Concorde - Last Flight.

I just watched three Concordes touch down at Heathrow for the very last time. What a scene, thousands were there to mourn the demise of Supersonic travel available to the travelling public.
I would mourn the loss of such a beautiful aircraft no matter who ran it and from where from it came from. I just can't get past the feeling that we've turned back the clock and must now be happy with the 'normal' jets of this age.
I know Concorde wasn't popular with everyone but it proved it could be done and apart from the tragedy in France ran as safe as a speeding bullet could be.
I hope we see its'like again and not just have to remember the days when we really could fly like the wind.

Hula.

I only wish I could afford to fly in one of those. Till then I'll wait till it goes in a museum. A wonderful era has gone by. I've never heard how loud the roar is when it's afterburners kick in because I don't live near the airport. Air travel was much different when the Concorde was first flown. It says a lot about how it has changed.

BlindTiger - let me assure you when those afterburners kick in they are very very LOUD. I sneeked into a field near an airshow as a teen and Concorde was literally just above me with full afterburners on performing maneuvres. One of the loudest things I ever heard and felt. Mindblowing!

Hula.

Last week I was on my way through the Atlanta airport when a half dozen or so F16s took off. Very loud and truly amazing. The Concorde will truly be missed.

Hey, speaking of fast aircraft; Where's that "space plane" that was suppose to go from NY to Tokyo in 90 minutes? anyone heard about it?

I saw it go right over my house on its way to land at Edinburgh airport. Quite a sight.

Ross

I used to live under the flightpath near heathrow, and boy did those things rattle the windows. Im gutted i never got the chance to fly on this thing. Anyone remember that promotion when the first 100 ppl phoning for a ticket would get to fly to new york on Concorde for £10?

You know, I see some people saying who cares? it's for the rich and famous and all but I still say it was an engineering marvel to fly 1300 mph and at the edge of space.
To fit 100 passengers in what would be a military aircraft is unbelievable.
I bet the flight attendents look better, too.

I was immediately below one at the Canadian National Exhibition about 20 years ago just as the pilot applied the throttles to do a bank and return over the viewing area. The plane was below the height of the CN tower which is about 1,800'. That's when I learned what the word visceral means. My chest was literally pulsing with the thunder from the engines.

I wonder if the A380 Skybus will be louder.

I've never even seen a genuine Concorde. That said I shall VERY much mourn the passing of those FAST, SEXY Ladies!

Sound. After Ellington Field Wings Over Houston several years ago, I was there Monday Evening when the B1B took off.

Four Afterburning LOUD AS HELL engines... I went to take pictures. But I was so stunned I never raised the camera!

Sounds like FREEDOM!!!

PlayboyJoeShmoe - I know what you mean. I once took a girl I used to know to an airshow unsure if she'd enjoy it. The usual light stuff went on for a while, increasing my anxiety. Then a B1B blasted down the runway and our world was rocked. I looked at her as a big smile spread across her face matching my own. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Somehow I can't see the Airbus A380 being in the same league as afterburning jets - simply because it won't have afterburners. There just too loud for these sensitive times.

Hula.

air A380 is specifically made to be super duper quiet, LHR gives more slots for takeoff/landing to quiter jets and that was the clincher for lots of asian airliners (LHR is europes biggest gateway to asia) who signed up. airbus knew full well that they had an ace boeing couldnt match /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif.

but yea, that 'corde sure is a sight!

get your fix of the speedbird phtoso at www.airliners.net

This one is "ours" now!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Seattle Times

Museum of Flight

I took a stroll around it on the tarmac today and I can hardly wait until the 28th of this month to take a tour inside of it!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif I wish I could have seen it in the air yesterday but 3 things happened: Life got in the way, the wind was out of the north (so it didn't fly over my house) and it was a half hour early after setting a transcontinental commercial speed record over Canada. Its a truly amazing bird considering the era that it was designed in. Its also quite something to stand at the nose of a B-29, look over at the Concorde and realize that there is less than 30 years difference in their technologies. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif

Dan

Breaks my heart. I often thought of how great it would be for a ride in that rocket.

Not flying in the Concorde or F-4 Phantom are the only two aviation milestones that I am really sad I missed.