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traildriver
Joined: 26 Mar 2011
Posts: 2701
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: 29723
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: 29723
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: 74
Joined: 03 Feb 2016
Posts: 47
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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: 29723
Location: NEW JOISEY
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traildriver
Joined: 26 Mar 2011
Posts: 2701
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: 29723
Location: NEW JOISEY
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| Posted: Tue Jul 01, 2025 6:38 pm Post subject: |
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Interesting photo......
In my copy of "BRANIFF AIRWAYS-FLYING COLORS:" (Cass), there is an interesting photo taken on January 12th, 1979 (my 22nd birthday!) with the following caption:
"......on January 12, 1979, two Concorde SST airliners line up simultaneously on the east and west runways at DFW Airport........"
".......the arrival of an Air France and British Airways Concorde marked the beginning of Braniff's new interchange service between Dallas and Washington Dulles and either London Heathrow or Paris Charles De Gaulle Airports......"
"......Braniff was the only US carrier to operate Concorde in scheduled service in the United States......."
"NYO"
["FLY BRANIFF"] |
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traildriver
Joined: 26 Mar 2011
Posts: 2701
Location: South Florida
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| Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2025 12:17 pm Post subject: |
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| NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629 wrote: | Interesting photo......
In my copy of "BRANIFF AIRWAYS-FLYING COLORS:" (Cass), there is an interesting photo taken on January 12th, 1979 (my 22nd birthday!) with the following caption:
"......on January 12, 1979, two Concorde SST airliners line up simultaneously on the east and west runways at DFW Airport........"
".......the arrival of an Air France and British Airways Concorde marked the beginning of Braniff's new interchange service between Dallas and Washington Dulles and either London Heathrow or Paris Charles De Gaulle Airports......"
"......Braniff was the only US carrier to operate Concorde in scheduled service in the United States......."
"NYO"
["FLY BRANIFF"] |
Now that's something that I was not aware of...that Braniff not only did a Concorde interchange flight with British Airways, but also did one with Air France...
Thanks for bringing that up!  |
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NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629
BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee
Joined: 18 Dec 2007
Posts: 29723
Location: NEW JOISEY
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| Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2025 1:30 pm Post subject: |
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traildriver:
You are welcome!
I did not know about this, either, until I got the book!
Indeed, you DO learn something new every day!
"NYO"
["SST"] |
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NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629
BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee
Joined: 18 Dec 2007
Posts: 29723
Location: NEW JOISEY
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| Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2025 1:42 pm Post subject: |
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Here's another interesting historical bit of information from the same book........
".......President Jimmy Carter approved a long-coveted route between Dallas and London Gatwick in December, 1977. The daily non-stop 747 service marked the first time that the southwestern United States and Europe would be directly connected......."
".......Braniff also offered daily cargo service between Texas and London, and special orange trucks moved cargo between Gatwick and Heathrow........."
"NYO"
["DAILY AIR CARGO SERVICE UK-USA"] |
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NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629
BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee
Joined: 18 Dec 2007
Posts: 29723
Location: NEW JOISEY
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| Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2025 7:42 pm Post subject: |
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Here's an interesting, detailed page, with much history and detailed info on BRANIFF.........
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Braniff_International_Airways
(be sure to read the section on the SST; some interesting information here; also, good reading on the "MAC" charters)
"NYO"
["BI"] |
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NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629
BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee
Joined: 18 Dec 2007
Posts: 29723
Location: NEW JOISEY
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NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629
BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee
Joined: 18 Dec 2007
Posts: 29723
Location: NEW JOISEY
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NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629
BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee
Joined: 18 Dec 2007
Posts: 29723
Location: NEW JOISEY
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NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629
BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee
Joined: 18 Dec 2007
Posts: 29723
Location: NEW JOISEY
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