Concorde Ebay special

TitanTim said:
paddy wright said:
So sad it lost its right to fly. I was lucky enough to have been on a flight when I was younger- it was immense!

I'm sure at one time you could book a 30 minute pleasure flight that went along the south coast and back, I'm pretty sure that's what I was saving up for as it still wasn't cheap even for a 30 minute flight.

Apart from trips to Australia on a 747 the only other noteworthy aircraft I used to travel on each year to Airshows was a Dakota DC3 operated by Air Atlantique based at Coventry who sadly folded :(

Tim.

Yes you could. When Concorde used to cone to RAF St Mawgan (Cornwall) airday you could pay for a 30 minute flight over the Bay of Biscay. It was but a dream for me.
 
Bmwz4ruby said:
TitanTim said:
paddy wright said:
So sad it lost its right to fly. I was lucky enough to have been on a flight when I was younger- it was immense!

I'm sure at one time you could book a 30 minute pleasure flight that went along the south coast and back, I'm pretty sure that's what I was saving up for as it still wasn't cheap even for a 30 minute flight.

Apart from trips to Australia on a 747 the only other noteworthy aircraft I used to travel on each year to Airshows was a Dakota DC3 operated by Air Atlantique based at Coventry who sadly folded :(

Tim.

Yes you could. When Concorde used to cone to RAF St Mawgan (Cornwall) airday you could pay for a 30 minute flight over the Bay of Biscay. It was but a dream for me.

Ahh thanks for the confirmation, I think thats the flight I was thinking of, Bay of Biscay rings a bell now. I know I was saving up at the time ✈️

Tim.
 
I'm sure there were quite a few charter flights that used to get advertised in daily papers in the 80s and 90s, but I could never afford them back then. :(

My aviation highlight so far has been a return trip to Melbourne on an A380 in Business Class. :D

And now I've stopped working it will probably stay top of the list!
 
I recon Bedub could get that engine into an ///M. :D

What an aircraft that was. I remember well sitting on the tarmac in the dark at Heathrow, when a Concorde lit up it engines right before my eyes. Perfect diamonds of red and purple flames. Our aircraft shook like a kyte in it's mighty wake. 8)
 
TitanTim said:
paddy wright said:
So sad it lost its right to fly. I was lucky enough to have been on a flight when I was younger- it was immense!

I'm sure at one time you could book a 30 minute pleasure flight that went along the south coast and back, I'm pretty sure that's what I was saving up for as it still wasn't cheap even for a 30 minute flight.

Apart from trips to Australia on a 747 the only other noteworthy aircraft I used to travel on each year to Airshows was a Dakota DC3 operated by Air Atlantique based at Coventry who sadly folded :(

Tim.
Along with some sporadic visits (from 1979 onwards), we also had a few flights during the 150th Grand National weekend that took you on a short trip across Liverpool to see Aintree (from Liverpool Airport).

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/nostalgia/concorde-flew-passengers-celebrities-over-26694637#

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/nostalgia/gallery/lost-grand-national-tradition-thousands-28954316#

0_h_01792386.jpg

0_JS296497188.jpg
 
TitanTim said:
Apart from trips to Australia on a 747 the only other noteworthy aircraft I used to travel on each year to Airshows was a Dakota DC3 operated by Air Atlantique based at Coventry who sadly folded :(

My two extremes are 13 hours in a C130 Herc to get to Saudi for the first Gulf (bloody Frogs wouldn't let us cross their airspace, so down the coast and in past Gibraltar). That was the worst!
The best? 1hr 40 minutes, never above 250ft in a Tornado, Norfolk to the Brecons in 18 minutes, through the Mach Loop, looking up at everyone, back to the Wash, dropped 4 practice bombs on a sunken boat, up to Newcastle, supersonic back down to Cromer and back to base. That was the best, but once was enough. Just about contained my breakfast. :roll:
(In ZA601, which is my avatar)
 
mmm-five said:
TitanTim said:
paddy wright said:
So sad it lost its right to fly. I was lucky enough to have been on a flight when I was younger- it was immense!

I'm sure at one time you could book a 30 minute pleasure flight that went along the south coast and back, I'm pretty sure that's what I was saving up for as it still wasn't cheap even for a 30 minute flight.

Apart from trips to Australia on a 747 the only other noteworthy aircraft I used to travel on each year to Airshows was a Dakota DC3 operated by Air Atlantique based at Coventry who sadly folded :(

Tim.
Along with some sporadic visits (from 1979 onwards), we also had a few flights during the 150th Grand National weekend that took you on a short trip across Liverpool to see Aintree (from Liverpool Airport).

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/nostalgia/concorde-flew-passengers-celebrities-over-26694637#

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/nostalgia/gallery/lost-grand-national-tradition-thousands-28954316#

0_h_01792386.jpg

0_JS296497188.jpg

Great pic with the bus :) I was searching last night on charter flights and was surprised how many there were to various events over the years. I wondered if these increased as the normal passenger flights decreased with ticket prices being so high and business users using cheaper flights.

Tim.
 
enuff_zed said:
TitanTim said:
Apart from trips to Australia on a 747 the only other noteworthy aircraft I used to travel on each year to Airshows was a Dakota DC3 operated by Air Atlantique based at Coventry who sadly folded :(

My two extremes are 13 hours in a C130 Herc to get to Saudi for the first Gulf (bloody Frogs wouldn't let us cross their airspace, so down the coast and in past Gibraltar). That was the worst!
The best? 1hr 40 minutes, never above 250ft in a Tornado, Norfolk to the Brecons in 18 minutes, through the Mach Loop, looking up at everyone, back to the Wash, dropped 4 practice bombs on a sunken boat, up to Newcastle, supersonic back down to Cromer and back to base. That was the best, but once was enough. Just about contained my breakfast. :roll:
(In ZA601, which is my avatar)

Wow some noteworthy aircraft :thumbsup:

My only scary moment was one year on the DC3. It was lashing it down and due to fly from Coventry to Duxford airshow. I was sitting next to the engine and we bombed down the runway for take off and the engine started misfiring with a bit of flame out the exhaust. I think the pilot had to think quick whether go up or abort and decided to abort take off. Brakes were applied pretty smartish and we taxied back. 30 minutes later back on board and everything fine on 2nd attempt. Think the engine had got a bit wet over night. In reality you knew it would have been fine on one engine :)

Tim.
 
enuff_zed said:
TitanTim said:
Apart from trips to Australia on a 747 the only other noteworthy aircraft I used to travel on each year to Airshows was a Dakota DC3 operated by Air Atlantique based at Coventry who sadly folded :(

My two extremes are 13 hours in a C130 Herc to get to Saudi for the first Gulf (bloody Frogs wouldn't let us cross their airspace, so down the coast and in past Gibraltar). That was the worst!
The best? 1hr 40 minutes, never above 250ft in a Tornado, Norfolk to the Brecons in 18 minutes, through the Mach Loop, looking up at everyone, back to the Wash, dropped 4 practice bombs on a sunken boat, up to Newcastle, supersonic back down to Cromer and back to base. That was the best, but once was enough. Just about contained my breakfast. :roll:
(In ZA601, which is my avatar)

Nice back story for your Avatar. 8) :thumbsup:
 
enuff_zed said:
TitanTim said:
Apart from trips to Australia on a 747 the only other noteworthy aircraft I used to travel on each year to Airshows was a Dakota DC3 operated by Air Atlantique based at Coventry who sadly folded :(

My two extremes are 13 hours in a C130 Herc to get to Saudi for the first Gulf (bloody Frogs wouldn't let us cross their airspace, so down the coast and in past Gibraltar). That was the worst!
The best? 1hr 40 minutes, never above 250ft in a Tornado, Norfolk to the Brecons in 18 minutes, through the Mach Loop, looking up at everyone, back to the Wash, dropped 4 practice bombs on a sunken boat, up to Newcastle, supersonic back down to Cromer and back to base. That was the best, but once was enough. Just about contained my breakfast. :roll:
(In ZA601, which is my avatar)

Super, I never worked fast jets so never had a flight in one. Always transport or support helicopters for me.
Did a fantastic low level C130 trip around Scotland with a SAS crew. Spent the whole flight (including takeoff and landing) on a harness at the open rear para door, absolutely fantastic. We did a simulated para drop, low level trying to shake hawk enemy aircraft and then set up a refuel at Wick for 2x Army Lynx. Best day ever.
Also did some helicopter safaris (Puma) and fly in the great rift valley in Kenya.
Such fond memories of 22 years in the RAF. Don’t miss it but boy was it good.
 
enuff_zed said:
The best? 1hr 40 minutes, never above 250ft in a Tornado, Norfolk to the Brecons in 18 minutes, through the Mach Loop, looking up at everyone, back to the Wash, dropped 4 practice bombs on a sunken boat, up to Newcastle, supersonic back down to Cromer and back to base. That was the best, but once was enough. Just about contained my breakfast.

Wow, that's a much more exhilarating way to go supersonic than sitting in a Concorde sipping bubbly!

Probably makes you a member of a much more exclusive club too. :thumbsup:
 
Watched a programme a while ago on American aviation and they interviewed one of the pilots who tested the Supersonic Blackbird spy plane. He mentioned whilst on a secret test flight, seeing Concorde several thousand feet below them. He was said he was stunned as Concord was overtaking them.
 
I used to work for British Aerospace at Filton and was lucky enough to get a flight on Concorde. Taking off from Heathrow, we flew over the Bay of Biscay at Mach 2.05 (1362 mph) and landed back at Filton after a fly by of the runway on families day. I can still remember being at 55,000 feet and clearly seeing the Earth's curvature.

I was on Concorde when this picture was taken. Still the fastest I've been on land (take off speed c250 mph) or in the air!
concordeVS1987.jpg
 
Vornwend said:
I used to work for British Aerospace at Filton and was lucky enough to get a flight on Concorde. Taking off from Heathrow, we flew over the Bay of Biscay at Mach 2.05 (1362 mph) and landed back at Filton after a fly by of the runway on families day. I can still remember being at 55,000 feet and clearly seeing the Earth's curvature.

I was on Concorde when this picture was taken. Still the fastest I've been on land (take off speed c250 mph) or in the air!
concordeVS1987.jpg

Great photo and experience, thanks for sharing :thumbsup:

Tim.
 
Vornwend said:
I used to work for British Aerospace at Filton and was lucky enough to get a flight on Concorde. Taking off from Heathrow, we flew over the Bay of Biscay at Mach 2.05 (1362 mph) and landed back at Filton after a fly by of the runway on families day. I can still remember being at 55,000 feet and clearly seeing the Earth's curvature.

I was on Concorde when this picture was taken. Still the fastest I've been on land (take off speed c250 mph) or in the air!
concordeVS1987.jpg

second that, great photo, saw it do a fly-past at Fairford years ago, nearly stalled as it passed the crowds, nose up, then pulled back on the sticks and off it went!! what a noise, never forget it..

We visited Concorde museum recently at Filton, had a quiet moment to myself walking underneath the fuselage and looking up, because like you my Grandad worked for Rolls Royce at Filton and was an inspector of engines on Concorde, proud moment!

And to top that off, mentioned to my neighbour that we had gone to the museum, a few minutes later he turns up with his Concorde flight pack, including tickets, Concorde headed letter paper, envelopes, menu and drinks list for the flight etc. turns out he flew on it twice back in the day.
8)
 
Well I've cheaped out and have ordered and engine blade signed by chief pilot Mike Bannister :) at least it will fit better on the mantlepiece :)

Tim.
 
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