Could you imagine anything more dramatic than Concorde making its last ever flight out of Heathrow and then appearing centre stage as the world celebrates the 100th anniversary of powered flight at Kitty Hawk on Wednesday 17 December. This will not happen if British Airways executives get their way!
Concorde is due to make its final sortie on Wednesday 26 November from Heathrow to Filton Airport Bristol where the BOAC version of the aircraft was built. Either the actual decision has not been made (although ABTN has been briefed on the flight) or, more likely, in its usual low-key lackadaisical approach, British Airways has not made an announcement (it”s not on the web site). After all no statements were released as each Concorde departed LHR to New York, Seattle and Manchester over the last couple of weeks. The arrival airports could not contain themselves with media hype and celebrations.
Air & Business Travel News contends that there is still time for British Airways to organise for Concorde to over-fly the great Wright Brothers anniversary celebrations. What a fitting way to celebrate 100 years of flying with the final symbolic appearance of an aircraft that arrived before its time (and literally faster than its sound). A clear demonstration of the way that Britain and France contributed to the early days of aviation, and in particular the effort of the London Science Museum in saving the original Wright Flyer from an ignominious end.
”Concorde deserves a better finale than a boring flight from Heathrow to Bristol on a gloomy November day,” says your newsletter”s editor Malcolm Ginsberg. ”It is an acknowledgment to aviation excellence, a true successor to the engineering skills of the Dayton bicycle makers who won the race to succeed with controlled powered flight. They would have been very proud of Concorde and the problems overcome by its designers. What a glorious way to go. A 1030 departure to New York arriving at 0930. An over-fly of Kitty Hawk (the little general aviation runway at the back of the site is a trifle too short) and then back to Filton for one final landing. All recorded for posterity.”
”One hundred aircraft will take part in a fly past over Kill Devil Hills,” says ABTN, ”surely British Airways will be proud to be involved.”
Word from inside BA is that crew-wise, engineering and logistics the flight is possible and wanted. Dispensation from the CAA and insurance cover are considered mere formalities. What is needed is a concentrated effort by BA staff, the media and (high level) supporters of Concorde to persuade the airline management that Concorde”s last ever flight really is an extraordinary opportunity to jointly celebrate man”s first powered flight and the technological progress made in one hundred years.
ABTN can also report that the Brooklands Museum at Weybridge is negotiating with the airline over the future of Concorde C/N 202, registered G-BBDG. This, the first British production Concorde, was used for much of the flight-testing prior to the aircraft entering service, and is currently stored at Filton.
Brooklands Museum's Aviation Curator Julian Temple says Brooklands has made a vital contribution to Concorde since its design work began in the late 1950s and the site's unique historical association with this ” the world's most famous aircraft ” was the prime reason for the Museum's ambition to acquire an example for its aviation collection. The predominant role played by the British Aircraft Corporation's Weybridge organisation, headed by the late Sir George Edwards in the design, development and production of Concorde, is of course recognised. But what is not so well known is that a greater proportion of the Concorde airframe was manufactured by BAC at Brooklands than at any other factory in Britain or France.
http://www.concordesst.com
http://www.firstflightcentennial.org/december_celebration.html