Fbodfather
They don't make songs about Volvos.
Member # 1119
posted
the passing of another legend........
I'm in Seattle (land of ***COFFEE!!!***........) for the Seattle Autoshow.
A British Airways Concorde is being donated to the Museum of Flight near Boeing Field.
We enjoyed watching a "fly-by" over Puget Sound as this beautiful, graceful work of art flew into Boeing Field on its last flight.....
The unmistakable, unique "thunder" of the great bird made all heads turn and look skyward.......
...the end of an era.
I thought....first the Camaro and Firebird...now the Concorde...what's next? While many might say it's foolhardy to compare Concorde and Camaro/Firebird, there ARE similarities.....
Both are FAST......faster than most other jets/cars....
Both are recognizable, enduring icons........
I guess the good news is that there may be another Camaro/Firebird.........the bad news is there won't be another Concorde.......oh, I'm sure there will eventually be other passenger-carrying supersonic transports at some time in the future....but Concorde was first....and just as beautiful today, under clear blue Pacific Northwest Skies as it was in the early 70s when she took her maiden flight.
I just feel sad................
-------------------- Posts: 749 | From: Detroit | Registered: Aug 2001
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quote:Originally posted by Fbodfather: We enjoyed watching a "fly-by" over Puget Sound as this beautiful, graceful work of art flew into Boeing Field on its last flight.....
...the end of an era.
I guess the good news is that there may be another Camaro/Firebird.........the bad news is there won't be another Concorde.......I just feel sad................
Certainly you are not alone with these thoughts... the Concorde flew into Toronto a couple of weeks ago on its farewell tour and the press coverage was poignant, to say the least. The written piece that moved me the most (I have always been an aircraft freak, as well as a car freak) was one that harkened back to the days of the early transatlantic crossings on the old Boeing Stratocruisers, the Lockheed Superconnies and the Douglas DC-7s. As with the majestic ocean liners flying the Cunard or White Star banners, crossing "the pond" on these airborne liners was comparably elegant, given the limits of this mode of transportation. The contrast was made with today's "airbus" mentality whereby people are shoehorned into "sardine can" seating accomodations. The era of grandeur and elegance, with respect to transatlantic flight has indeed passed on into history with the cancellation by Air France & British Airways of the Concorde program (and no way am I gonna quote London or Paris/New York return fares on this puppy! ) It is indeed a sad time. But... as sad as it is that the Concorde has been laid to rest, let us continue to hope for the resurrection of a 5th Gen F-body!!!!
quote:Originally posted by Fbodfather: We enjoyed watching a "fly-by" over Puget Sound as this beautiful, graceful work of art flew into Boeing Field on its last flight.....
...the end of an era.
Certainly you are not alone with these thoughts... the Concorde flew into Toronto a couple of weeks ago on its farewell tour ......
My youngest son works at Pearson Int'l in Toronto. He was able to get some awesome 35mm pictures of the Concorde coming, going, and on the apron. He stood right next to the runways and taxiways to get the great pic's. Posts: 2359 | From: Waterloo, Ontario, Canada | Registered: Jul 2001
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I thought....first the Camaro and Firebird...now the Concorde...what's next? While many might say it's foolhardy to compare Concorde and Camaro/Firebird, there ARE similarities.....
What next ...The Astek .
Seriously...You have gotten to see a sight a lot of us never will in both the Concord and the F-Body's.The Concord on its passing and the Camaro/Firebirds on an unwanted vacation (in most enthusiasts minds). "1" we know will be back the other only a few have had the pleasure of seeing .
-------------------- SLP#3579 LE#1533 A pair of 35th Anny drinking chairs. Every thing else is just "Fluff" Rio Grande "Swim" Coach Posts: 3091 | From: Canton Mi. | Registered: Oct 2002
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The Concorde flew into Raleigh-Durham airport once on a publicity flight back when I was going to school at NCSU(late 80's). Back in the good ol' days of pre-terrorist freedom, we were able to stand by the fence on the runway and watch the plane come in. There were probably a couple of hundred people standing out there on a foggy, wet morning waiting for the aircraft to make an appearance.
About the time we heard the noise, it dropped out of the cloud cover and you could see a very cool condensation cloud rolling over the top of both wings as it flared to land, and then he did a touch-and-go and just nailed it to go around again. The noise from those engines were incredible. People were actually grinning and cheering, and all of this for a passenger plane.
That airplane was truly an elegant and impressive piece of engineering, unfortunately just not economically feasible and we all know how important the mighty dollar is. At least I got to see it in flight once, I'll not forget it. I'm still trying to get down to see a shuttle launch.
-------------------- 2002 Firehawk #668 Silver/Ebony Trans-Am 6 speed, TCS, CD-Changer Bilstein, Chrome Wheels, Mats, Portfolio Mods - BdubLS1 mods plus !CAGS Dynolab DynojetŪ Model 248C numbers at approx 3400 miles 314rwhp 328rwtq - graph.
1967 Firebird 326 HO package Silver/Black was the original paint, currently white awaiting a rebirth, 4 speed, dual exhausts My cars Posts: 49 | From: Atlanta GA | Registered: Aug 2003
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I was lucky enough to see it at the airport in Guam. I remember this as the Jet the environmental nuts stopped from being built here because of the noise and fuel consumption. They also limited the number of places it could land in the US.
-------------------- Member # M02-0968 M6, 35th Anniversary LE #102, Posts: 232 | From: Springfield, PA | Registered: Dec 2002
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I had the pleasure of flying in the Concorde - free upgrade from BA for a trip to London.
Memorable moments:
They shut off the afterburners over Long Island due to noise - the captain warns you because it feels like the plane stops in mid-air.
For the flight London - you climb for an hour - cruise for 45 minutes - and descend for an hour.
The outside temperature at 65,000 feet is -50C, the skin of the aircraft is +250C due to the friction at Mach II - the window glass is hot to the touch!
At 65,000 feet you see the curvature of the earth out the window.
Real silverware and real china for your meal.
[ 06. November 2003, 03:57 AM: Message edited by: DaddySS ]
Posts: 3403 | From: Woodcliff Lake, NJ, USA | Registered: Dec 2000
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quote:Originally posted by Fbodfather: I thought....first the Camaro and Firebird...now the Concorde...what's next? While many might say it's foolhardy to compare Concorde and Camaro/Firebird, there ARE similarities.....
Both are FAST......faster than most other jets/cars....
Both are recognizable, enduring icons........
I guess the good news is that there may be another Camaro/Firebird.........
So tell us more about the Camaro coming back.
-------------------- Current ride is: 2002 Brickyard 400 35th Anniversary LE convertible #22,SLP build# 0036,35th Anniversary Build #47 EMCC Member #234 www.emcamaro.org WCA Member #197582 MMCC Member #28 NEOCC Member #634 Posts: 5682 | From: Dearborn,Mi. | Registered: Feb 2002
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posted
My mom flight a London-NY with Concorde.... that was something as she told me. I felt sad too when we saw the last commercial picture on TV a few days ago.
He looked so small between two 747. Nice bird.
-------------------- 2002 export Z28, 1 of 9 sold in Switzerland. Lots of SLP PP mods... Posts: 19 | From: Switzerland | Registered: Aug 2003
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