[Deleted User]

Where ever Concorde ends up being dipslayed will have a “real estate value”. This iconic British Aircraft has a home at Heathrow and should be on display for all to see.

The comment that pilots in landing aircraft may be distracted by the sight of an aircraft in a take of position, is easily resolved, position it in a parking position or place a warning on the landing charts.

I can not think of any better place for Concorde to be positioned than within the T5 complex (preferably somewhere externally), proudly displaying the latest BA colours.

A real sense of national pride, something that seems to missing at London Heathrow.

[BusinessTraveller]

Readers might be interested to know that you can celebrate this New Year’s Eve on board a Concorde aircraft, thanks to Brookland Museum.

We’ve received the following press release with more details:

Supersonic New Year’s Eve at Brooklands Museum

A world-first – see in 2011 on board Concorde at Brooklands Museum in Weybridge

This New Year’s Eve an exclusive party of just 40 people will experience something that no-one else in the world has ever done….sipping champagne and singing Auld Lang Syne at midnight on Concorde!

Capturing the spirit of Brooklands and the style of Concorde, the Museum is offering a Concorde New Year’s Eve Gala Dinner in its Edwardian Clubhouse hosted by Capt. Mike Bannister, British Airways’ Chief Concorde Pilot.

The black-tie evening begins with a Welcome Champagne Reception followed by a specially-created six-course Concorde Gala Dinner featuring Beef Concorde and Mach 2 Mélange! All drinks are included. Entertainment and music for dancing will be provided by Heather Simmons and the Hot Rhythm Boys and there will be an informal chat with Capt. Bannister.

Shortly before midnight, guests will board Concorde for the special ‘flight’ to welcome in 2011 and this will be followed by a spectacular firework display with Concorde as the centrepiece.

Brooklands’ Concorde Operations Manager, Jan Knott said, “Concorde flew to a number of destinations across the World for New Year’s celebrations but midnight was always spent at a party or ball. Now, for the first time, Concorde is herself the venue for the party!”

For those who wish to stay the night at Brooklands, the Museum has negotiated special rates with the Brooklands Hotel from where transportation will be provided to and from the Clubhouse.

The price for this package is £295 per person and a special brochure giving full details of the evening is available from Brooklands Museum by calling 01932 857381 ext 237, or by e-mailing <a href="mailto:[email protected]“>[email protected].

[MartynSinclair]

I spent a wonderful day at Brookalnds today. Parked in position and ready to go on display somewhere on the site is G-CONC the scaled down model that was pushed from the Gateway to Heathrow by the Emirates A380.

How ironic that there is a Concorde exibit is based in Seattle, now that the aircraft has been silienced the Yank, are quite happy to be making money out if it – pity they didnt feel the same when it was flying.

A wonderful static display, although I think that Concorde should be positioned in a far more prominent.

**All corrections made to avoid another BT diplomatic forum fireworks party**

[VintageKrug]

The “e” spelling of Concorde is quite important, having been the centre of a diplomatic stand off.

“Britain eventually agreed to add an “e” to its spelling of the supersonic Anglo-French airliner Concord to bring it into line with the French name, UK technology minister Tony Benn said it stood for “excellence, England, Europe and entente”.”

The similarly sized Concorde model which used to be on display in Times Square, Manhattan, will be sold off by Bonhams shortly.

If you have some time over Easter, I would highly recommend a visit to one of the Concordes near you whether that be Barbados, New York, Seattle, Edinburgh, Yeovilton, Duxford, Brooklands, Manchester, or various French examples unimaginatively strewn about in France as well as the one imaginatively displayed AF example in Sinsheim (Germany) which is displayed next to the Russian Konkordski:

http://www.concordesst.com/fleetoverview.html

Terminal 5’s roundabout is perfectly proportioned to host the lonely swan, and I hope BAA gives some consideration to allowing her to rest there eventually:

http://www.framearch.co.uk/t5/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/terminal-5.jpg

[ImissConcorde]

I agree that the T5 roundabout would be the perfect place for Concorde. However you haven’t taken the BAA’s ability to charge for advertising space into consideration. The rental for the site where the model was sited at the entrance to the Central Terminal Area ran into millions of pounds!

[MartynSinclair]

Concorde should certainly be displayed at London Heahrow both from an Engineering and from a public mode of transport perspective. A combined pride of Britain, unless of course the politicians felt that this would possible offend some parts of the community!!!

I am a firm believer that G-CONC should never have been removed from the Gateway to Heathrow, but there again, I am not a shareholder or the owner of the land where the A380 now stands.

[VintageKrug]

I do think it should have been removed; the revenues BAA makes from that site go to re-invest in the terminal redevelopment.

Whatever you think of BAA (and I’m no fan) you have to give them credit for maximising revenues, and although I think their margins are too high, they are re-investing well into LHR.

[MartynSinclair]

Then why not rent out part of Buckingham Palace to fund the repairs and upkeep!

I too beleive in maximising revenues, but not at the cost of betraying our British Identity.

The front door to the UK’s main international airport, displays an Airbus in Middle Eastern colours – its not about revenue VK, its about pride and being British!

[DisgustedofSwieqi]

They should use technology to scan every cm of this Concorde, to create a virtual model that can be explored in cyberspace or even in a holographic experience, then scrap it.

There are plenty in museums and anyway one should focus on the future – every time I go to Egypt I feel it is perverse that their finest achievement was 4,000 years ago.

Times move on, what’s the next great British innovation?

[Delsurrey]

If you would like the chance to be a Concorde pilot for the day visit the Brooklands musem where (for a fee) you can spend time at the controls of an original Concorde simulator. You can also see the Concorde model which was originally at the entrance to Terminals 1, 2 and 3 as well as getting on board Concorde itself. It is well worth a visit and the support is vital as all this sterling work is mostly done by volunteers. Visit the link at
http://www.brooklandsconcorde.com/moreinfo.html

[VintageKrug]

I think Disgusted is just deliberately provocative.

Britain’s most significant innovation in the recent past? Um, that would be developing The Internet, which I think even you’ll agree is a biggy:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Berners-Lee

Oh, and it is a Brit who’s behind the design of the iPhone and iPad:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Ive

As MS is surely aware, even in the hallowed portals of his commerce-free outlook, Buckingham Palace is indeed exploited for profit, selling tickets during the Summer Opening.

Neither Heathrow nor BA are State Owned any longer, and it is right that any advertising, as the Concorde model was, should be paid for.

There is nothing like experiencing the real thing, with its smells, enclosed space and tiny windows to experience what flying in Concorde was like; as DelSurrey mentions you could do worse than to visit Brooklands as the example there is well reconstructed and the docents are extremely passionate about their roles.

A really great day out, as there is also a terrific Mercedes Benz Experience for after the aircraft graveyard.

While they may be good at designing cars which make good taxis, their website URL leaves something to be desired:

www2.mercedes-benz.co.uk/content/unitedkingdom/mpc/mpc_unitedkingdom_website/en/home_mpc/MBWorldBrooklands/home/driving_experiences/drivingexperiences.html

[CallMeIshmael]

Slight correction – Tim BL developed the World Wide Web, not the internet. The WWW is a service that sits on the internet.The internet grew due to increasing numbers of people wishing to access/use the WWW.

[MartynSinclair]

Yes VK, BP do indeed sell tickets, however, profit in your world would be maximised further if they rented out a room or two to some millioinaire tourist.

The difference between the UK and USA and many other countries, is that we seem incapable of showing pride with our nationality. If we fly the Union Jack, we are called nationalists and racists.

London Heathrow, hate it or love it is the gateway to Britain/England/UK/ Wales and Ireland. Its such a shame that the entrance this major gateway, flies the colours of a Middle Eastern country rather than our own.

Sometimes national pride should come before profit, otherwise we may just as well get the Estate Agents in to Downing Street and sell off some more of the countries pride and assets.

[DisgustedofSwieqi]

Not being provocative at all.

I’m all for preserving Spitfires/Hurricanes in airworthy condition, as they are living history and (certainly in Malta) many of us are very grateful for the part they played in modern history – it’s good that the younger generation can see them.

But when you look at the Concorde, it pales into significance next to the Spitfire/Hurricane and whilst it was an innovative piece of engineering in the 1960s, that is 50 years ago – there are are plenty of preserved examples and this one really is not needed. I fully support the Brooklands initiative, great job by those volunteers.

And VK, I was asking for the next innovation, not even recent history.

Martyn, you are so right about national pride.

[VintageKrug]

If you knew anything about our History, rather than that read in the pages of Hello and the sides of Cereal packets, you would know that the UK has a long and closely connected shared history, most especially in aviation, with the UAE in particular and indeed helped Emirates Airline become what it is today.

If you look at the Emirates Board, many of the key positions, including President, are held by Brits:

http://www.theemiratesgroup.com/english/our-company/leadership/leadership.aspx

On a related matter, Gulf Air was largely set up by BOAC, and even air arabia has strong links to the UK.

There is no conflict whatsoever in an open society which has built itself on trade celebrating the successes of other countries, especially when those successes are built on the skill of British people.

[Author]

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