CONCORDE ALPHA DELTA today
 

Serving as a reminder to all 'ppruners,

Concorde Alpha Delta flies for the last time today (ever) supersonic LHR-JFK as "Speedbird Concorde AD".
ETD LHR 1516z ETA JFK 1901z.

That leaves AE to go Barbados 17th November and FINAL AF to FIlton on 26th November.
No more word on AA or AB at LHR the non-current airworthy ones.

Concorde flys again
 

It was nice to be alerted by that special rumbling roar, and get to the window in time to see the delta shape turn right in a climb which presented the familiar sight of the rear of the bird disappearing in a faint trail of exhaust.

I guess it was one of the ones repositioning for its life ahead as a museum piece.

Or was it a demo flight for Richard?

Watched the departure at LHR this afternoon. No noise abatement today, the re-heats roared for ages, brilliant.

He certainly didn't do his noise. In Teddington the streets shook. Way to go.

I wish I was up there!

This was the last flight to JFK as this was going there and then being ferried to the Intrepid museum or something.

I wish it was a demo for Sir Richard as then we would see this bird grace the skies for many years to come. A sad, sad day in aviation :{ .

Thanks

Dave 14

The one destined for East Fortune, Edinburgh, is apparently to have her wings removed, and go by barge up to her final resting place. It'll take a wee while though, as apparently it will take 3 months to remove the wings, however long to put it on the barge and sail it up there, and then another 3 months for the engineers to refit her wings when in position at East Fortune.
Hope the Engineers going with her enjoy their 3 months in EDI!

Final Concorde to Filton
 

According to the latest local news, the final flight of Concorde will end at Filton (Bristol) at 13:00 on 26th November. Fitting that she's coming home to rest.

I'd be interested to know who the crew will be.

Well I think you can be 100% certain who the Captain will be, can't see Mike Bannister letting that one go.

Personally, when it comes to "Concorde Flies Again", I prefer this version:

http://www.concordesst.com/returntof...ightindex.html .

A couple of weeks ago the local Bristol evening newspaper said the pilot was to be a Captain Brodie and the flight engineer a Bristolian, whose name I regret to say escapes me.

Mind this was before the official announcement that a Concorde was even going to Filton, but the rumour seemed watertight.

Will be interesting to see if they correctly picked part of the flight crew.

As I understand it Mike will do the LHR departure and Les will do the filton Arrival

I was on LX 23 landing directly behind the last Concorde into JFK yesterday afternoon - even more special than before. Parked at Terminal 9 for the very last time - quite moving and I said my private goodbyes.

Hey Snigs, is my ticket for the arrival on the way?

Nasib

Has Mike been in the LH seat on all of them, since and including the last Heathrow landing?

SSD

Last Concorde T/O 26Nov 1120Z ?
 

In case anyone wants to know I believe the LAST Concorde Departure will be on:
Wednesday 26 November 2003, BA9020C 1120Z G-BOAF, from LHR to Filton, 1300Z; all times approx.

There is also alledged to be an earlier departure, G-BOAE, to Grantley Adams Airport, Barbados:
Monday 17 November 2003, 1120Z Departure from LHR - BA9093C.

I acknowledge source:

http://www.concordesst.com/retire/diary.html

I will be there for both.

I will never forgive BA.

I would think so........

He has got his CV to fill in to prepare for life as an after dinner speaker, TV presenter, author plus any other cameo appearance he can arrange.....

.......or is that me just being a tiny bit cynical ???

Wish I could be there for the last departures. A very sad day.

Like Youneverstoplearning I will not forgive BA.

I will be there for the final landing, Hope it comes in accross the A38.

Well, if Capt. Bannister is not doing the landing then we might see a good one!! :p

Nasib, I'd have thought you'd be watching at FL40, in the hold. ;)

I'll be there to see it, by all accounts the police are considering closing the A38, regardless of whether there's a westerly or not. My worry is the M5, if the landing is on 09 then there is a possibility of a "gawping" induced pile up!!

Sad day for those involved.

Well, if Capt. Bannister is not doing the landing then we might see a good one!!

Shurely Shum Mishtake:cool:

I watched the 3 last landings at Heathrow on telly. The Edinburgh was a tad bouncy, the round-the-bay was pretty good, and Bannister's was a greaser.:ok:

SSD

Shouldn't he have been busy managing his Airbus pilots?

The local Bristol radio station is saying that there will be no viewing faciliies at Filton and the public should view from the Downs at Clifton. It is a pity that Filton can't make an effort.

They also stating Concorde will also be accompanied by a Spitfire.

Anybody know more?

The spitfire would probably be the Rolls-Royce owned one, it would be nice if it happens.

SSD, in the TV interview after the last scheduled flights, after a bit of ribbing from an old mate, Bannister admitted that (and I paraphrase) "seeing as though this was my last landing of Concorde, I thought I'd do it twice!!"

I think the NY flight landed first!

I believe Filton will be allowing 3000 ticket holders in, see Evening Post for details.
I will be somewhere near there as I live 15 minutes from there and I have already booked the day off (Anyone fancy a drink after?).

as u_e said, 3,000 people are being admitted to the Filton site, presumably any more would be unmanageable.

It is fairly built up with factories and housing abutting the eastern end of the field so not really much scope for a lot of spectators there. Of course, if the wind is out of the east she will land from the other (Severnside) end anyway.

I believe the best bet would be the Downs. It is a massive open space and the bird will overfly that area, which is next to the Avon Gorge, whichever landing direction is subsequently taken. Local police favour the Downs for spectators.

Local press reported that the Spitfire mentioned is the one owned by Rolls Royce.

SSD, in the TV interview after the last scheduled flights, after a bit of ribbing from an old mate, Bannister admitted that (and I paraphrase) "seeing as though this was my last landing of Concorde, I thought I'd do it twice!!"

No, it was definately the Edinburgh first (that bounced), followed by the 'round the bay' and lastly the NY. Bannister was flying the NY.

And it was far from Bannister's last Conc landing. He did Manchester (which I watched in person and was also a greaser), and I beleive he was also on the flight to Seattle (which of course included another NY landing). He may also do Barbados and Filton - time will tell.

I wonder if that was the last Conc landing for the 'Edinburgh' pilot? I hope not - I felt sorry for the guy and I hope he got another go before he hangs up his Conc headset for the last time.

SSD

I think the EDI arrival was Brodie. If so, and the Filton crewing report is correct, he'll get a chance to redeem himself!

Except the ones that he was in the right hand seat for!!

Mondays LHR-JFK had Paul Douglas (his boss actually) in the LH seat, with MB in the right.

...and Me many rows behind them enjoying my one and only chance to sample the old girl.


Awesome!!!

MerchantVenturer, If you further East than the factories (Rolls Royce) there is some common ground. There is a footpath of bush avenue and that is off gipsy patch lane. You will not see it landing as its the wrong side of the railway embankment but you should be in line with approach.

...and Me many rows behind them enjoying my one and only chance to sample the old girl.

Fil - Glad you got a flight before it's too late. That would have been on Alpha Delta? I also had my one and only supersonic flight in her, August 1999. Not trans-atlantic (Manchester to Paris), but I did get the jump seat!

SSD

Thanks for that under_exposed.

I was thinking more in terms that there was no large open space for several thousand to gather and of course if the landings are in an easterly direction that day a position beyond the railway line would not enable anyone to see much.

However, if on the morning it is apparent that the landing will be in a westward direction your suggestion is certainly one to consider.

We do seem to have had more northeasterly, southeasterly and easterly winds this year than is normally the case.

The departure to Barbados is particularly sad. Very few people are likely to see it there and , unless very expensively looked after and air conditioned, deterioration in the saline air will be rapid. The bets must be on it having to be expensively recovered from there by sea , or broken up locally, before many years have passed. Its surprising that it hanst gone to a major museum in Europe where it would have been seen by much larger numbers of people.
Also, although the Barbados operation produced good results it was much less historically and operationaly significant than BAs eastern route , initially to Bahrein and later, Singapore.

If the wind is the other way, nip down to Cribs causeway and then head towards Catbrain (wonderful name). There are fields on three sides of the runway at the western end, but they tend to be muddy (even in summer).

See top left of here

Ummm.....

Where are the formations with the Red Arrows in all of this??!!

A bit rubbish...
 

Concorde's arrival capped by thievery

Thursday, November 13, 2003

By JAMES WALLACE
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER AEROSPACE REPORTER

When British Airways chief Concorde pilot Mike Bannister delivered one of the supersonic jets to Seattle's Museum of Flight last week, he spoke with pride about the world's fastest commercial jetliner and how he was leaving it in good hands.

But only a day or two after the delivery ceremony Nov. 5, a thief removed a very special "piece" of the Concorde that Bannister and his flight crew had deliberately left in the needle-nosed cockpit.

Removal of the flight engineer's cap occurred soon after the British Airways Concorde arrived last week at the Museum of Flight. The museum is hopeful about repair, calling this "another restoration project."

It was the British Airways cap belonging to flight engineer Trevor Norcott.

This was no ordinary cap left behind on a seat.

When the Concorde flies faster than sound, its airframe expands by design as friction heats the skin. As part of this expansion, a small gap opens next to the instrument panel at the flight engineer's station.

On the Concorde's flight to Seattle, Norcott placed his cap in that gap during the supersonic flight over Canada.

The gap closed tight around his cap when the plane slowed and the skin cooled.

The crew meant for it to remain there forever, for the public to see when they visit the Concorde.

With the end of the Concorde, British Airways has no more need for flight engineers. It is why Bannister decided it would be appropriate for Norcott to leave his cap behind as a personal touch.

But a day or two after the delivery ceremony, a thief took the cap. The person could not pull it out, so he or she cut it out.

Many people have been going in and out of the Concorde, from British Airways and the museum to grounds people at Boeing Field. They have been getting the plane ready for public display.

Not knowing who took the cap, the museum put the word out that no questions would be asked if it were returned.

It was. Anonymously.

But because the Concorde will not fly again, there is no way to place the cap back in the gap while the jet is streaking through the sky at 1,350 miles per hour.

And besides, the cap was cut or ripped out, not pulled out.

The museum says it will find a way to have the cap become part of the Concorde again.

"It's another restoration project," a spokesman said yesterday.

The museum is planning to have the Concorde ready for the public to view the inside beginning Nov. 28 -- with or without the cap.

Last Concorde T/O 26Nov 1120Z ?
 

In case anyone wants to know I believe the LAST Concorde Departure will be on:
Wednesday 26 November 2003, BA9020C 1120Z G-BOAF, from LHR to Filton, 1300Z; all times approx.

There is also alledged to be an earlier departure, G-BOAE, to Grantley Adams Airport, Barbados:
Monday 17 November 2003, 1120Z Departure from LHR - BA9093C.

I acknowledge source:

http://www.concordesst.com/retire/diary.html

I will be there for both.

I will never forgive BA.

[I make no apology for putting this back at the top.]

As an Aussie I can't forgive Rod's decision at BA.

Hey, we would have looked after one of them in Melbourne, more approp. than Barbados surely?!!

Sadly I never got to fly on one, closest I got was a few visits to the prototype at Duxford.

Well done Rod, you jumped ship at Ansett now look at BA - cutting tthe wrong costs perhaps...?:{

brockenspectre, BA paid a freely negotiated price for 5 of them, they only got 2 or 3 unsold Concordes for £1

Did anyone catch the BBC Radio Five Live interview [ around 06:20 - 14th Nov]with a chap who claims that the French Concorde Crash report was a cover-up and that during the take-off a 747 was missed by 7 metres and that Concorde hit a runway marker before rotation? Only caught a section of the interview but apparently a publication is about to be released. Another conspiracy theory along with all the others? He also mentioned another French Concorde being scrapped at Dakar?after a heavy landing?

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