Just seen the last scheduled commercial flight of Concorde take off from JFK going to LHR -- 7.37am EDT which is 12.37 pm BST. What a machine -- end of an era - -of course in the new system -- which is just around the corner -- we will all be back in the Stone age. Ah well
Concorde
by stillajwexelder 5 Replies latest jw friends
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xjw_b12
Yes that is sad. The end of an era for sure. And nothing as erotic and sensational to replace it with.
It makes you wonder, if perhaps man has bit off a bit more than he can chew.
No more supersonic passenger flight, and none in the forseeable future. The U.S. space program is in a shambles. And it all boils down to money.
I wonder if all the science fiction writers, with all their fantastic predictions for the future, ever stopped to think..... can we afford to do this? and at what cost?
blaid ... I think it was Einstien who said that.
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Englishman
It's the end of an era. Built by the Brits (with a little help from the french) to steal the Transatlantic travel from Boeing, which it failed to do.
It's only half-way through it's flying life and is being retired for financial reasons. Scandalously, British Airways won't sell it to Richard Branson to head his Virgin fleet.
British Airways has 7 Concordes.
Englishman.
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stillajwexelder
breakingbenjamin -- it is 5.00 am Pacific - -surely you have not stayed up all night to watch Concorde take off on TV?
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Englishman
Well it's a sad old day all right. Many Brits regard Concorde's retirement as a sort of betrayal, as though part of their identity is being scrapped. British Airways cocked up their marketing, Sir Richard Branson is willing to take over, but British Airways say no because they want to keep him from making a success of it.
That way they don't lose their passengers to Virgin Atlantic.
Sickening beyond belief.
Englishman.
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core
British Airways cocked up their marketing, Sir Richard Branson is willing to take over, but British Airways say no because they want to keep him from making a success of it.
That way they don't lose their passengers to Virgin Atlantic.
Now normally I think Englishman talks sense (with a funny accent) but this time...Concorde was scheduled to cost £100m (in the next year acording to a BBC reporter, to keep in the air flying less than half full - with the payload of the plane even running at 100% capacity the losses would be huge - only answer to keeping the flag flying is state subsidy and why should the taxpayer shell out so pop-stars and millionaires can reach the US faster? - Sorry - the plane is uneconomic. Branson cannot increase the number of passengers Concorde can carry therefore he cannot cut costs or increase revenue - his attempts to "take over" Concorde are just self publicity.