G-BOAB
 

Hi all

I was wondering if anybody has any information on what is planned, (if anything) for G-BOAB? I hope she won't be left to rot at Heathrow. Perhaps used as a training tool for BA Engineers?

Thanks and regards

CMM,

Its moved around the BA servicing area occasionally and sometimes is parked on a pan for a couple of weeks. Externally still looks in good condition, though.:)

It's a shame this never took off..

http://metrouk2.files.wordpress.com/...99_636x329.jpg

Concorde 'set for new home on Thames' in floating display | Metro News

This is Britain - if it costs money and you cannot guarantee a payback in 1 year - nothing will happen. :p

There's no way that would ever take off, the runway isn't long enough.:E

Paxboy
How can you say that when we live and work in a country with such wonderful and helpful financial institutions which are always available to help companies / schemes get off the ground or in difficult times - shame on you .




Regards
Mr Mac

She needs a nice cosy warm hangar somewhere. Why cant she go to Bahrain for display? Plenty of money in the Gulf State and of course it was Bahrain that gave Concorde her first SSC scheduled flight back in 1976 when the Americans were anti-Concorde and would not give her traffic rights to JFK.

Why on earth would BA engineers use her to train on ? They may as welll get them trained on tridents or some other ancient bit of kit that have no relevance whatsoever

Manchester seemed to be quite happily able to build something to properly display its magnificent machine, shame London doesn't seem to be able to do something.

Many airlines, or at least those who still run their own in-house training, use retired aircraft and engines for apprentices to cut their teeth on. Whether or not that's the case with G-BOAB I don't know, but even if it isn't you would be surprised at just how much of the structure and systems of a 40-year old aircraft is still relevant today.

As an ex-BA apprentice on 707/VC10/Concorde, we had a Comet to learn on! We also had Viper engines from Jet Provosts to learn about compressor balancing and tail booms from Vampires for control cable rigging - and that also applied to avionics guys!. It really doesn't matter too much what the airframe is if it's for learning basics.

Hey Wiggly - ditto here :cool: and don't forget the radial engines we used to strip and rebuild too!:ok:

What we're they - Alvis Leonadise from helicopters I believe. Leant to wire-lock in the most awkward positions!

Yep, chopper engines, though it has to be said that it was a good varied grounding in how to approach and complete jobs, which has stood me in good stead over the years.
I've still got my BCARs up in the loft! :8 .....not updated since '82 though:{

Heathrow had a great facility to display 'AB. It's called Terminal 5. Just a shame no-one in 'management' had the b*lls to do it.

..and before the Comet arrived (1969?) we had an Argonault. Even performed ERUs on it.

How right you are Mr Mac, wotevvah 'appened to mah Xmas luv ov mankind ...

Now, if memory serves (and it might well not) someone had an idea for T5 to have a roof garden? All under a dome, that was for viewing, dining/refreshment and to be able to admire an a/c that was parked there under the dome?

No, that can't be right!

Value engineered out of the scheme I think at quite an early stage as far as I am aware. I have worked on a number of airport schemes in my career and vary rarely do you get a budget for that sort of thing even in cash rich parts of the world. Now if its a shopping mall you want at an airport then no problem, even built quite large shopping areas in hospitals before now which involved closing Wards to make room for it, and in one memorable case fitting out a lawyers office next to Accident and Emergency. A&E Consultant not impressed when he found out, and said patients would have business cards clasped in hand before they arrived to be treated !. Anyway bottom line is no financial gain, no get, on all the projects I have worked on recently.


Regards
Mr Mac

Indeed Mr Mac. It reminds me of a very small project that I did when in telecommunications. It was a sub-project, just one aspect ongoing at the company I was employed by, an international name even then.

The equipment was important to give us mgmt information about the telephone traffic and costs and was only a couple of thousand. The finance director said that it would not really pay for itself and refused. That was 1983 and a big lesson for me as a young manager. :=

Nothing has changed! :*

"Value Engineering". What a lovely 'management' expression. I believe it means 'cost-cutting'.

Imagine if Sir Christopher Wren had employed it, or Brunel, or 'The Lighthouse Stevenson's, or Sir John Fowler and Benjamin Baker, Barry and Pugin, and the folk who designed and built Stonehenge, The Pyramids, The Empire State Building, Concorde, The Vickers VC10, QE2, Saturn V Rocket and a thousand other things.

Just imagine how "value engineering" would have impacted on global tourism.

I recently visited a local £20m building project. The concept of a glass ceiling in a corridor which lead to the main part of the project was removed due to "value engineering".
The corridor now has to be illuminated H24, 365 days per year, using electricity we can barely afford to produce, sold to the project's 2 owners who allegedly care about the environment.