What's Concorde?
Discussion
RichB said:
I was very fortunate to be treated by my wife to a flight in Concorde as a 40th birthday celebration. A wonderful experience which I will never forget, not least because we all got to visit the flight deck and while chatting to the captain he said he had a TVR. Returned to my seat and mentioned this to my wife to which she remarked "take you on Concorde and you end up talking about cars!" 
My dad and I were on one of the 90 minute flights out of Fairford they used to do during the Air Tattoo in the mid/late 90's. Incredible experience, a cabin full of people who genuinely wanted to be there, cabin crew demonstrating the absolute best of British Airways in working to ensure we had a perfect flight, and a flight crew who were happy to demonstrate just how fast you could take off with a lightly-loaded Concorde... dearsweetmotherofthemaker, the acceleration on full burner was like nothing I've experienced outside of a fun fair, and the sustained feeling of being pressed into my seat during the climb out was just surreal - just when you thought it was about to ease off, oomph there it went up another notch.Then, 30 or so minutes later, experiencing the Jekyll and Hyde nature of the bird - from roaring beast on takeoff to 5 star restaurant gliding supersonically above the clouds without so much as a murmur. Food served on real plates, eaten with real cutlery (even in those pre 9/11 years, this was an eye-opener for those of us who normally travelled cattle class or on charters), washed down with a seemingly endless supply of champagne. For a few glorious moments we got to live like Kings and Queens, and I doubt you could have found anyone on the planet who felt happier than the 100 of us right there and then.
I know it was a commercial failure, but I think the human race needs the occasional burst of collective free thinking/madness that gives us such magnificent creations - how much value can you place on the lifted spirits, brightened moods and general feelings of awe and wonder that came from even a brief glimpse of Concorde?
Cock Womble 7 said:
ApexJimi said:
Cock Womble 7 said:
Concord was, IMHO, a brilliant failure.
Failure in what respect?Still f
king brilliant though.twister said:
My dad and I were on one of the 90 minute flights out of Fairford they used to do during the Air Tattoo in the mid/late 90's. Incredible experience, a cabin full of people who genuinely wanted to be there, cabin crew demonstrating the absolute best of British Airways in working to ensure we had a perfect flight, and a flight crew who were happy to demonstrate just how fast you could take off with a lightly-loaded Concorde... dearsweetmotherofthemaker, the acceleration on full burner was like nothing I've experienced outside of a fun fair, and the sustained feeling of being pressed into my seat during the climb out was just surreal - just when you thought it was about to ease off, oomph there it went up another notch.
Then, 30 or so minutes later, experiencing the Jekyll and Hyde nature of the bird - from roaring beast on takeoff to 5 star restaurant gliding supersonically above the clouds without so much as a murmur. Food served on real plates, eaten with real cutlery (even in those pre 9/11 years, this was an eye-opener for those of us who normally travelled cattle class or on charters), washed down with a seemingly endless supply of champagne. For a few glorious moments we got to live like Kings and Queens, and I doubt you could have found anyone on the planet who felt happier than the 100 of us right there and then.
I know it was a commercial failure, but I think the human race needs the occasional burst of collective free thinking/madness that gives us such magnificent creations - how much value can you place on the lifted spirits, brightened moods and general feelings of awe and wonder that came from even a brief glimpse of Concorde?
Great post Then, 30 or so minutes later, experiencing the Jekyll and Hyde nature of the bird - from roaring beast on takeoff to 5 star restaurant gliding supersonically above the clouds without so much as a murmur. Food served on real plates, eaten with real cutlery (even in those pre 9/11 years, this was an eye-opener for those of us who normally travelled cattle class or on charters), washed down with a seemingly endless supply of champagne. For a few glorious moments we got to live like Kings and Queens, and I doubt you could have found anyone on the planet who felt happier than the 100 of us right there and then.
I know it was a commercial failure, but I think the human race needs the occasional burst of collective free thinking/madness that gives us such magnificent creations - how much value can you place on the lifted spirits, brightened moods and general feelings of awe and wonder that came from even a brief glimpse of Concorde?
Geneve said:
And 'Alpha Bravo' is still at Heathrow, isn't it?
http://g.co/maps/qmfvzThere it is. We taxied passed it a few years ago after its retirement. I got incredibly excited as it wasn't in the what looks to be a half building then so I thought it may be going again.
Come to think of it, it may have been during the testing period as when we got back from a holiday they were testing Concord(e) and we saw it accelerate from behind. One of my favourite memories that is.
I also watched it take off with my mother one time from a petrol station across the road. The noise, the speed and everything about that will make this plane my favourite ever.
It is a shame about your child though. However you cannot blame him. I probably would not know what it is if it was retired in 1991 (actually I probably would have but that's because I have always been interested in engineering).
My little brother who is 7 now will not know what it is and will also be appalled at the pollution from a steam train as another small child was. That's modern teacking for you. He once told me off for using too much water when washing my car. I soon put him straight.
I thought of this thread as I listened to Jeremy Vine on Radio 2 on Monday. He was interviewing a pilot from WW2 who flew spitfires. The pilot described how he had to get the target in his line of sight to shoot at them, and was describing the kind of firepower the spitfires had.
Vine then asked him how many gunmen were on the plane. I think he asked if the gunman was sat at the back. The pilot stopped for a few seconds then had to explain the Spitfire was a single seater.
I'm not sure what that says of Jeremy Vine but i'm very suprised a chap his age wouldn't know how many seats a Spitfire had.
Vine then asked him how many gunmen were on the plane. I think he asked if the gunman was sat at the back. The pilot stopped for a few seconds then had to explain the Spitfire was a single seater.
I'm not sure what that says of Jeremy Vine but i'm very suprised a chap his age wouldn't know how many seats a Spitfire had.
rufusgti said:
I thought of this thread as I listened to Jeremy Vine on Radio 2 on Monday. He was interviewing a pilot from WW2 who flew spitfires. The pilot described how he had to get the target in his line of sight to shoot at them, and was describing the kind of firepower the spitfires had.
Vine then asked him how many gunmen were on the plane. I think he asked if the gunman was sat at the back. The pilot stopped for a few seconds then had to explain the Spitfire was a single seater.
I'm not sure what that says of Jeremy Vine but i'm very suprised a chap his age wouldn't know how many seats a Spitfire had.
Vine then asked him how many gunmen were on the plane. I think he asked if the gunman was sat at the back. The pilot stopped for a few seconds then had to explain the Spitfire was a single seater.
I'm not sure what that says of Jeremy Vine but i'm very suprised a chap his age wouldn't know how many seats a Spitfire had.
Surely not.So the Spitfire was chasing a Dornier full of guys wearing dark glasses and brandishing AK-47s.
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