Concorde Memory

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FD2
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Concorde Memory

#1 Post by FD2 » Sat Oct 29, 2022 9:55 pm

A friend sent me this. It shows Concorde about to descend for Barbados on the 17th November 2003 from FL600 and Mach 2. I wonder if the new SST will ever get off the ground (commercially!). I can even understand the instruments!

FL600 Mach 2 17 Nov 2003 Starting descent for Barbados..jpg

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Re: Concorde Memory

#2 Post by TheGreenAnger » Wed Nov 02, 2022 7:56 pm

https://www.ops-normal.org/viewtopic.ph ... 69#p349569

I remember exactly what I was doing when I first saw the Concorde. My dad had taken us kids to the public swimming pool near Zoo Lake in Johannesburg and this extraordinary aircraft roared slowly overhead, at high alpha, nose drooping as it passed over and set up an approach for Jan Smuts where it appears they were doing high altitude trials. Everybody just got out of the pool, and we all applauded in the bright warm sunshine. It was a wonderful moment.

Another memorable Concorde moment was when I was sitting in the departure lounge at JFK, after one of the innumerable tedious business trips I used to take, but in the golden light of a New York autumn's morn as the Concorde came in, vertices spiraling off those beautiful wings and set down, I was rejuvenated, my nose pressed against the observation window glass, like a kid all over again.

I also remember when heard I about the sad accident in Paris. I was listening to the car radio in a huge traffic jam on the M6 just outside Birmingham. It just seemed surreal, and it is still hard to compute that this extraordinary aircraft is no longer a feature of our skies.
My necessaries are embark'd: farewell. Adieu! I have too grieved a heart to take a tedious leave.

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Re: Concorde Memory

#3 Post by FD2 » Wed Nov 02, 2022 8:49 pm

Yes - it was quite a sight. First seen when visiting my parents who lived just outside Bath and it often used to pass to the south (avoiding Colerne MATZ) heading west to return to Bristol. What a sight.

Heard but not seen when we lived near Gloucester and they were sometimes a little late decelerating to subsonic. As Basil Brush used to say, "Boom! Boom!"

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Re: Concorde Memory

#4 Post by llondel » Wed Nov 02, 2022 8:59 pm

I remember being taken to Fairford to watch it on the early flights. I went to school in Bracknell and would occasionally be outside when one of the flights to the US went over. I was at Wimbledon one year when one appeared, presumably in the landing pattern to come into Heathrow and did a turn in full view of where I was sitting on Court 1, and when I lived just north of Bristol I remember watching the local TV news which said one was due to arrive imminently at Filton. We all piled outdoors and sure enough, there it was coming in from the east, so we watched it go past.

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Re: Concorde Memory

#5 Post by Karearea » Wed Nov 02, 2022 9:09 pm

On the road and happened to glance over to see Concorde departing Christchurch Airport; unforgettable silhouette.
And with the morn, those angel faces smile...

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Re: Concorde Memory

#6 Post by CharlieOneSix » Wed Nov 02, 2022 10:35 pm

We were based at Bristol Lulsgate and were asked to provide one of the JetRangers on 9 April 1969 to take Wedgie Benn and others from Filton, after they watched the first take off of 002, to Fairford to watch the landing. I was rostered to fly the trip but inevitably my boss dumped me and took the flight himself. Bit hacked off - there aren't many people who can say they saw the first take off and landing of the first British Concorde.
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Re: Concorde Memory

#7 Post by ExSp33db1rd » Thu Nov 03, 2022 3:15 am

Whilst flying for a well know "S.E.Asia" airline - name suppressed to protect the innocent - and landing at Heathrow after a flight of over 12 hours, and carrying the Chairman of that airline as one of our First Class passengers, I landed on rwy. 10 L as Concorde was taking off on 10 R. I announced to the passengers that those on the right hand side would be able to see the B.A.Concorde departing for the USA for a flight that would take a mere 3 1/2 hours. I finished by saying "........... and thank you for flying British Airways" !! I chose not to correct my error, i.e. don't draw attention to it, nobody listens anyway, but at my retirement party a few years later that same Chairman reminded me, then gave me my gold watch, engraved with my name and the name of the airline !

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Re: Concorde Memory

#8 Post by G-CPTN » Thu Nov 03, 2022 2:51 pm

When first married in 1971, we lived in the Bedfordshire village of Oakley, which was close to Thurleigh, where, I believe, the BA pilots did their final training, so we were quite accustomed to having Concorde cruising along the High Street of our sleepy village.

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Re: Concorde Memory

#9 Post by jimtherev » Thu Nov 03, 2022 11:27 pm

Back then I lived close to the southern boundary of Heathrow. Mrs Jim used to arrive down the Great Southwest Road at the time of the afternoon arrival from NY, about 200' above her head. She often was hit by the wingtip vortices - found it disconcerting and not very pleasant. Then there was the noise...

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Re: Concorde Memory

#10 Post by ExSp33db1rd » Fri Nov 04, 2022 2:06 am

Then there was the noise...
I used to have a bumper sticker that read '"I LOVE the noise of a jet engine in the morning "

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