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traildriver
Joined: 26 Mar 2011
Posts: 2460
Location: South Florida
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 Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2024 10:15 pm Post subject: |
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| NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629 wrote: | | traildriver wrote: | I flew from LHR to JFK on that very 'bird' (GBOAD) in 1998...  |
LUCKY MAN, INDEED! 
That had to be a VERY interesting experience, to be sure!
Care to recall the flight here? 
"NYO"
["CONCORDE"] |
I worked part time for American Airlines at JFK from 1994 to 2002, when I retired from there. The main reason for working there (driving their buses), was for the free (standby) flight benefits, around the world. Besides AA, I could get "employee rates" on other airlines, including British Airways. BA offered employees of other airlines a very special rate of only $895 on their Concorde flights. So I flew over to Paris on AA, then rode the new Eurostar train thru the new "Chunnel" from Paris to London, and finally the Concorde morning flight to JFK from Heathrow.
The aircraft I flew on was GBOAD, which eventually found a home at the Intrepid museum on the Hudson, upon its retirement from service. Our Captain happened to be the world record holder for the fastest ever commercial flight from JFK to London. The first thing was the admittance to the Concorde Lounge at London, where we were treated like royalty. Then we boarded the all-first class aircraft, which contained 100 seats in a 2 by 2 seating configuration of 25 rows. The seats were extremely comfortable, but not nearly as roomy as the "suites" in the wide-body aircraft, but for such a short flight, not really necessary. The BA service was superb, with top shelf drinks and excellent meals.
The takeoff was similar to conventional jets, until they ignited the after-burners (re-heat in British parlance). Then we rapidly accelerated after leaving the coast of Ireland to supersonic speed of Mach 2 (over 1,300 mph). We did not hear any sonic boom on board, and the Mach meter on the bulkhead was the only indication we had attained that speed. The tiny porthole windows gave us a view from 60,000 feet that clearly showed the curvature of the earth, as well as a very deep blue sky above. We were higher than any super thunderstorm could ever reach, and the flight was incredibly smooth as a result.
One thing that the Brits allowed, unlike their US counterparts, was visiting the cockpit while at cruising altitude. The Captain invited everyone that was interested to come up for a visit. I'd say about one third of the passenger's took him up on the invitation, a couple at a time. I was amazed that the other's were so blase about traveling Concorde that they were not interested. One of the most interesting things was the flight engineer showing us the fist sized gap in flight between the back of his panel, and the cockpit wall, caused by the extreme air friction at that speed heating up the fuselage outer skin to expand. At rest, the panel was flush against the wall!
The Concorde by 1998, the year I flew on it, was technologically antiquated, compared to the newest airliner's. Besides still having a flight engineer or "second officer", the instrument panels contained what was derisively called "steam gauges", all analog instruments, unlike the "glass cockpits" of the newer aircraft with video screens containing multiple virtual gauges.
Each passenger received a nice leather pouch containing a certificate of flying the Concorde at Mach 2, signed and dated by the Captain, a titanium Concorde pen, two titanium Concorde luggage tags, post cards and Concorde stationery, a Concorde brochure, and two titanium napkin rings, from their in flight service. I still have mine in my "archives".
We took off from London after 9:00 AM local time, and landed at JFK around 8:00 AM local time...we arrived "before we left"...
I'll never forget that stellar experience!  |
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NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629
BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee
Joined: 18 Dec 2007
Posts: 22673
Location: NEW JOISEY
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| Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2024 11:01 pm Post subject: |
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traildriver:
WOW!!!! 
BLIMEY!!!!
SACRE BLEU!!!!
MANY thanks for taking the time to recount (in such fascinating detail!) your Concorde experience; man, if I only could have been aboard!
I cannot fathom how ANYONE could regard the cockpit of the Concorde as "ho-hum".......what were they thinking? 
Myself, I would have been TOTALLY mesmerized, to say the least!
It DOES seem odd that, today in 2024, supersonic air travel is now relegated to the past (at least for now)
Recall, way back then, how we all thought that supersonic air travel was the FUTURE of civilian air travel?
My dad always referred to the Concorde as "Rodan"! 
Indeed, from what you have recounted here, the Brits truly treated you as royalty.....that truly had to further enhance the wonderful experience you were so fortune to have!
If Your's Truly could travel back in time, REST ASSURED I'd have to make at least ONE round-trip on the Concorde.......ahhh, perchance to dream......
"NYO"
["SST"] |
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NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629
BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee
Joined: 18 Dec 2007
Posts: 22673
Location: NEW JOISEY
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| Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2024 11:23 pm Post subject: |
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Here's an excellent page on the airlines (domestic and overseas) that had, back in the 1960s, placed orders for the Concorde.........
https://simpleflying.com/concorde-orders/
["FLY TWA'S NEW SUPERSONIC SST!"] |
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kdr3bt
Age: 72
Joined: 03 Feb 2016
Posts: 44
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| Posted: Sun Mar 17, 2024 8:01 pm Post subject: |
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| Thanks for posting the AA info, traildriver. Very informative! |
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NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629
BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee
Joined: 18 Dec 2007
Posts: 22673
Location: NEW JOISEY
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traildriver
Joined: 26 Mar 2011
Posts: 2460
Location: South Florida
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| Posted: Sun Mar 17, 2024 9:44 pm Post subject: |
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"My" bird, the GBOAD was famous for some other interesting reasons...
https://mainlymiles.com/2024/03/03/singapore-airlines-concorde-full-story/
With the BA -Singapore Airlines London to Singapore interchange flight via Bahrain, Singapore Airlines flight attendants staffed their portion, but only BA pilots flew the plane on both portions.
With the BA - Braniff London to Dallas interchange flight via Washington, Dulles, Braniff pilots and flight attendants staffed the Braniff portion. So Braniff was the only airline in the world besides BA and AF to have qualified Concorde pilots. The Braniff portion over land had to be flown subsonic, but their pilots still had to qualify for Supersonic flight over the Atlantic portion, before being allowed to fly that plane. While the Braniff portion was subsonic, it still was faster than any other aircraft flying that route... |
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NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629
BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee
Joined: 18 Dec 2007
Posts: 22673
Location: NEW JOISEY
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| Posted: Sun Mar 17, 2024 10:57 pm Post subject: |
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traildriver:
This "SST" info is FASCINATING!
Could you imagine......had our domestic airlines (and others) had purchased the Concorde......and seeing these supersonic "birds" loading, unloading, taking off, and landing at JFK or LaGuardia?
Man, what a sight that would have been!
In reality, only in toy form did the Concorde wear the liveries of carriers such as PAN AM, TWA, and UNITED.
Just think of what the face of civil aviation today would look like, had the Concorde had indeed been purchased by multiple airlines..............
"NYO"
["PAN AMERICAN"] |
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NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629
BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee
Joined: 18 Dec 2007
Posts: 22673
Location: NEW JOISEY
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| Posted: Mon Mar 18, 2024 12:52 pm Post subject: |
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Flying the "Friendly Skies" of UNITED??
Indeed we've all be keeping track of the less-than-positive news as of late regarding almost daily issues involving both UNITED and BOEING.
Doors have blown out in mid-flight, wheels have dropped off landing gear struts, engines have caught fire, and exterior panels have "mysteriously" dropped off, with the crews unaware.
Just heard on the news that UNITED is instructing its repair crews to conduct even more intense inspection, in the wake of all of these frightening incidents (thankfully, no fatalities)
Now, it seems (from what I just heard) there are now issues with the pilot seats.
Not surprisingly, the news report I heard earlier today stated at that UNITED will be purchasing its next order of jets from rival AIRBUS......
"NYO" |
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