EA CO AS From United States of America, joined Nov 2001, 12562 posts, RR: 64 Reply 3, posted (10 years 3 months 2 days 4 hours ago) and read 4064 times:
When the sad day comes that Concorde no longer graces the skies, these planes should NEVER, EVER be scrapped.
The Smithsonian needs one, for certain. Anyone else have suggestions?
"In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem - government IS the problem." - Ronald Reagan
ConcordeBoy From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 4, posted (10 years 3 months 2 days 3 hours ago) and read 3968 times:
well, my source at AF just slammed the gavel on this rumor...
Not only does ALS plan to continue their Saturday dinner flights, but AF is also in talks with Rex Travel about resuming the famous Concorde round-the-world flights in 2004.
As for BA, who knows. Though I SERIOUSLY doubt they'll discontinue Concorde service if the French do not....
Clickhappy From United States of America, joined Sep 2001, 9444 posts, RR: 72 Reply 6, posted (10 years 3 months 2 days 2 hours ago) and read 3892 times:
AIRLINERS.NET CREW PHOTO SCREENER
well, I was told today that the Museum of Flight in Seattle has dibs on a Concorde once they leave service. Now that would be something.
VC-10 From United Kingdom, joined Oct 1999, 3677 posts, RR: 37 Reply 10, posted (10 years 3 months 1 day 19 hours ago) and read 3641 times:
the ageing fleet
Why do people describe Concorde as aging?
Their hours/cycles will be far less than a 747 half their age and the corrosion on the a/c will be less due to the temperature it experiences when SS, as it will dry out any condensation.
Pilotallen From United States of America, joined Nov 1999, 656 posts, RR: 4 Reply 11, posted (10 years 3 months 1 day 16 hours ago) and read 3489 times:
I read in a magazine that the smithsonian wil get an AF concorde once out of service to go into their new dullus institue, so now everyone in the US can see it!
GDB From United Kingdom, joined May 2001, 12715 posts, RR: 80 Reply 13, posted (10 years 3 months 1 day 13 hours ago) and read 3340 times:
Yes rumours are flying around, OAB has not been returned to flight.
The planned fitment of new lavs/galley's won't happen.
Loads are OK, very good for the 2nd half of 2002, but you need the right people running things, that has gone.
Big cuts in our staff, leading to checks taking longer, has caused the 002 to be turned as the BA001, whenever we run into problems, like the rudder incident, leading to a less popular 002 departure time, but it will revert to 08:30 from April.
But also from April, the BA001 will depart at 18:30, apparently 300 complaints from pax have already been received.
I don't really want to increase speculation, and it IS all speculation, nothing has been decided yet, in all probability, anyway I get enough of it at work.
AF want to go until late 2007, probably beyond, but if BA stop it will cast a shadow over that.
GDB From United Kingdom, joined May 2001, 12715 posts, RR: 80 Reply 15, posted (10 years 3 months 1 day 12 hours ago) and read 3296 times:
OK, I've read that link on 'Prune, only WOK (an insider) and DuncanF made well informed contributions.
However, I should point out that morale in BA Engineering, on ALL fleets, is very bad indeed.
We are high profile and have an intensive workload aircraft, so we feel the pain more perhaps.
(Though I'm sure that those unluckily enough to be at LGW, or have lost their jobs at MAN, would not agree, understandably so).
David L From United Kingdom, joined May 1999, 9219 posts, RR: 42 Reply 16, posted (10 years 3 months 1 day 10 hours ago) and read 3234 times:
If this true then it seems to be a complete turnaround. As far as I know, until the AF crash, BA were planning on keeping their fleet going a bit longer than AF were. There's been another comment here about BA's Concordes being unprofitable which is not the position as I understand it. If things have changed that dramatically with loads that used at least to break even then I'd be more than a little concerned as a shareholder (there, I managed to avoid using the word "incompetence"). I hope any decision will take prestige and previous operating methods into account.
It would be typical though... I've only just got a contact who can get me Hotline prices on Concorde and then these rumours start.
Leezyjet From United Kingdom, joined Oct 2001, 4041 posts, RR: 55 Reply 18, posted (10 years 3 months 1 day 10 hours ago) and read 3205 times:
NO !!
This cannot be allowed to happen. We should all form a charity or something to keep at least one of them flying and get sponsorship from business's to have their logo's on the side of the aircraft or something.
I know a bearded man who would LOVE his company logo to grace the side of Concorde
Anyone else any idea's ?.
"She Rolls, 45 knots, 90, 135, nose comes up to 20 degrees, she's airborne - She flies, Concorde Flies"
Cedarjet From United Kingdom, joined May 1999, 7713 posts, RR: 55 Reply 21, posted (10 years 3 months 1 day 9 hours ago) and read 3149 times:
If one airline stop SST operations, it would make things much easier for the other, another five or more airframes to cannibalise. Cos surely spares must be the biggest obstacle to continuing service?
For a similar reason, the likes of Virgin could never buy the fleet, cos it's such a unique aircraft no-one would know how to maintain them or fly them. You'd have to buy the whole operation somehow, the hangars, jigs, all the MX crew, pilots, you name it. Not like buying a fleet of conventional aircraft, no matter how obscure (ie Boeing 720), where there is plenty of know-how and parts still around.
A charity to keep a Concorde flying? Sure, if you raise £25,000 a day. Count me in for £10 a month. Oh bollocks, maybe it's time to write a begging letter to BA, or tell them I'm a travel journalist.
fly Saha Air 707s daily from Tehran's downtown Mehrabad to Mashhad, Kish Island and Ahwaz
Hmmmm... From Canada, joined May 1999, 2088 posts, RR: 5 Reply 22, posted (10 years 3 months 1 day 8 hours ago) and read 3104 times:
Wouldn't that be ironic. That America would get a Concorde for its Smithsonian Museum, a museum dedicated to artifacts from American history. America was the country that protested the loudest about the environmental impacts of the Concorde that ultimately led to its exile as a stillborn commercial jetliner.
An optimist robs himself of the joy of being pleasantly surprised
GDB From United Kingdom, joined May 2001, 12715 posts, RR: 80 Reply 23, posted (10 years 3 months 1 day 8 hours ago) and read 3076 times:
Airframes are not the main issue, they are 'younger' than conventional airlines in one other respect apart from hrs/cycles, the heat expansion prevents corrosion.
Branson has talked about operating Concorde, it's just talk.
If BA stopped, the joint buying of spares, the joint planning to anticipate future maintenance and operations, would become much more expensive for AF, it's bad enough just having two airlines using it.
Putting my optimistic head on, these rumours started around the time war in the Gulf looked likely, for all BA's bravado, like talk of the £2 billion in reserves, the airline are very worried, what if it goes bad, sparks off something else, making the world economy go into a bad slump, like 1973-74 for example.
Any global carrier has to plan for the worst, all options have to be considered, most will be unremarkable, but a high profile move like stopping Concorde, even if only considered in dire circumstances, will leak out.
However, it does not help things the way things are managed now, it creates suspicion.
We had an OK load factor generally in the first half of 2002, a very good late 2002.
But bringing back the BA003/BA004, only to cut them in another slump, would look bad and be expensive.
The best that can happen is for the airline to take note of dissatisfaction at the new BA001 time, forcing BA to reinstate the 10:30 BA001 for the winter timetable, but we'll have got some data of how a BA003 would be like loads wise.
Jmc757 From United Kingdom, joined Mar 2000, 1296 posts, RR: 8 Reply 24, posted (10 years 3 months 1 day 8 hours ago) and read 3030 times:
Not before i could fly one!! Hope it doesnt happen soon.
I sorta agree with Hmmmm.. it would be incredibly ironic that one went to the USA considering the fact they are part of the reason it "failed" (I'll never see it as a failure!). I would hope that the ones BA have would all end up in british museums, although the US museums do have one thing a lot of their British counterparts don't, a lot of space and more importantly, cash.
A foundation to keep it flying? That would be great, not that i want to knock it, but it is a HUGE task.
jmc757
25 Bellerophon: Unless your source is Rod Edington or one of the leadership team, I should be very wary about paying too much attention to rumours about Concorde, bec
26 David_itl: It's now made it to the BBC website. An extract from story which may warrant discussion: BBC transport correspondent Tom Symonds said the plane's fla
27 Gordonroxburgh: Just the BBC scaremongering I would think. These guys are not the considered correspondants we used to think of at the BBC or any other news organisat
28 EGFF: "Have heard from a couple of pretty reliable sources that unfortunately BA plans to discontinue Concorde services as soon as Spring 2004" You mean the
29 Britair: From BA's staff intranet: Concorde: no decision on retirement date News reports today (Wednesday) are suggesting that British Airways is considering r
30 Carduelis: The so-called 'knowledgeable' correspondents read this forum and also take notice of PPrune - there's even a warning note on Pprune advising of such!
31 GDB: We had film crews peering through the fence today! That BBC report was so full of factual (and basic) errors, as to made it laughable. Otherwise, I ca
32 Silverfox: Just keep the old girl airborne until Nov 2004 please Thats in the diary for my retirement flight back to the UK
33 F-WWKH: Air France already scrapped one in 1993.. the Filton bird doesnt look much better minus tail etc..
34 GDB: 202 at Filton, never in airline service, has helped keep us going for 20 years! One positive in these rumours, they give the lie that BA run it for pr
35 ConcordeBoy: Air France already scrapped one in 1993.. the Filton bird doesnt look much better minus tail etc.. Just to be factually precise, they retired it in 19
36 GDB: Here is some info on these aircraft, 202 and 211; http://concordesst.com/202.html http://concordesst.com/211.html
37 Gordonroxburgh: In a media release about today's so called "exclusives" BA happened to mention that they were under contractual obligations with Air France till 2005
38 EGGD: I'm glad to see that the rumours are false, I'd hate to see the old bird leave prematurely, especially without being able to fly it .
40 Pilot1113: Apparently, it is true: http://travel.discovery.com/news/afp/20030224/concorde.html - Neil Harrison
41 GDB: The BBC quoted Concorde's speed as 3000 m.p.h. Make of that what you will. Today's BA001 had 61 pax, 38 full fare, so in profit just with those. Prett
42 Skymonster: Not a good time for Concorde - another problem today: http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=2299206 Andy
43 JetTrader: Link didn't work for me so here is the story... Concorde loses part of rudder in air, lands safely Thu February 27, 2003 10:37 AM ET PARIS, Feb 27 (R
44 Srbmod: With there not being any other aircraft of this type available, or even on the drawing board, BA would have to come up with something to keep the Conc
45 John g: If the great bird is now to retire, we salute her, and the men and women who have flown her. She was the first, brave creation of a world for which co
46 GDB: Thanks John, but we're not finished yet! But the knowledge amongst the general public that the aircraft has a finite life, that it's retirement is on
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