Concords liveries that never flew...

[aerofoto - HJG Admin]

We had CONCORDE came through AKL/NZAA 6 times between 1986 and 1999 as tourist and/or event charters. The first was BA .... all the rest were AF .... and so far as I'm aware I'm the only local person whom managed to photograph all 6 flights during this period

It came through CHC/NZCH "a lot more" as tourist charters .... including one very memorable, flight during 1989, which lost part of it rudder/tail section out over the Tasman Sea whilst en-route between CHC and SYD ....
www.airwaysmuseum.com/Concorde%20lost%20rudder%2089.htm

.... and that wasn't the last time time this ever happened either apparently ....
news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/2541405.stm

I've never really thought though of CONCORDE as being graceful (but beauty's in the eye of the beholder of course), but, have always regarded it as "impressive" and a "technological marvel" (of is time) .... as well as being a "status symbol among the travelling public, and I think some air/tech crews too, since there were any number of BA CONCORDE F/O's whom were senior enough to command the B757, but, whom opted to fly as F/O's on CONCORDE.

I've been aboard it .... at AKL .... and if one refers to the B707 and DC-8 as being "tube-liners", then CONCORDE is much narrower again .... restricted to a 4 abreast seating configuration (2 rows of seats separated by a single aisle) .... and with PAX cabin windows much smaller than your average and less than the size of a Hors D'Oeouve plate .... and which tends to emphasize what some might describe as being a somewhat Claustrophobic cabin environment (doesn't bother me in the least though). I was glad to have had the opportunity to look her over thoroughly (something I wouldn't normally get the chance to do .... since this was long before it/CONCORDE ever became an interactive museum piece) .... being very well received by the French crew (it was an AF aircraft .... funny that ) in the process .... and just as I was equally well received by the Russians too, when I was invited, by them, to "kom on-bord comerade-ski" when they flew the AN-124 RUSLAN to AKL for the very first time during 1989.

YEAH .... I've had a bit of interesting civil aviation life .... but .... I'm not complaining

Mark C
AKL/NZ

[christrott]

Feb 6, 2018 13:14:36 GMT George Carty - HJG said:

The 9/11 attacks played a crucial role in Concorde's downfall. Not only were many of its most loyal passengers killed in the attacks themselves, but they also resulted in a ramping-up of airport security checks that largely destroyed Concorde's speed advantage over private jets.

A private jet can be rented for a sum of money very similar to the price of a Concorde ticket, isn't subject to the same security-related delays, and (most importantly given that we're talking about rich people whose most precious commodity is their time) can be available on beck and call rather than adhering to a fixed schedule.

Incidentally, did any of you read Charlie Stross's blog post about why we won't see hypersonic airliners any time soon?

George

Sorry to be contrarian George, but even at its peak, a round trip on Concorde at full price cost less than $15,000. Most got the round trip for under $10k. Considering that the cheapest a Super Midsize bizjet goes for ~$4200/hr and it's a 6-7 hour flight each way, you'd need to have 5 passengers to break even on the cost alone. Also, the time savings was a bit of a myth when it came to who flew on Concorde. Time was a consideration, but the passenger numbers dropped off well before 9/11. Yes, there were victims who were frequent users of Concorde, but there were far more who just didn't fly post 9/11 for a significant period of time.

[aerofoto - HJG Admin]

Just on the subject of cost per round-trip ticket .... versus the quality of service offered on CONCORDE and for that same ticket price.

Cabin crew I know/knew on both CONCORDE operators casually confided in me .... that "in their professional opinion" .... the quality of First Class service offered on subsonic aircraft types operated within their fleets was actually "superior" .... due to the longer duration of these flights and the extra time within which to provide that "quality of service".

I guess part of that comes down to the amount "time" that can be applied to each individual PAX .... given CONCORDE is/was a "super First Class configuration" (only) and carried more of this type of PAX than were routinely carried in First Class aboard subsonic aircraft types where voth Economy and Business Class represented the bulk of PAX loadings

Mark C
AKL/NZ

[Thales Coelho]

Panair do Brasil was one who was interested in Concorde since its first days. Ofcourse the airline was shutted down by government years before the supersonic`s first flight.

How it must have looked

fotologimg.s3.amazonaws.com/photo/4/22/42/jsilveirajunior/1217504883209_f.jpg

A better projection here