# So long, Concorde... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 10, 2003, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-long-concorde/167743 "2003-04-10T09:25:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-long-concorde/167743/41 "2003-04-11T13:56:24Z")
[Here’s the forward baggage hold.](http://www.concordesst.com/inside/4.html) [Then there’s the hand luggage lockers.](http://www.concordesst.com/inside/5.html) [And finally, the rear baggage loading bay.](http://www.concordesst.com/inside/7.html) I can see how Concorde has its weight restrictions, but it seems exagerated to suggest you can’t bring any luggage at all. At 120 passengers (though mostly 100 in later configurations) and 20 kilograms (the regular maximum for “normal” flights, anyway) of luggage per passenger, that’s 2,400 kilograms of luggage. [These specs](http://www.concordesst.com/weight.html) suggest a total baggage weight of over 6,600 kilograms, so I think it’s fair to say that Concorde could handle the luggage of its passengers. [This is a stunning picture, BTW.](http://www.concordesst.com/pictures/flypast/ej66.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-long-concorde/167743/42 "2003-04-11T14:05:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Coldfire \* > \*\*[This is a stunning picture, BTW.](http://www.concordesst.com/pictures/flypast/ej66.jpg) \*\* 'kin hell! ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-long-concorde/167743/43 "2003-04-11T14:18:47Z")
Coldy, I heard the Concorde ‘luggage problem’ on ‘Modern Marvels’, a TV program in the U.S. Just checking what was presented as fact. Thanks for the info. But they really went of their way to point this tidbit of info out to the viewers. Specs look reasonable. ---
**Author:** ![bernse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@bernse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bernse)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-long-concorde/167743/44 "2003-04-11T14:20:20Z")
They had a spiel on Condorde on the Discovery channel last night. They showed video of 4 of them flying in formation. _THAT_ was cool! I want one! ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-long-concorde/167743/45 "2003-04-11T14:20:51Z")
“Inside the Concorde is different, too. It’s an odd form of luxury. The aircraft seats just 100 passengers with only one class of seats … premium. Room inside the cabin is restricted with just an eight-foot wide fuselage. The ceiling is just 6 foot, 4 inches. Passengers are restricted to one piece of luggage because of weight” [http://www.southjerseynews.com/millen/september/mill0914j.html](http://www.southjerseynews.com/millen/september/mill0914j.html) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Clawman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47c2d/32.png) [@The\_Clawman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Clawman)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-long-concorde/167743/46 "2003-04-11T14:22:41Z")
Jeez, how could I forget! Concorde and the Red Arrows did an unannounced flyby over Edinburgh and much of Central Scotland on the day that the Scottish Parliament was re-opened. Very cool. I’m sure they did the same sort of thing for the Queens Golden Jubilee. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-long-concorde/167743/47 "2003-04-11T14:30:51Z")
Who knows, if that TU-144 hadn’t gone down avoiding that Mirage (which was taking secret photos of the TU-144), it may have replaced the concorde. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-long-concorde/167743/48 "2003-04-11T14:37:40Z")
I had a temp job one summer where I was working in the Dulles mid-field terminal. A couple of times at lunch I walked out onto the tarmac and walked around the Concord. I remember being surprised at how tiny it really was. I sure wouldn’t mind being in the class of people who could afford to fly in her, though. _sigh_ That’s interesting about the 3-hour limit on supersonic travel, though. I wonder if that holds true for all planes, including military jets (with the exception of the SR-71), or if they’ve solved the problem since the Concords were built. Time to do some research. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-long-concorde/167743/49 "2003-04-11T15:26:39Z")
**Philster** , do they mean check-in luggage? Because there’s overhead bins, too. Small ones, I’m sure, but still. **The Clawman** , the pic I linked to is the general rehearsal for the QE2 celebrations last year, one day before the real thing. What a stunning sight, eh! ---
**Author:** ![The\_Clawman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47c2d/32.png) [@The\_Clawman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Clawman)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-long-concorde/167743/50 "2003-04-11T15:31:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Coldfire \* > [B **The Clawman** , the pic I linked to is the general rehearsal for the QE2 celebrations last year, one day before the real thing. What a stunning sight, eh! \*\* Oh yeah! Now imagine them flying in formation over Edinburgh Castle on the day the country’s Parliament reconvened after a couple of hundred years!🙂 ---
**Author:** ![bernse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@bernse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bernse)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-long-concorde/167743/51 "2003-04-11T15:33:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by World Eater \* > \*\*Who knows, if that TU-144 hadn’t gone down avoiding that Mirage (which was taking secret photos of the TU-144), it may have replaced the concorde. \*\* I really doubt it. The Tu-144 was even less economical than Concorde. IIRC, it needed to have its burners lit even to sustain supersonic flight. That means it _really_ sucked the fuel. Concorde only needed to do it to reach cruising altitude and speed. As well, I think it had even less passenger/luggage capacity. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-long-concorde/167743/52 "2003-04-11T15:33:33Z")
Having been to that beautiful city, I concur that it must have been quite a sight indeed! ---
**Author:** ![The\_Clawman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47c2d/32.png) [@The\_Clawman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Clawman)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-long-concorde/167743/53 "2003-04-11T15:35:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Coldfire \* > \*\*Having been to that beautiful city, I concur that it must have been quite a sight indeed! \*\* Thought you had! Isn’t there a photo of you in a kilt on-line somewhere? ---
**Author:** ![Spit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/76d3ee/32.png) [@Spit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spit)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-long-concorde/167743/54 "2003-04-11T16:26:29Z")
I hope the deal with Branson goes through- Everything that man touches turns to gold, so maybe he can turn the Concorde around. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2003, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-long-concorde/167743/55 "2003-04-11T17:56:08Z")
Coupla points: Normal cruise was M1.8, not the originally-planned M2.0 - that saved a surprisingly large amount of fuel and engine life, while only adding about 10 minutes to a LHR-JFK flight. Concordes reached D-check (a major scheduled overhaul, equivalent to a complete rebuild) without any corrosion, unlike most aircraft. The skin temperatures separated the skins from mating metal just slightly enough to allow any water to bake out. Branson has _not_ made an offer, just expressed interest. Don’t count on anything - Virgin’s “lower cost base” may not be applicable. New York Helicopter shut down in the early 80’s, shortly after the helipad on top of the Pan Am building (behind Grand Central Station) was closed due to a spectacular crash - a gust of wind sent one of their machines over the side and down to the street. Another end of an era. The only time I ever saw one airborne was right after takeoff from Toronto (must have been a charter), and it was window-shakingly loud even without the afterburners on. But the sight of a few lined up at Heathrow at dawn, along with seemingly-endless rows of BA 747’s, “the winged argosies of the night”, arriving from all over the world looking the way that fleets of ships arriving at the port of London a century earlier, well, I’ll leave it at that. All that said, although it’s always sad in a way to see eras end, it’s time. The thing to be sad about, IMHO, is that we haven’t progressed technologically _in an inspirational way_ in forty years. Passenger aircraft are better than ever, yes, but only through evolution, not revolution. It wouldn’t be nearly as sad to see the end of the outrageously-uneconomical, environmentally-toxic, even elitist Concorde if there were something else emotionally more fulfilling, like the first jets replacing the big piston aircraft, for instance. Let’s lament that state of affairs instead, and toss in laments about space exploration 34 years after Apollo 11 while we’re at it. The era is over only because we haven’t willed it to continue. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2003, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-long-concorde/167743/56 "2003-10-23T20:32:45Z")
[The last ever Concorde flight left LHR for JFK this afternoon.](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/3209441.stm) Tomorrow, the three last Concorde flights will land at LHR, shortly after one another. And then, the dream is over. ---
**Author:** ![bernse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@bernse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bernse)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2003, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-long-concorde/167743/57 "2003-10-23T21:16:41Z")
Are they actually going to be grounded? As in airworthiness revoked? Would BA/AF lease them out to anyone if the price was right or have the both flatly ruled that out? ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2003, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-long-concorde/167743/58 "2003-10-23T21:35:08Z")
Richard Branson (Virgin Air) tried to buy the planes, but was denied. I think BA have decided to put them in museums and such. I guess airworthiness would just expire, what with no maintenance and checks being done anymore. Maybe they’ll keep one maintained, for special occasions? ---
**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2003, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-long-concorde/167743/59 "2003-10-24T00:36:04Z")
She comes over at about 5.50pm, and has done for most of my adult life. You never tire of looking up; that combination of technology and grace, power and beauty, it gets you every time. It was cloudy overhead this evening so I didn’t see the old girl. The perfect scenario for tomorrow would be clear overhead, with sparse cloud out west where the sun would be setting in a glorious red sky. Except the radio says she’s coming in for the last time at 4.00pm, which, if correct, means before the sun sets. I hope she gives her wings a wiggle as she flies over the town. Whatever the case, it’ll be chaos on the motorways. A couple of reports this evening were saying some people had parked as they were in their lanes and got out to look. If that happens tomorrow on the M25 and M4 – in the Friday night rush hour - it really will be gridlock across all of west London and a fair chunk of the southeast. My money is on gridlock, quite possibly the worst we’ve ever had. Actually, I’m betting on applause rippling across the stationary M25 but we’ll see. I’ll miss the old girl. I just hope it’s a clear afternoon so I can give her a discreet wave goodbye. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2003, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-long-concorde/167743/60 "2003-10-24T07:49:38Z")
Heh. [Check it out, about the last JFK-LHR flight:](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/3209837.stm) > [@](#): > > \*\*It will be carrying 100 people - all invited celebrity guests or frequent passengers. > > But there will also be one British businessman who booked his ticket a year ago, before Concorde’s retirement was announced.\*\* What unbelievable luck. 🙂 > [@](#): > > \*\*A trio of Concordes will land in quick succession at Heathrow airport at 1600 BST on Friday, 27 years after the first Concorde flew. > > Thousands are expected to gather to watch the planes land and airport officials have ordered netting to be installed around the runway’s perimeter to stop traffic grinding to a halt. > > One of the planes will carry competition winners, BA staff and celebrities from Edinburgh, while another will be a round trip over the Atlantic from Heathrow. > > Flight BA002, the return leg from New York, will be the final Concorde to land.\*\* ☹ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-long-concorde/167743.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-long-concorde/167743.md?page=4)