Fbgdavidson From United Kingdom (England), joined Oct 2004, 3231 posts, RR: 22 Reply 2, posted (2 years 11 months 4 days 4 hours ago) and read 9342 times:
A familiar looking handle and trip report there Welcome aboard!
Still one of the best Concorde trip reports I've read!
"My first job was selling doors, door to door, that's a tough job innit" - Bill Bailey
MichaelJP From United Kingdom, joined Nov 2004, 152 posts, RR: 0 Reply 4, posted (2 years 11 months 4 days 2 hours ago) and read 9253 times:
Well Charles,
I must say thats one amazing Trip report! I never had the chance to remember my concorde experience
I still remember the days when I drove to LHR with my dad to watch Concorde take-off and land
My dad even though he'd flown on Concorde more than a few times was still like a school boy when he was flying to NYC on Concorde.
Its an aircraft I know I certainly wont forget and I'm sure you wont either.
GDB From United Kingdom, joined May 2001, 10162 posts, RR: 70 Reply 5, posted (2 years 11 months 4 days ago) and read 9186 times:
Extremely impressive, even just after a read through and a look at a couple of pics.
I'll need to allocate time for a full look, Christmas is coming so that should be easy.
Which I look forward to doing.
If you haven't already, this is well worth putting on the trip report section on www.concordesst.com forum.
Joining is free.
Always interesting to get a pax view, particularly an enthusiastic and knowledgeable one.
We in BA Concorde were enthusiasts too, the crews also loved doing charters where the enthusiasm went off the scale.
We referred to the machometer (good name), officially as PIDS (Pax Information Display System), but in reality, they were named for their makers, Marilake.
The lavs (dating from a 1988 refit), were to be replaced by something much better, with vacuum bowls (but only after difficulty in finding the space), as part of a comprehensive 2nd stage of the last planned cabin upgrade (authorized in 1999).
The 1st part, mostly the seats (£14000 for each double seat module, with all the equipment), was done for the re-launch.
However, apart from constraints in post Sept 11 spending (had that terrible event not happened, we'd still be flying probably), the new galleys were not lighter, but heavier than what they replaced (galleys in use dated from 1992/3 major upgrade).
Then the 2nd stage in any form, was simply overtaken by events in late 2002/early 2003.
I did not glean from my initial look, the dates of your flights.
If you are interested, I can tell you the full flight crews (post November 2002) as well as the loads.
I can totally relate to how you felt while flying Concorde, I might have seen it, been on it in the hangar, everyday at work, but it was always a thrill.
My TR's as not illustrated like yours, (though I photographed extensively the 2003 air test, used the camera movie mode as well for OAE's last ever flight, which don't appear in the TR's below), nor as well written as what you have put together.
Fbgdavidson From United Kingdom (England), joined Oct 2004, 3231 posts, RR: 22 Reply 6, posted (2 years 11 months 3 days 23 hours ago) and read 9144 times:
Quoting CharlesMD (Reply 3): Since when are you from the "United States"? Fly that Union Jack proudly!
I always considered it as a 'posting from' which country. While I'm not going to change it while I am on vacation as I'm here for more than a few weeks it made sense to swap over
Quoting CharlesMD (Reply 3): P.S. How do I add you to the respected users list?
Click on 'Add to Respected Users list' above any of my posts....if you feel that way inclined.
BTW, you have an email I sent yesterday
"My first job was selling doors, door to door, that's a tough job innit" - Bill Bailey
CharlesMD From United States, joined Dec 2005, 64 posts, RR: 2 Reply 8, posted (2 years 11 months 3 days 20 hours ago) and read 9038 times:
Hey, YYZ_Flyer! How many FTers are there here? I'm afraid I've been expelled from the Garden of Eden. Would you mind PM'ing a few kind words about me to Randy?
CharlesMD From United States, joined Dec 2005, 64 posts, RR: 2 Reply 10, posted (2 years 11 months 3 days 19 hours ago) and read 9003 times:
Hey, DeltAirlines! What is your handle on FT? Could you please PM some kind words about me to Randy? I'm afraid I've been expelled from the Garden of Eden.
DC10Forever From Brazil, joined Oct 2005, 82 posts, RR: 0 Reply 11, posted (2 years 11 months 3 days 7 hours ago) and read 8834 times:
Great flight report. Congrats !
I remember a long time ago when I was a kid that Air France used to fly to Rio de Janeiro with its Concorde (with a quick stop at Dakar). Quite impressive the sound !
Bhxforever From United Kingdom (England), joined Jul 2001, 563 posts, RR: 2 Reply 12, posted (2 years 11 months 3 days 4 hours ago) and read 8790 times:
Fantastic Report!
Brought back many memories of my concorde trip back in 2003.
Mirrodie From United States, joined Apr 2000, 6298 posts, RR: 62 Reply 13, posted (2 years 11 months 3 days 3 hours ago) and read 8753 times:
AIRLINERS.NET CREW FORUM MODERATOR
Nice TR Charles. Can you explain what you mean exactly by being expelled for the Garden of Eden? For FT? For what reason?
since we are sharing, have a look at my TR as well. I was prompted to write it by some members here, and it culminated in making great new friends in London, and LA, a pair of those Concorde seats and a part on a Travel Channel documentary.
CharlesMD From United States, joined Dec 2005, 64 posts, RR: 2 Reply 15, posted (2 years 11 months 2 days 12 hours ago) and read 8609 times:
Dear Mirrodie,
Thanks so much for your kind comments. I was mainly posting trip reports on another travel website but then got suspended for questioning the way their moderators were acting. So several other members referred me to this website.
I have to say I am very impressed by the quality of the trip reports, and all the photographs. Right now I have over 10,000 photographs and will be sure to change them into trip reports.
Best wishes to all for the holidays-- I will be sure to print up and read your trip reports as I'm doing a lot of flying to visit family and friends!
9VSPO From United Kingdom, joined May 2008, 52 posts, RR: 1 Reply 16, posted (2 years 11 months 2 days 4 hours ago) and read 8501 times:
Fantastic report.
A very impressive read with great photo's. I almost didn't want the story to end and it's obvious you have a real passion for Concorde. One of the best reports (if not the best) I have read. A piece of history too.
Mirrodie From United States, joined Apr 2000, 6298 posts, RR: 62 Reply 17, posted (2 years 11 months 1 hour ago) and read 8183 times:
AIRLINERS.NET CREW FORUM MODERATOR
just got back from Prague last week. The absinthe is IMHO, a bit overrated. Nice novelty item and wanted here in the US, but really just a decent drink and overrated.
PJS800 From United States, joined Oct 2003, 240 posts, RR: 7 Reply 18, posted (2 years 10 months 4 weeks 1 day 13 hours ago) and read 8110 times:
Excellent trip report, Charles. I love all of these Concorde trip reports because they bring to me an experience I'd always dreamt of but will now never get to experience. But as much as I love them, I also hate them because they sadly make me remember that getting the chance to fly Concorde is sadly no longer a possibility. Thanks for the great report.
Fbgdavidson From United Kingdom (England), joined Oct 2004, 3231 posts, RR: 22 Reply 19, posted (2 years 10 months 4 weeks 1 day 1 hour ago) and read 8031 times:
CharlesMD From United States, joined Dec 2005, 64 posts, RR: 2 Reply 20, posted (2 years 9 months 3 weeks 6 days 17 hours ago) and read 7351 times:
Thanks so much for the kind words. What is absinthe (??). GDB, I was wondering if you worked on Concorde? I was wondering what happened to all the flight attendants? Last week on BA the CSD told me they were reassigned to short-haul Europe. What a fall to go from working Concorde to EuroTraveler.
In any regards the cabin crew told me that there is a 3-year wait to get a position on international service and an even longer wait to work in F.
GDB From United Kingdom, joined May 2001, 10162 posts, RR: 70 Reply 21, posted (2 years 9 months 3 weeks 6 days 3 hours ago) and read 7264 times:
CharlesMD, I spent a largely happy and exciting period in the Engineering part of the Concorde operation from April 1997, to OAF's last flight to FZO in November 2003.
Cabin crew were from short haul, logical if you think of the journey times.
It had limited destinations, so we got, as in the case of flight crew, people who wanted to do it for being on the type.
Most crew were on the type for a period, but there was a small core of cabin crew who were long term veterans on the type.
Most of the crew on my last flight, OAE's retirement to BGI, were these senior ladies.
That Absinthe drink is a very strong (some would say hallucinogenic) brew, so potent it's not generally available in many places.
Afconcorde1 From France, joined Jan 2006, 139 posts, RR: 0 Reply 22, posted (2 years 9 months 3 weeks 5 days 10 hours ago) and read 7169 times:
Charles,
Your trip report recalls me back to last spring when I boarded (the now grounded) G-BOAD (U.S.S. Intrepid). The only thing that kept me from thinking that I was only a visitor to a museum was the fact that there were many tourists coming on and off the aircraft within
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