Ever fly on Concorde ?
Discussion
I forgot to mention, back in the Concorde era, I used to work in film projection in London's West End. There were a lot of small 20-50 seat quite luxurious mini cinemas in various premises around Wardour Street, some in private premises, some inside the film distributors' offices, where special screenings of upcoming films (or unfinished parts of them) would be held months or maybe even a year ahead of general release.
This was when a film was actually on film, and a full feature film was transported as 5, 6 or 7 20 minute reels inside heavy metal or tough leather/plastic transit cases. The whole package of all the reels (known as a print) would be the size of a small suitcase or maybe equivalent to about 4-6 stacked car batteries, depending how long it was and so how many reels.
Because they were unreleased or unfinished films, and because making a print was an expensive business, there would at this stage in the film's life maybe only be a handful of copies or maybe even only one, depending what stage of the production process it was at. So quite often one of these prints was needed in the US one day and in London the next and then straight back to the US again, they would be in high demand, and a few hours saved or being able to get it back same day, would matter. Hence it wasn't uncommon for them to send them on Concorde, often with a person who would take it as their luggage, and then back again once screened in London. I did hear tales of a second seat having to be bought for certain films to ensure the person could travel with it right next to them, such was the importance or value, maybe it was coming over for a premiere well ahead of prints being struck for the public release, so they couldn't take any chances with it.
I think this is one of the unsung benefits of Concorde, it wasn't just people that it got across the Atlantic same day, quite often it was special goods that needed super urgent shipping. It was also very easy to arrange the transit if a person took the goods with them, basically just phone up BA and buy a ticket and get on with it. It was the global equivalent of the bike couriers that you used to get rushing documents around London.
All different now. The preview theatres are still there in the West End and still solidly booked by film and TV companies for the same sorts of advance screenings, but they tend to be part of fancy hotels these days or inside the post production houses. And the film to be screened arrives on a hard drive, or over the internet. Now that it is so easy to transfer things over the internet we forget what it was like when something physical had to get quickly from NY to London. All the glamour and showbiz is gone
This was when a film was actually on film, and a full feature film was transported as 5, 6 or 7 20 minute reels inside heavy metal or tough leather/plastic transit cases. The whole package of all the reels (known as a print) would be the size of a small suitcase or maybe equivalent to about 4-6 stacked car batteries, depending how long it was and so how many reels.
Because they were unreleased or unfinished films, and because making a print was an expensive business, there would at this stage in the film's life maybe only be a handful of copies or maybe even only one, depending what stage of the production process it was at. So quite often one of these prints was needed in the US one day and in London the next and then straight back to the US again, they would be in high demand, and a few hours saved or being able to get it back same day, would matter. Hence it wasn't uncommon for them to send them on Concorde, often with a person who would take it as their luggage, and then back again once screened in London. I did hear tales of a second seat having to be bought for certain films to ensure the person could travel with it right next to them, such was the importance or value, maybe it was coming over for a premiere well ahead of prints being struck for the public release, so they couldn't take any chances with it.
I think this is one of the unsung benefits of Concorde, it wasn't just people that it got across the Atlantic same day, quite often it was special goods that needed super urgent shipping. It was also very easy to arrange the transit if a person took the goods with them, basically just phone up BA and buy a ticket and get on with it. It was the global equivalent of the bike couriers that you used to get rushing documents around London.
All different now. The preview theatres are still there in the West End and still solidly booked by film and TV companies for the same sorts of advance screenings, but they tend to be part of fancy hotels these days or inside the post production houses. And the film to be screened arrives on a hard drive, or over the internet. Now that it is so easy to transfer things over the internet we forget what it was like when something physical had to get quickly from NY to London. All the glamour and showbiz is gone
Edited by kev1974 on Tuesday 3rd December 17:45
[quote=kev1974
[/quote]
Fascinating stuff.
I do recall reading several times in books over the years of certain F1 parts being sent via Concorde to make it to one particular US GP or another. I’d gladly have volunteered to have gone for free as a chaperone!
Getting back to the aircraft itself, I was quite shocked at just how cramped it was inside when I did my visit to the Manchester exhibit:
[/quote]
Fascinating stuff.
I do recall reading several times in books over the years of certain F1 parts being sent via Concorde to make it to one particular US GP or another. I’d gladly have volunteered to have gone for free as a chaperone!
Getting back to the aircraft itself, I was quite shocked at just how cramped it was inside when I did my visit to the Manchester exhibit:
kev1974 said:
interesting stuff 
I used to work with TV Eye and The Moving Picture Company - did you know those two?My Concorde story in full:
As a young sales executive I worked for a computer company called Mannesmann Kienzle.
In those days incentives were the in-thing and amongst trips to: Jamaica, the US Disney parks, Cayman Islands, Rio De Janeiro and the Iguazu Falls I won a trip to the Monaco F1 GP and we were due to fly out on Concorde and then return on the Orient Express.
As it happens I had also achieved 120% of target that year and was therefore due to go somewhere else (can’t remember now!) to have a dinner, be presented with various trophies etc. however it clashed with my Concorde trip.... grrrrr
A number of us were told tough s
t, you’re going to the 120% club. As we were about to lose the trip of a lifetime and we kicked up a bit of a fuss.Anyway, long story short another trip was organised on a different date out on the Orient Express and back on Concorde to Salzburg. Not the F1 which was also disappointing but it would do the trick.
The big day arrived and we all trundled along to the London train station and boarded the very posh train. Pretty quickly, in fact almost straight away I met a very nice chap with a strong Austrian/German accent. He had two very expensive gold watches on, apparently one told him the time where he was, the other back home and home was Australia.
We spent a week together getting very drunk and generally making mischief. There’s one or two stories I can’t share on a public forum but he was a great guy. When we finished our time together he gave me a coin and wished me luck in my dream of starting my own business and we went on our way.
That was 1989 and I did start my own business not too many years later and here I am still trading and it’s all gone very well indeed.
That man was a chap called Wolfgang Blass - the man behind Wolf Blass wines (those who don’t know him, go to any wine shop in the world and you’ll see his vino). At that time he was just introducing his product to the UK market, now he sells as much wine as any producer worldwide and is a massively successful and world renowned business man.
About 8 or so years ago I sent him a letter reminding him of our trip and wishing him well etc. Bugger me, he only wrote back to me......
The trip itself ended flying from Linz, out over the Bay of Biscay for a couple of hours and then home. I remember the aircraft being smaller than I thought it would be. The acceleration from standstill was very quick and the angle of attack upon rotation was very steep, as was the landing. Once in the air in order to go supersonic we went through that acceleration process again and that’s a very odd sensation especially when you’re standing up as I was!
I was on that trip with a welsh guy I worked with and he was soooooo excited and I mean excited
Keith - “Have you dun it Mart” he said to me in an excited voice
Me - “What Keith?” I asked expecting something rather special.....
Keith - “Have you had a dump at Mach II?”
Sadly I haven’t but I can tell you this. Keith is amongst a very small group of human beings who had a s
t at twice the speed of sound 
A memorable trip for so many reasons and when Wolf Blass dies I’ll tell a story or two.....
Written in my iPhone at Dubai airport I’m my way hime, sorry for any typos
TheJimi said:
I generally hate any kind of toilet-based humour, but that's brilliant
Loved the Wolf Blass anecdote too.
Thanks.Loved the Wolf Blass anecdote too.
I have so many stories from the 80’s and 90’s.
Those day were bloody brilliant as a young salesman. Benefit-in-kind hasn’t been invented and we had a ball.
Private jets and god knows what else. Spending time on Seven Mile Beach, Grand Cayman in the whatever club (featured in A few Good Men with Tom Cruise) doing our best to drink the place dry with a rotating free bar that had the better of us......
However the Concorde story still sticks with me as an event I’ll never forget.
HoHoHo said:
However the Concorde story still sticks with me as an event I’ll never forget.
I strongly suspect that is true of most of the folks who have responded to this thread with their own anecdotes. It's uniquely special experience, something unlikely to be repeated in our lifetimes.
TheJimi said:
HoHoHo said:
However the Concorde story still sticks with me as an event I’ll never forget.
I strongly suspect that is true of most of the folks who have responded to this thread with their own anecdotes. It's uniquely special experience, something unlikely to be repeated in our lifetimes.
Eric Mc said:
HoHoHo said:
Benefit-in-kind hasn’t been invented and we had a ball.
Yes they had - and all your employers were doing was lying to the Inland Revenue - and I'm going to tell, so there.(Only joking 'cos I'm jealous).
Seriously
HoHoHo said:
I think there was an agreement and it was overlooked....
Seriously
That is entirely possible, Until a few years ago, local Inspectors of Taxes had the power to make agreements with local businesses regarding how certain benefits were taxed. It doesn't mean that taxable Benefits in Kind didn't exist. They did and have been around for decades. The difference is that local tax inspectors had local powers.Seriously
That has now gone.
My old man works for BA and was offered to go on Concord out and regular jumbo home or Visa versa. All he had to do was take some documents or parts over with him but decided against it. He says hes not disappointed at the missed opportunity and I cant tell if he he is or isn't. I don't think he misses it from the BA fleet though.
bazza white said:
My old man works for BA and was offered to go on Concord out and regular jumbo home or Visa versa. All he had to do was take some documents or parts over with him but decided against it. He says hes not disappointed at the missed opportunity and I cant tell if he he is or isn't. I don't think he misses it from the BA fleet though.
That would have been one of the £200 courier flight jobs, out to NY on Concorde and back club class. In which dept did/does your dad work?
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