This made me cry!
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 152
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From: Europe
Maybe they swapped duties so that they could take the flight...
I miss that graceful big bird too... one of my most mindblowing experiences was cruising westboud in G1 at FL80 and hearing the speedbird come closer... he had slowed down and extended his gear early because of some hydraulic problem... and seeing it pass underneath my little Piper Arrow...
I miss that graceful big bird too... one of my most mindblowing experiences was cruising westboud in G1 at FL80 and hearing the speedbird come closer... he had slowed down and extended his gear early because of some hydraulic problem... and seeing it pass underneath my little Piper Arrow...
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 3,325
Likes: 2
From: UK
Ah, there's a few of these recordings. When that final flight reaches UK there's some smart timing to get the 'final 3' in sequence for that historic last commercial landing. As Bannister is talking to West Drayton the controller says "They've all gone outside to watch you fly over". "Don't you go outside!" he responds.
One one of the last departures a captain comes on frequency just before Concorde is ready to roll and lots of aircraft have requested to wait to watch it.. "Speedbird Concorde, seems like no-ones gonna go 'till you do!".
And another (or the same) departure after intial climb:
"London, Speedbird Concorde 1 may we stop the climb at seven zero?"
"Affirm"
"May we come left 10 degrees?"
"Affirm"
After a short delay..
"London, Speedbird Concorde 1 is on track and resuming the climb"
"Speedbird Concorde 1, London"
"Go ahead, Speedbird Concorde 1"
"We know where you live!!!"
Fabulous machine I was lucky enough to ride the jump seat of, push back to parking via 60,000' and M2. Come see ours at Manchester!
One one of the last departures a captain comes on frequency just before Concorde is ready to roll and lots of aircraft have requested to wait to watch it.. "Speedbird Concorde, seems like no-ones gonna go 'till you do!".
And another (or the same) departure after intial climb:
"London, Speedbird Concorde 1 may we stop the climb at seven zero?"
"Affirm"
"May we come left 10 degrees?"
"Affirm"
After a short delay..
"London, Speedbird Concorde 1 is on track and resuming the climb"
"Speedbird Concorde 1, London"
"Go ahead, Speedbird Concorde 1"
"We know where you live!!!"
Fabulous machine I was lucky enough to ride the jump seat of, push back to parking via 60,000' and M2. Come see ours at Manchester!
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 368
Likes: 0
From: Italy
I think it was 1978, I was just a teenager, landed at Heathrow. As we left the airport I remember seeing the Concorde on final from the bus. Because of our relative velocities, it seemed immobile in the air.
A rare sight of beauty.
A rare sight of beauty.
Joined: Apr 2002
Aviation Qualifications: PPL
Posts: 1,264
Likes: 57
From: Surrey, UK ;
"She who must" bought me John Hutchinson's book for Christmas and the first chapter has a section about the birds' last flight.
One bit is when one the inbound from JFK leaving Ockham contacts Heathrow Director who says "Speedbird 2, only you and I should be on this frequency but I suspect there are many many others .. would you like to say something to them."
When I worked in Teddington for a while she used to make a 180 over my office about 11.00 when Heathrow were on easterlys ... I'll never forget it.
One bit is when one the inbound from JFK leaving Ockham contacts Heathrow Director who says "Speedbird 2, only you and I should be on this frequency but I suspect there are many many others .. would you like to say something to them."
When I worked in Teddington for a while she used to make a 180 over my office about 11.00 when Heathrow were on easterlys ... I'll never forget it.
Joined: Jan 1999
Posts: 6,209
Likes: 2
From: north of barlu
Fuel critical
It is the only aircraft that I have ever found to be fuel critical on a ground run, when setting up the primary & secondary nozzle controllers you would use a lot of reheat, this would increase the fuel flow by about 150%.
After a major check when setting up four engines you would sometimes have to call for another bowser full of fuel to get the job done.
After a major check when setting up four engines you would sometimes have to call for another bowser full of fuel to get the job done.
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,929
Likes: 0
From: SoCal
Here’s a little – true – story:
Once, walking down some street in the London’s West End, I saw one of those leather-clad bike couriers yelling into his phone, shouting at someone, probably his dispatcher. The man was ANGRY (these guys always seem to be, but that particular one really had a bad day). As I got closer, I could hear the sound of Concorde drawing near. The next thing was amazing: upon hearing the roar of those engines, the chap stopped in mid-sentence, shut his phone off, turned his eyes to the sky and, lost in reverie for a few moments - smiled.
So did I, as I always did when the beautiful bird flew over London. Miss her...
Once, walking down some street in the London’s West End, I saw one of those leather-clad bike couriers yelling into his phone, shouting at someone, probably his dispatcher. The man was ANGRY (these guys always seem to be, but that particular one really had a bad day). As I got closer, I could hear the sound of Concorde drawing near. The next thing was amazing: upon hearing the roar of those engines, the chap stopped in mid-sentence, shut his phone off, turned his eyes to the sky and, lost in reverie for a few moments - smiled.
So did I, as I always did when the beautiful bird flew over London. Miss her...
Joined: Jan 1999
Posts: 6,209
Likes: 2
From: north of barlu
SSD
I can't remember having any more than two engines in reheat at once, there was no chance of the aircraft moving as the main gear was trapped between a set of chocks, the rear chocks were concreted into the ground and the front chocks were attached to the rear ones with a set of what looked like surplus battleship anchor chains.
I was always surprised that the pointer on the fuel flow gauge did not respond to the selection of reheat with its own little supersonic shock wave it moved that fast.
I was always surprised that the pointer on the fuel flow gauge did not respond to the selection of reheat with its own little supersonic shock wave it moved that fast.
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 248
Likes: 0
From: South-East, United Kingdom
Brooklands Museum
If anyone lives in the South East of England, have a visit to the Brooklands museum. They have the original concorde model that used to be on the Heathrow roundabout, they have G-BBDG, which is the first production Concorde to take 100 passengers to Mach 2, and most importanly for us pilots - they have the original BA Concorde simulator. Its not hooked up to the hydraulics any more, bit it has been modernised to use FS2004 and is very realistic. Its a proper simulator , not some PC with a couple of screens.
I mention this because it doesnt seem to be well advertised, but the place is a little gem, has lots of charm and you can sense that the volunteers have put huge amounts of free time into making it what it is. I went there the other day as my fiancee bought this as my Xmas present, and I did the silver package, so got to meet a couple of Concorde Captains, had a personalised tour of the museum, sat on the P1 seat of G-BBDG, and then had an hour in the sim (though you only get 15 mins each at the controls). I took off from Heathrow, flew under Tower Bridge, round London and landed back at Heathrow. The nice Captain did all the clever bits but it was a fantastic day out, and for me, was as close as I will ever get to the heart of this fantastic airplane
I mention this because it doesnt seem to be well advertised, but the place is a little gem, has lots of charm and you can sense that the volunteers have put huge amounts of free time into making it what it is. I went there the other day as my fiancee bought this as my Xmas present, and I did the silver package, so got to meet a couple of Concorde Captains, had a personalised tour of the museum, sat on the P1 seat of G-BBDG, and then had an hour in the sim (though you only get 15 mins each at the controls). I took off from Heathrow, flew under Tower Bridge, round London and landed back at Heathrow. The nice Captain did all the clever bits but it was a fantastic day out, and for me, was as close as I will ever get to the heart of this fantastic airplane
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 799
Likes: 0
From: Gt. Yarmouth, Norfolk
One item on my bucket list that will never be fulfilled.
Am I just old and totally out of touch if I say that governments and big corporations so often seem to lack a sense of history, vision and grandure in the 21st Century?
Am I just old and totally out of touch if I say that governments and big corporations so often seem to lack a sense of history, vision and grandure in the 21st Century?
