Concorde Speedbird Posted October 12, 2013 Author Share Posted October 12, 2013 205- F-BVFA The most used Air France airframe at 17,824 hours, this airframe was used to launch Air France services to Rio, Washington and New York in the 70s. It also carried out a round the world trip in 1998, and she now rests at the National Air and Space museum, Dulles airport Washington. CS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Concorde Speedbird Posted October 13, 2013 Author Share Posted October 13, 2013 206- G-BOAA Production number 4, Alpha Alpha was the first Concorde delivered to BA. It carried out a special flight over Heathrow in 1996 with the Red Arrows to mark the 50th anniversary of the airport. She was destined to have the modifications to allow her to fly again after 2003 but once retirement was announced it never happened (proving that BA were still willing to invest in the aircraft). She was then cut up and taken to the East Fortune air museum. CS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Concorde Speedbird Posted October 14, 2013 Author Share Posted October 14, 2013 207- F-BVFB Concorde number 3 for Air France, she flew from Toulouse for her maiden flight on 6th March 1976. She was stored at her 12,000 hour D-check mark for 7 years from 1990, but then went on to carry on flying to June 24th 2003. She is now perched up at the Sinsheim Auto and Technik museum as the only Concorde in Germany next to TU-144 77112. CS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Concorde Speedbird Posted October 15, 2013 Author Share Posted October 15, 2013 208- G-BOAB G-BOAB took off from Filton on 18th May 1976 going around the Bay of Biscay, reaching 63,500 feet and Mach 2.05. 12 flights later she became BA's third Concorde. It went on to fly to 2000 in commercial service, and was ready and waiting to be the 6th aircraft to receive the modifications, but sadly time ran out. Since then she has been sitting in various places around Heathrow with lots of damp magazines inside, really a waste of such a fabulous machine. CS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Concorde Speedbird Posted October 16, 2013 Author Share Posted October 16, 2013 209- F-BVFC 9 July 1976 was the date this airframe took off, 14,332 hours of flying later she landed at Toulouse to be at her resting place. Her last commercial flight was on the 27th of June 2003, Air France's 4th production Concorde had 4,200 supersonic flights. CS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Concorde Speedbird Posted October 17, 2013 Author Share Posted October 17, 2013 210- G-BOAD Alpha Delta spent more time than any other Concorde in the air, 23,397 hours. She also holds the record for the fastest commercial transatlantic crossing in 2 hours, 52 minutes and 59 seconds. And on the Golden Jubilee she flew over Buckingham Palace with the Red Arrows. After retirement she was taken to New York to the Intrepid museum, where she has had her nose knocked off but now repaired and she also had to sit through Hurricane Sandy, which did no damage. CS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Concorde Speedbird Posted October 18, 2013 Author Share Posted October 18, 2013 211- F-BVFD This aeroplane did not fly in service for long, being withdrawn from use in 1982. In 177 it had suffered a heavy landing which crushed the infamous rear bumper wheel which was repaired. Languishing for 12 years corrosion hit her hard, and Air France decided to scrap her, which is sad for any plane yet alone one with such history. This photo below is an interesting one that I had not seen before. CS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Privett Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 I didn't realise any Concordes had been scrapped... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Privett Posted October 19, 2013 Share Posted October 19, 2013 Anyone seen CS today? I'm waiting impatiently for today's pic to appear on this thread! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Concorde Speedbird Posted October 19, 2013 Author Share Posted October 19, 2013 212- G-BOAE 210 was BA's 5th Concorde, and flew for 23,376 hours, not much less than BA's most hourly, Alpha Delta. AE flew with the Red Arrows in 1999 for the opening of the Scottish Parliament and her last flight was to her museum in Barbados, Grantley Adams airport. CS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Privett Posted October 20, 2013 Share Posted October 20, 2013 Alpha Echo was the first of the three to land one after the other at Heathrow on the final day of passenger flights, 24/10/2003. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Concorde Speedbird Posted October 20, 2013 Author Share Posted October 20, 2013 213- F-BTSD 213 holds the world record for flying around the world East and West bound, the record being the Eastboud trip of 31 hours, 27 minutes and 49 seconds. It was also painted in the blue Pepsi livery, where it had to be limited to Mach 1.7 due to temperature. This aircraft is at the Le Bourget Air and Space museum, alongside 001. This airframe is also powered up and her controls and nose operate. CS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Concorde Speedbird Posted October 21, 2013 Author Share Posted October 21, 2013 214- G-BOAG There were no takers for this airframe once built, and was even used as the main spare parts supplier by BA. But when they acquired DG, with much money spent AG joined the rest of the BA fleet in regular service. She flew the famous flypast with the Red Arrows over the QE2. She will also be remembered historically on Thursday, since she flew the last commercial Concorde flight. She now is in Seattle, far away from the rest. CS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Privett Posted October 21, 2013 Share Posted October 21, 2013 Posted by Concorde Speedbird on 21/10/2013 22:21:14: She will also be remembered historically on Thursday, since she flew the last commercial Concorde flight. Indeed yes; "Speedbird 2, for the last time you are cleared to land on 27R, the wind is 350 degrees at 8 knots." "Speedbird 2, cleared to land." I'll post the video on Thursday... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Concorde Speedbird Posted October 22, 2013 Author Share Posted October 22, 2013 215- F-BVFF The last French Concorde flew for the first time on Boxing day 1978. She went into airline service with the other 6 Air France Concorde, and on 11th June 2000 she flew a charter flight which while not intended to be her last, it turned out to be. After being cosmetically reassembled she is now mounted up at CDG Airport. CS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Concorde Speedbird Posted October 23, 2013 Author Share Posted October 23, 2013 216- G-BOAF The last Concorde to be built and to fly. BA purchased this as it was left with no buyer, to complete the registrations from A-G. They did not buy it for a pound, they ended up paying the full amount. It was the first to get the latest livery and interior, hence the reason you see her in the BA advertising pictures and videos. She was the newest and lightest Concorde, after this airframe it would have been the B spec Concordes with no reheat due to improved engines enabling much better range, and leading edge slats. Sadly that never came into fruition. BA wanted to keep her flying for heritage purposes, but Airbus said no. She is now at Filton, waiting for a museum. Tomorrow is the 10 year mark for commercial flights, so I'll be here for some more and on the 26th November. If you have any pictures or memories of Concorde than put them on this thread between now and the 26th November. CS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Privett Posted October 24, 2013 Share Posted October 24, 2013 24th October 2003, 10 years ago today. At 07:45 I slung my bike in the back of the car and headed off to work as normal. But this was not a "normal" day. Having booked a half-day's leave I left the office at lunchtime, retrieved the bike from the back of the car and cycled the 3 miles or so to the western end of 27R at Heathrow. 14:26 - G-BOAF departed for a VIP trip over the Bay of Biscay - the last passenger-carrying Concorde departure from LHR. I then cycled round the perimeter roads to find a suitable location amongst the crowds assembled to the north of 27R. As I was en route, G-BOAG - flight BA002 from New York - overflew the airport and continued to go and join G-BOAE en route from Edinbugh and G-BOAF now returning from the Bay of Biscay. So just before 16:00 I was positioned near the eastern end of 27R, video camera and air-band radio poised for action. By now the police had given up trying to keep traffic on the perimeter road moving and during the next few minutes the waiting crowds watched as G-BOAE, G-BOAF and G-BOAG arrived one after the other for their final landings at Heathrow. I'm sure it's no coincidence that they arrived in alphabetical order! Here then, is my video of that final day - or at least the afternoon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Concorde Speedbird Posted October 24, 2013 Author Share Posted October 24, 2013 That's brilliant John, I wish I could see her fly. 10 years. I've been pleasantly surprised by the response from news channels today marking the anniversary, clearly the aeroplane still is of interest to many. Back with more later. CS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Concorde Speedbird Posted October 24, 2013 Author Share Posted October 24, 2013 So 10 years on, and it seems that Concorde still is remembered and marveled at by many people around the world, which is excellent. Soon though, I think and fear that she'll be forgotten. This aeroplane was not simply a rich person's play-toy as some think it is, she is a pioneer and superb piece of engineering that is the only supersonic airliner to provide regular service over a long period of time reliably, and the benefits for engineering has been very significant. And as proved in 2003, the beautiful shape captivated the people who watched her. She was built to bring people closer together, and for 27 years she did just that. Hopefully against all odds she will fly again for heritage purposes. Here is the video that BA showed after the last commercial flights. I'll have more on the 26th November, and maybe in between as well. Have a nice late evening. CS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken anderson. Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 G-BOAA-first registered in 1974.....after they were all grounded to be modified - alas this one wasn't and now lives at east fortune airfield in Scotland... ken Anderson ne...1 ..... concord dept. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon Tarling Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 Thanks for posting those photos, CS. Brings back many happy memories and a few tears! I was there to help welcome those Concordes home on that last day and am somewhere in that shot of all those people in front of them. Edited By Gordon Tarling on 25/10/2013 15:51:37 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Privett Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 Another Concorde memory that illustrates the appeal of this aircraft is from the day of the first verification flight following the modifications made after the Paris crash. I didn't have a camera with me that day so no pics or video from me... It was a last-minute decision to go, I think it was my boss who suggested a "late lunchtime visit to the airport" and so we drove there and parked on the top floor of one of the Heathrow multi-storey car parks. Along with quite a lot of other people who'd had the same idea! We had a good view though. As G-BOAF taxied out to the runway and took off there were a remarkable number of airport workers and vehicles present to witness the event. I'm sure most of them were really supposed to be "somewhere else" and had just "popped out for a couple of minutes". Rather as my boss and I had done... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOB GADD Posted October 26, 2013 Share Posted October 26, 2013 Here is another one of G-BOAF arriving at Exeter Airport. This was a Fly Cruise service, a flight around the Bay Of Biscay and them after that on to a Cruise Ship for the rest of their holiday. Behind another British Icon. BOB. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Privett Posted October 26, 2013 Share Posted October 26, 2013 Never mind the cruise, I think a flight in the Lightning would have been a better add-on to the Bay of Biscay trip! I suppose they'd have needed one of the two-seater ones for that though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Concorde Speedbird Posted November 26, 2013 Author Share Posted November 26, 2013 10 years since the final flight. They did this at Duxford today, as well as turning on cockpit lights. Such an achievement from decades ago. CS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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