Love In The Air

Lawreston

Lawreston

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Harley Reich
Flipping through the TV channels I hit upon the one that showed San Diego getting their pigskin kicked, again. So, flip, and I hit on a great love story; or an epoch of hate, depending upon where one sat.

The prime players could evoke tears amongst viewers as they related their devotion to their leaders; and they appeared as old men -- now. The chief pilot, chief design engineer, the aged engineer who with obvious pride announced, "I designed the wingtips." NOVA had produced another quality program on that medium so lacking these days in tasteful fare.

The Concorde, in itself, was a spectacular program. How sad that it can only be enjoyed -- wondered upon -- by going to a museum, or flipping to PBS at the appropriate time.

HR
 
The first year I went to Oshkosh, I woke up one morning all excited to see the big and famous concord fly in. We were watching the news and heard that one went down. They canceled the Concord's appearance at Oshkosh. I was very sad and disappointed. So, I've actually never seen one.
 
I was fortunate enough to see Concorde at the first-ever appearance in the USA- at the grand-opening festivities for DFW Regional Airport (as it was then known).

But I sure wish I had gotten to ride in it once!
 
I know exactly what you mean, Harley. One of my professors in High School claimed to have designed the lubrication system for the engines on the Hindenberg. He was at Lakehurst when she went down. "Oh, the humanity" aside, listening to him talk about it was just riveting....

-Skip
 
I was very lucky to have seen them up close and personal. I got to tour the initial test bird in the UK and I have been on two, albeit not flying, BA ones. I saw a couple of fly as well. Living in the UK, as I did, one would get to see them at air shows and of course at Heathrow.

One business trip 15 years ago my business class ticket form Chicago to London cost $5500, I inquired about upgrading to the Concorde on the leg home. I figured it might only cost me another $1 or $2k and what the heck you only live once. The person behind the counter told me I could upgrade and there was a seat available. The extra cost would be another $5000. YIKES!!! I flew home on lowly business class on a 747-200. :(
 
I've walked through the Concorde test item at Duxford. Cramped is an understatement. An airliner I was on taxied by one at IAD a number of years ago. It looked small from that vantage point, too.

A fellow EMC engineer who also happens to have his ATP was working for a company that needed him in Europe NOW, so they bought him a ticket on the Concorde. He flashed his ATP certificate and wound up taking the flight in the cockpit. Priceless!
 
I saw one on the ramp at Heathrow last summer. I'm pretty sure it's a permanent fixture. You can see it on Google Earth.

It's the only one I've ever seen.

Matthew
 
walking under the one in the Udvar-Hazy museum was pretty cool
 
I've walked through the one at the Seattle Museum of Flight... what really surprised me was how small the seats where, and how VERY small the passenger's windows were... maybe saucer plate size? 6-8" in diameter was my impression.
 
Tristar said:
The first year I went to Oshkosh, I woke up one morning all excited to see the big and famous concord fly in. We were watching the news and heard that one went down. They canceled the Concord's appearance at Oshkosh. I was very sad and disappointed. So, I've actually never seen one.
Click to expand...

I wanted to take one of the rides that they offered at OSH the years they were there, but I couldn't convince my dad to part with $800. :no: :(
 
I got to see the Concorde at Wilmington (KILG) . I will have to dig out some old photo's and scan them in. The Concorde made two passes then landed on runway 1.
 
There was so much data in the NOVA production that I can't remember everything,
but the pilot's seat was the product of R&D/production costs that would equate to $6,000,000.00(in today's dollars).

Someone here commented on the "small windows." Other windows information was that at a very high altitude the windows were "tested" with a .45 cal. round.

HR
 
I've had the pleasure of experiencing the Concorde twice.

The first time I was passing through London on the way to a conference. My wife and I stayed at a hotel near Heathrow. We were going into the hotel, and I hear a roar behind me coming from the airport. I looked over, and sure enough there was the Concorde 'blasting off'. Goose-bump stuff. :)

The second time was like the first. I heard the plane before I saw it. I was working offshore on the Terra Nova FPSO production platform (on the Grand Banks off Newfoundland, Canada), walking on the helideck in the afternoon (relatively quiet and peaceful up there when there are no helis). I heard a 'boom' and thought something had happened on deck. Then I recalled someone on the crew mentioning that when the Concorde passes over the Grand Banks enroute to New York, you can hear the sonic boom. I looked up (it was a CAVU day) and sure enough there was a contrail and a plane... moving twice as fast as I've ever seen an airliner streak across the sky! A cool moment, and one that can only be experienced offshore. That experience is burned into my memory forever. :)

Keith
 
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