Demand for Concorde to fly again
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Demand for Concorde to fly again
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If only everyone on Pprune signed the petition.... Save the Concorde
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There's a world of difference between signing a petition at an airshow and putting your hand in your pocket to produce the substantial donations required to acquire one of these and get it operational again.
Why should the government front the money for a scheme like this? Concorde was cutting edge technology in the 60's and although it remains a beautiful machine the economics behind its demise prove its lack of viability.
If enthusiasts want to try, all power to them but don't involve the taxpayers anymore.
Why should the government front the money for a scheme like this? Concorde was cutting edge technology in the 60's and although it remains a beautiful machine the economics behind its demise prove its lack of viability.
If enthusiasts want to try, all power to them but don't involve the taxpayers anymore.
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Wasn't the chance effectively lost shortly after the last (BA) flight?
I believe BA carried out some "preservative" maintenance which effectively made the aircraft much harder to ever restore to flying condition. Others might use a different phrase to "maintenance" <G>
NoD
I believe BA carried out some "preservative" maintenance which effectively made the aircraft much harder to ever restore to flying condition. Others might use a different phrase to "maintenance" <G>
NoD
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...it was negative attitudes such as the one above...
My attitude isn't negative at all. I think it would be quite something to see Concorde in the air once more. But it's no more deserving of airworthy preservation than several other aircraft - such as the TSR2.
I despair at those who think that their total contribution to the effort should simply be a couple of thousand signatures on a piece of paper. Signatures amount to nothing - a petition is just a cheap way of avoiding responsibility for dealing with the problem by handing it to the Government.
It's this delusional attitude, the product of an apparent inability to accept the realities of the situation, which will keep Concorde firmly on the ground.
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What about the present fuel price then?
Would it be economical to operate Concorde under the present circumstances, indeed, was it ever economical, except in the 1960's, when it was designed?
Lets face facts here.
Concorde's time has come and gone....for good.
Would it be economical to operate Concorde under the present circumstances, indeed, was it ever economical, except in the 1960's, when it was designed?
Lets face facts here.
Concorde's time has come and gone....for good.
I would be very happy to support a campaign to return Concorde back to the air as long as it doesn't cost me anything and I don't have to pay any more tax. In other words, I will sign a piece of paper and no more.
I have paid quite enough over the last 40-odd years subsidising its development and providing a very exclusive flying club for the very few.
Apart from anything else, the Navy seemed to have far too much control over flying the thing!
I have paid quite enough over the last 40-odd years subsidising its development and providing a very exclusive flying club for the very few.
Apart from anything else, the Navy seemed to have far too much control over flying the thing!
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saskatoon
Not meaning to be pedantic but the Soviets built a VTOL jet fighter and the Tu144 was supersonic.
Unfortunately Concorde, for all it's grace and technical achievement, was a short cul-de-sac in the history of civil aviation. Just an other example of British elitism.
Not meaning to be pedantic but the Soviets built a VTOL jet fighter and the Tu144 was supersonic.
Unfortunately Concorde, for all it's grace and technical achievement, was a short cul-de-sac in the history of civil aviation. Just an other example of British elitism.
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Concorde
Someone above did mention the fact that taxpayers money should not be used to get Concorde airbourne again for airshows. However, the Red Arrows are obviously government funded, and I for one know which aircraft I would rather see at an airshow.
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Let the old girl rest in peace and dignity.
It cost us a fortune to develop and produce, produced profits only in the latter years of its life that have not covered the costs, and none of us will ever convince Airbus to release the design authority - nor have the expertise to run a single-aircraft operation of a highy complex aircraft that, until last year, had a huge support network that cannot be replicated safely as a charitable foundation.
The money should go to developing new technologies to keep Britain and Europe at the forefront of aerospace, not languishing in a backward-looking misty-eyed veneration of the past.
We need those in charge of aerospace to take the lead and develop the next flagships and technologies, and not squander that expertise on maintaining the past.
It cost us a fortune to develop and produce, produced profits only in the latter years of its life that have not covered the costs, and none of us will ever convince Airbus to release the design authority - nor have the expertise to run a single-aircraft operation of a highy complex aircraft that, until last year, had a huge support network that cannot be replicated safely as a charitable foundation.
The money should go to developing new technologies to keep Britain and Europe at the forefront of aerospace, not languishing in a backward-looking misty-eyed veneration of the past.
We need those in charge of aerospace to take the lead and develop the next flagships and technologies, and not squander that expertise on maintaining the past.
The only Concorde which might fly again is the one which, allegedly, the French are keeping at Le Bourget ready to fly within about 48 hours if M le President so desires....
It was bad enough that Skippy allowed ba's Concorde fleet to be killed off with such scandalous indecent haste, thus ensuring that no-one else could ever fly them, but seeing the odious Marshall droning on at the farewell event was the crowning turd in the water pipe. And why on earth have the few surviving aircraft been dispersed to such totally unsuitable venues as an old American aircraft carrier?
The appalling way ba treated Concorde in the last few months sums up all that is wrong with the lack of inspirational leadership in that wretched apology for an airline. Much as there was plenty to dislike Thatcher for, I get the feeling that Skippy would have been given a stand-up, no tea, no biscuits chat with her if she, rather than Bliar, had still been in charge. And she'd probably have told Les Grenouilles to give Airbus Toolooze a kick up the jacksie as well!
It was bad enough that Skippy allowed ba's Concorde fleet to be killed off with such scandalous indecent haste, thus ensuring that no-one else could ever fly them, but seeing the odious Marshall droning on at the farewell event was the crowning turd in the water pipe. And why on earth have the few surviving aircraft been dispersed to such totally unsuitable venues as an old American aircraft carrier?
The appalling way ba treated Concorde in the last few months sums up all that is wrong with the lack of inspirational leadership in that wretched apology for an airline. Much as there was plenty to dislike Thatcher for, I get the feeling that Skippy would have been given a stand-up, no tea, no biscuits chat with her if she, rather than Bliar, had still been in charge. And she'd probably have told Les Grenouilles to give Airbus Toolooze a kick up the jacksie as well!
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Do correct me if I’m wrong, but I was under the impression that the engineering infrastructure on Concorde was not only highly unique, costly and requiring numerous personnel with type-specific skills, that the result of keeping 1 airworthy would mean you might as well keep a fleet airworthy.
The best hope IMHO would have been Capt. Brodie’s proposal for an Anglo-French consortium to maintain an operating fleet of 3? aircraft, with the higher mileage airframes on-hand for spares.
With the Internet being what it is, there have been rumours that the Le Bourget aircraft could take to the skies for publicity during the A380 launch; besides the statistical likelihood of such an occurrence being on a par with your Rocking Horse fouling the carpet, I’m not entirely convinced such a publicity flight would be entirely good taste…
I don’t think the Vulcan-to-the-sky campaign is an entirely accurate comparison in terms of complexity or safety statistics. I wouldn’t want to see the BA Concorde (say what you want about the suits in charge, the ground staff did a fine job IMHO) safety record compromised for low-level “fly-bys” (a task that particular airframe was definitely not designed for).
Hear! Hear! 
The best hope IMHO would have been Capt. Brodie’s proposal for an Anglo-French consortium to maintain an operating fleet of 3? aircraft, with the higher mileage airframes on-hand for spares.
With the Internet being what it is, there have been rumours that the Le Bourget aircraft could take to the skies for publicity during the A380 launch; besides the statistical likelihood of such an occurrence being on a par with your Rocking Horse fouling the carpet, I’m not entirely convinced such a publicity flight would be entirely good taste…
I don’t think the Vulcan-to-the-sky campaign is an entirely accurate comparison in terms of complexity or safety statistics. I wouldn’t want to see the BA Concorde (say what you want about the suits in charge, the ground staff did a fine job IMHO) safety record compromised for low-level “fly-bys” (a task that particular airframe was definitely not designed for).
Let the old girl rest in peace and dignity.
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BA Should be ashamed!
BA should be ashamed. Sir Richard Branson approached them prior to the retirement of Concord (English spelling) but they snubbed him.
BA behaved like a spoilt child who had a toy they no longer wanted but would rather destroy it than let someone else play with it!
Aviation vanalism then took place as BA destroyed parts of the aircraft to ensure nobody could ever fly them again,
What makes matter even more annoying to me is that the taxpayer paid for those aircraft and BA simply, tired of them, so threw them away!
I personally will never fly BA again! as a gesture!!
BA behaved like a spoilt child who had a toy they no longer wanted but would rather destroy it than let someone else play with it!
Aviation vanalism then took place as BA destroyed parts of the aircraft to ensure nobody could ever fly them again,
What makes matter even more annoying to me is that the taxpayer paid for those aircraft and BA simply, tired of them, so threw them away!
I personally will never fly BA again! as a gesture!!