mentioning the real last Concorde flight (G-BOAF), from somewhere near the M25 to its "home" at BRISTOL FILTON. It is still languishing in the open air on the south side of the runway and Filton closed permanently in December 2012 but the plan is to move it to a permanent new building on the north side of the aerodrome as part of a new Bristol Aerospace Centre in about three years' time.

2 s

[Squadronbrat]

The very last Concorde flight of all time took place on 26th Novermber, 2003 from Heathrow to Filton. Here's a pic I took of it from the 7th floor of the Tower building as it approached 28R.

Are you sure it was approaching 28R?

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

Considering I worked there for 20 years and knew Heathrow like the back of my hand, yes, I'm fairly sure.

[2 sheds]

I think that he's being facetious, HD. (Mag variation?):)

2 s

[Phileas Fogg]

Was 2003 truly the last flight of an aircraft type that, effectively, the French authorities grounded or might the French have been sneaky bringing about the grounding of the British airframes whilst they've maintain one in PDQ airworthy condition in Toulouse?

There are two Concordes in Toulouse, one is no more than a display ... the other one still works and was rumoured to be making a comeback for the opening ceremony of the 2012 Paris Olympics.

[Squadronbrat]

Considering I worked there for 20 years and knew Heathrow like the back of my hand, yes, I'm fairly sure.

I'm sure there was a 28R in your day, just not on that day.

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

Sorry, I humbly apologise. Some pilots made the same mistake many years after the change!

[Shaggy Sheep Driver]

I've just spent most of today in the P2 seat of Concorde G-BOAC (and a short spell on Nimrod XV231 first thing) conducting tours for some lovely visitors. And I get paid for it!

I've been doing it since we started Concorde tours in 2004 (she flew in on her last flight, 31st October 2003). Tough work, but someon's got to do it. :ok:

[gordonroxburgh]

Reason for the bounce.

Flight engineer got caught up in the emotion of the event and messed up the radio alt call out, so Capt Brodie banged it in a little causing a small bounce.

A few weeks later his landing at Filton was perfect:D

[Shaggy Sheep Driver]

If you watch the BA video 'Final Farewell', Les Brodie is (according to the Concorde captain doing the commentary to the invited guests in the hangar) flying the first of the three to land which does a perfect touchdown.

Did they edit the vid to show the 'first' of the three landings as the 'perfect' one? The vid only shows one landing.

The final ever landing at Filton was indeed by Les, and was perfect.

Landing any aeroplane thus will always be more art than science. Some of my best have been after a long lay-off, and some of my worst have been when I'm very current.

And if the world is watching (or just mates in my case), they are never as good as that time you could not discern the point of touchdown. Only the sheep by the strip were witnesses, and they weren't watching!

[wannabe024]

Take your pick:

1) PF a bit under the weather and a slight mis-judgement.

2) A bit of shear in the flare.